Beauty by Raeven — beyond the brush.

Meet Raeven. 

Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Raeven's journey into makeup did not start as a lifelong dream. It started with watching her sister, who was a makeup artist when Raeven was 17. When Raeven went to college, she became more interested in learning how to apply makeup herself. At first, she asked her sister for advice. After a while, her sister encouraged her to teach herself. That push changed everything.

Makeup was never something she planned to pursue. But over time, she started to notice how powerful it could be. A simple eyeliner or red lip could completely change how someone looked and felt. She became drawn to enhancing features, not covering them. Her creativity grew from seeing the beauty in the people around her.

Raeven describes her style as bold and eclectic. She does not like being put into one box. When she first started her career in 2020, she focused on everyday glam. Since then, she has worked in many areas including drag, fashion, bridal, film, special effects, and editorial. She tried different styles because she wanted to see where she fit best. Instead of limiting herself, she chose to grow in every direction she could.

Before she had steady clients, she practiced on herself constantly. During COVID, she spent hours watching tutorials and improving her skills. When people began booking her, it was not just for one specific look. So she embraced being versatile.

Her dramatic and abstract looks are where she really pushes herself. She says art did not come naturally to her, so she has to work hard to bring big ideas to life. She pulls inspiration from older fashion campaigns and different eras. Her dream is to work in the fashion industry, with celebrities, and for magazines. When she creates bold looks, she sees it as preparation for that future. She wants her work to show that you can be loud and still beautiful. She believes makeup should be fun and take risks.

At the same time, she also values soft glam. For Raeven, soft glam means lightly enhancing someone’s natural beauty. She believes less is more. Her goal is for clients to leave her chair looking like themselves, just more polished. Her soft glam is long-lasting and focused on flawless skin and subtle eye definition. She understands that most people do not want heavy layers of makeup. They want to feel confident and comfortable.

Her creative process starts with a conversation. She and her team discuss the concept first. Then she helps find models, styling, hair, and the set. While everything is coming together, she creates a vision board that outlines each person’s role and what needs to happen to bring the idea to life. She takes both the creative and planning sides of her work seriously.

One of the most meaningful moments in her career was seeing her name on television. She worked on the casts of Christmas by Design and Brewster’s Millions: Christmas for BET Plus. Getting the call to work as a makeup artist for BET was life-changing. For years, people questioned her path and asked where makeup would take her. In that moment, she felt like she finally had her answer.

She also learned quickly that working on set is intense. Days can be 12 hours or longer. Everything moves fast. Actors need touch-ups constantly, and small mistakes are easy to see on HD cameras. On her first film, she learned what was expected in the hair and makeup department. By the second film, she was doing makeup for the entire cast. It was challenging, but it gave her confidence. She says she would do it again without hesitation.

Makeup for film is different from everyday clients because it has to look natural under strong lighting and long hours of filming. Sometimes she has to add shimmer for a romantic scene or remove makeup for a “just woke up” look. Even male actors wear makeup, and it has to look invisible. The goal is to make it believable.

Now, Raeven is preparing for her next chapter. She plans to relocate because she feels she has grown as much as she can in Louisville. She wants to be around bigger opportunities and people who think big. She sees herself on a red carpet one day, whether she is behind the scenes doing makeup or walking it herself. She believes there is more out there for her, and she is ready to go after it.

Beauty by Raeven is not just about makeup. It is about growth, risk, and betting on yourself.