Erin Parsons: From Makeup Artist to Makeup Archivist

Jessica Matlin (0:06)

Everyone, we have Erin Parsons in the virtual studio today. I was going to call her a makeup artist, but she was a makeup artist. She was a big makeup artist with, it sounds like so far away. She worked with Maybelline New York. She was always doing Gigi Hadid's makeup. She was here, she was there, she was everywhere, she was backstage.

I mean, I just knew Erin as a makeup artist. Well, she has made the pivot of a lifetime where she is now a full-time content creator. Are we saying influencer? I don't know. Content creator making some of the best beauty content you can possibly devour. And devour meaning like you were gonna be sitting there going through video after video after video. She's providing real education about not only makeup artistry, but makeup history. She's providing a real service. I love her and she's also now a curator. We're going to be talking about The Makeup Archive, which is her, honestly, her dream realized. And if you're listening to Fat Mascara, it might be one of yours too. Let's take it away.

Welcome back to Fat Mascara, Erin Parsons.

Erin Parsons (1:10)

Yeah, I have been here before, but it's been years, right?

Jessica Matlin (1:14)

I mean, the last time we saw you was like really long time ago, but you were also, you've had a bit of a career change. We were just chatting and I was like, how should I refer to you? I was like, makeup artist, but I'm sorry. We're not even identifying as a makeup artist anymore. You don't even identify as a makeup artist anymore. What, when did, what?

Erin Parsons (1:36)

So, 2020 forward, my Maybelline contract was at the end. I decided that I wanted to pursue social media content full-time and that was scary in my 40s to totally do a completely different job change, especially when I had was a successful makeup artist. But the truth is, is that as a makeup artist, it's a demanding, physically demanding job, mentally demanding, you're long hours, you're standing, you're, things get really complicated after COVID, because you were doing commercial print and you were now doing social media and BTS content. So you're running to all these different sets. And to be honest, I just could not physically do it anymore. And now I just sit in a chair all day, put on my own makeup.

Jessica Matlin (2:23)

It's the easiest. Possibly sweatpants. I don't know what kind of bottoms you wear. Oh yeah, there's sweatpants.

Erin Parsons (2:29)

There is definitely some pajama pants stained with makeup right now, but yes. But yeah, I just, I really love it.

Jessica Matlin (2:36)

I want to hear more about your personal experience, just to pedal back for a little bit. The demand changed during COVID, where the makeup artists couldn't just do their job. Now they have to be all singing, all dancing. I've heard during the Met Gala, it's not even one day, it's like a whole bonanza.

But the makeup artists, after their job, they're rushing to get content up if they're working with someone. Like they're working so hard to either get these deals, keep these deals. They've had to become like a one-man band.

Erin Parsons (3:08)

Yeah, and I think if you're working with a celebrity and you're doing something like that, yeah, you've got to get the pictures, you've got to get the video, and you've got to get it up as quick as possible because then you're the one that's going to go viral.

That was that. But there's other parts. But for me, that was really difficult physically because I was traveling the world. I was doing fashion shows. I was on set with Maybelline. I was on set with fashion shoots. So the editorial world, what I found changed after COVID was that you had more models, less money, more things to shoot, and more things to do in one day, and you were never going to work less than 12 hours. And for me, it just got to be too much. And I was doing 10-minute makeup on a sidewalk for a million-dollar campaign. I just thought, I want to take my time with something. I want to research something. I want to give it all of my love and attention. And that is what I was able to do with social media. And I don't have to stand outside in January for 12 hours on a sidewalk, freezing my ass off to get the shot that you only see. Literally, the shot is this.

Jessica Matlin (4:14)

And that's it.

Erin Parsons (4:16)

We just stood outside all day for that.