November 13, 2025 • 21 mins
What happens when a background investigator swaps case files for contour palettes and a rolling kit? We sit down with Jeet of Glam by Jeet to trace a bold career pivot that blends precision, creativity, and a deep love for people. From early days jumping into military ball season to shaping a mobile beauty brand across Fredericksburg, Stafford, Loudoun, and the greater DMV, Jeet opens up about building trust, celebrating natural features, and crafting looks that feel like you.
We walk through her full client journey—how discovery calls uncover style goals and pain points, why Pinterest boards are a goldmine for finding what truly resonates, and how she balances comfort with transformation. Jeet explains her signature “shop and learn” service: heading to the store to custom-match skin prep and complexion products, then teaching technique at home with a hands-on, half-face lesson that empowers clients to recreate the look. Along the way, she shares how to keep freckles visible by request, match undertones across the palest to the deepest complexions, and stock a kit that handles everything from soft lashes to stage-ready drama.
The conversation also explores the heart behind the work. Jeet talks about moving during the pandemic, returning to the region, and expanding into permanent makeup for brows. She reflects on losing her sister in 2021 and how that loss led to more openness, more courage, and a carpe diem approach that clients can feel. Whether you’re a bride, a professional stepping into a client-facing role, or someone who just wants a routine that doesn’t feel like a mask, you’ll find practical advice and genuine encouragement.
If you want inclusive, confidence-building beauty that lasts through real life, this is your roadmap. Follow Glam by Jeet on Instagram and Facebook at @glambyjeet, explore brows by Jeet for permanent makeup, and browse the portfolio at glambyjeet.com. Like what you heard? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more neighbors can discover local stories that matter.
Jeet Bahra
Glam by Jeet
Jeet.bahra@glambyjeet.com
+1 301-518-8082
4405 East West Highway Suite 509, Bethesda, MD, United States, Maryland
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors
Podcast, where we share thestories of our favorite local
brands.
I'm excited to introduce you tomy guest today.
We have Jeet Bahra joining uswith Glam by Jeet.
Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker (00:32):
I am so excited to dive in and learn more about you and
your business.
So let's start there.
Share with us a little bitabout your business.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Sure.
I started Glam by Jeet back in2014.
I had previously been abackground investigator for
security clearances and gone toUniversity of Maryland for a
criminology degree.
And once I had children andlife, you know, sometimes
changes, I was looking for asecondary career that would
(01:02):
allow the flexibility I neededfor my family and also give me a
creative outlet since I comefrom a family of creatives.
My mom is an artist, so she wasalways sculpting, painting,
doing all sorts of stuff when wewere growing up.
And um so I have that innatelyin me too.
And my creativity mainly cameout in getting my friends ready
for things like that.
(01:22):
So um I took some classes witha makeup artist that I'd met at
my own five-year anniversaryboudoir shoot.
And um, she was like, Are youcomfortable like with different
skin tones and stuff like that?
So if that's where I likelearned, and then I jumped in
military ball season 2014, and Inever looked back.
(01:42):
Uh I was full-time within ayear.
Speaker (01:45):
That's amazing.
So what a uh change of careers,and it shows that you've got um
you're extra talented.
You've got the right brain,left brain thing going on,
you've got the technical side ofyou, and then you've got the
creative side.
So that's so cool.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
And I've gotten to dabble a little bit more with
tech as well.
Like I've I've second shot forphotographers, I've dabbled with
videography, I've done promovideos, I've done all sorts of
stuff in my career.
So it's been really nice toconnect with everybody that I've
met along the way.
Speaker (02:18):
Yeah, so that's really cool.
So kind walk me through a um aclient experience from the time
they find you and all theservices that you offer.
Kind of share with us what thatexperience is like.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, sure.
So uh first point of contactusually is via Instagram or
Facebook from a personalreferral, in my experience.
And then sometimes it's fromGoogle.
Um, and so usually the firstpoint of contact is uh sending
the email, and then I set up aphone consultation usually so we
can chit-chat about what you'relooking for.
Um, I do have a lot of repeatclients, so those are always fun
(02:54):
to get to know again.
But um, yeah, so we we book andthen we consult about what
we're looking for.
I do both hair styling andmakeup, so I'm usually talking
about like what they're wearingand um sort of what the occasion
is, what fears they have, maybewhat they don't like about
previous experience they've hadbefore with uh hair and makeup.
So that's where we start.
(03:15):
And then I do have a sizableportfolio, so they're able to
kind of look online and see sortof like the general style, but
I do also pride myself on uhkind of making everybody happy
since I've come across so manydifferent types of people and
like uh diversity in both colorand um ethnicities, as well as
um like how much makeup peoplewear is something that's always
(03:39):
been important to my businessand my portfolio.
So um I usually end up havingto um, you know, kind of like
talk through that whole process.
Like, hey, if you're somebodywho doesn't wear makeup all the
time and you're looking for acomplete transformation, I can
help you with that and sort oflike make sure your skin still
(03:59):
feels comfortable and and you'renot feeling like you're itchy
and you know, feeling like amask is on you.
Um and I have other clients whoare like, hey, completely
transform me.
I don't want to recognizemyself, and you know, then we go
from there as well.
So I and same thing for hair.
Sometimes it's for a wedding,sometimes it's for special
events or photo shoots.
So we talk about just like whatthey look like on a day-to-day
(04:19):
basis, um, you know, what theyenvision.
A lot of people have likePinterest photos ready for me.
So um, if they don't, usuallyhave them go back and look for
about 10 pictures of makeup and10 pictures of hair that are
sort of speaking to them.
And then we'd look through eachone and talk about like, hey,
what stood out to you for eachphoto?
And sometimes it's like, hey, Ilike the lips on this one, I
(04:40):
like this contouring on thisone, I like the eyebrows on that
one.
So it just helps me get insidemy client's brain as much as
possible.
And so that's on the makeup andhairstyling sides.
And the next time I would seethem is when I actually show up
to their home or their venue ortheir hotel where they're
getting ready.
I do also have a studio that isa little closer to my hometown
up in Bethesda, Maryland, butthat is an option for those who
(05:02):
are um going to military ballsand things like that in DC, for
example.
Um, so that's one big service Ioffer.
And another one that becamereally popular in about 2015 was
my shop and learn.
And so a lot of my photo shootclients, um, since I work a lot
of boudoir maternity headshotsin that space, Monday to Friday,
(05:22):
they would be like, I can'tbelieve my makeup doesn't feel
uncomfortable.
And I actually like how I looklike, so can you teach me how to
do a version of this everysingle day?
And so I started with a mom whohad contacted me for her
teenager who she didn't want herdaughter to go through like the
ugly makeup phase.
So, like, not trying the hotpink lipstick, blue eyeshadow at
(05:44):
the same time.
So I that was my first evershop and learn that I did, and
we went to Walmart because shewanted to keep the budget in a
certain number, and so we wentto the store.
I custom matched all of hercomplexion um products that she
would need, tools that would fither face and her eyes, for
example.
And then um we made a cutelittle makeup kit, and then we
(06:04):
went back to her mom's house andwe taught her how to do an
everyday look.
And so from there, I mostly wasdoing adults, but I also do a
lot of like like parties, likefor like, you know, teenagers,
for adults who are doing like agirls' night in.
Um, but the main thing is we goto the store, we get the skin
prep, the complexion andproducts that fit the fit their
(06:25):
skin type and colors.
Um, I match for them, like whatblush should go on their
complexion based on their goals.
Um, and then we go back totheir home, we do a whole lesson
on like techniques, why we runthe brush the way we do across
the skin, um, like all of thesteps.
And then I do half of the faceand they do half of the face,
(06:46):
and it's that's the um hands-onportion of the lesson.
So I try to hit all of thelearning styles for people so
that they can um replicate theprocess next time they sit down.
Speaker (06:55):
That is a really, really cool service that you
offer.
I love that.
I love that so much.
I I mean, you're saving peopleso much time and money and a
heartache of, I mean, I'm I'm 52years old and I'm still trying
to makeups.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So that's really cool.
There's different reasonspeople have done it from um I've
had flight attendants who arelike, hey, we have a whole like
facci that we have to follow forour job all the way through
like women who've been promotedand they're in a more
client-facing role and theydon't want to worry about what
they're looking like.
They want to feel confident.
And then others are like, hey,like I kind of got by in my 20s,
(07:35):
and now that I'm 30 something,I need a little more help and
and to look more polished, orlike others, it's just like,
hey, I got like 10 weddings thisyear I need to attend in
different states, and I can'ttake you with me.
So can you please teach me howto get myself ready?
So there's a lot of reasons whypeople do it, but mostly it's I
just want to look refreshed andlike a look tailored to my skin
tone and like how I dressnormally.
(07:57):
I even go in their closetssometimes and I look at like the
color palettes and they're allin their closet because a lot of
girls are like black, black,black, black, black.
So something neutral is moresuitable, and other people love
color and like playing.
So I I'm able to do thatsecond.
I do like one main look andthen we learn how to like play
with looks as well.
So that's that's my mostpopular service outside of like
traditional hair and makeupservices for like events and
(08:18):
stuff like that.
Speaker (08:19):
That is really cool.
I love that.
I love that.
Well, so for those listening,uh Jeet has actually made over
my daughter a couple of timesfor her prom in homecoming a
long time ago.
It was pre-COVID.
But something that I reallylove that you did, uh, my
daughter has tons of freckles.
And you made sure that youdidn't cover her freckles and
(08:42):
you still made her lookglamorous for her prom, but let
her natural, you know, um traitscome out.
And I thought that that wasreally special that you did that
for her.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Thank you.
And I I always ask that becauseuh freckled our freckle friends
are different sometimes.
So some of them hate theirfreckles and others love them.
But I usually I usually try tourge them to love them a little
bit because I can't get them.
I want them, I can't even getthem.
So I feel like they're uniqueand beautiful.
And most people have a uniquetrait about themselves.
And I'm always like, you're notugly or anything, it's just
(09:13):
something you can enhance andlike love about yourself.
Speaker (09:16):
So that's awesome.
I love that.
So do you find that you comeacross any myths or
misconceptions about theindustry?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Um, I think I've lived that a little bit.
So um I think uh I think asmakeup artists, a lot of us do
wear the all black or we're likeum always in fake eyelashes and
things like that.
And so um in like just feelingoverly intimidating and stuff
like that.
I've heard from clients orthey're like, we were afraid of
like maybe um not being glamenough for the services and
(09:51):
stuff like that.
But you know, it's funnybecause on the business side, we
all have to present ourselvesas a like luxury brand or like
you know, whatever it might be.
And so we do all the fancyphoto shoots and like the promo
videos and all that stuff.
And um, I kind of, especiallyin the Stafford, Fredericksburg
area, I felt so at home.
I felt like I was hanging outwith friends and sisters, and so
(10:13):
it was like I always showed uplike kind of as I am, like I'm
even wearing some makeup today.
Most of the time I wouldn'teven wear it.
And so I really like had thatmore family feel um with my
clients and they embraced it andthey never were intimidated in
that way, but they appreciatedmy like uh my literature and my
website and all that lookingprofessional so that they felt
(10:33):
confident in my services, butum, they never felt like I was
unapproachable or you know, I II really developed a lot of
connections and friendships umover the years, and so that's
been like really important to meand just word of mouth and um
just a trust that comes withjust um just entrusting all your
family and friends with the thepeople that you work with,
(10:54):
right?
Speaker (10:55):
Yeah, that's amazing.
And so tell me what is yourservice area?
Do you cover so you're inMaryland, but you also come down
to Fredericks?
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yes.
I so I'm from Montgomery,Caroline, Montgomery County,
Maryland, originally.
Um, I lived in the Stafford,Fredericksburg area for over a
decade.
Um, I've also lived inWarrenton, so I've made
connections all over.
Um, and I've worked reallyclosely with photographers in
Lake Gainsville and Ashburn, allthe way through Annapolis, um,
Frederick.
(11:26):
So I've kind of worked all overthe place.
And that was part of the perkof we moved away just during
COVID to try a slower pace oflife and a lower cost of living
out in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
That's the reason I'd leftStafford for just about a year.
When we tried to come back,because it wasn't it wasn't for
us, but when we tried to comeback, it was like the height of
the market.
(11:46):
I um I had friends telling me,they're like, Do you want to go
to your old house and tell themthat it's haunted and they need
to get out so that you can moveback in your house?
Like I had a whole army ofwomen like ready to do that for
me.
It was so funny.
Um, but we tried, um, and noneof the the offers work because
like the same 20 families arefighting over the same homes.
But um, so now I ended upsettling near my parents.
(12:08):
So I'm like 10 miles away frommy parents.
I get help with the kids when Ineed it.
I'm close to my family andfriends from that part of my
life, but also I'm verycentrally located.
And so I'll go up to likeBaltimore, like I said,
Frederick, Loudoun County, um,Lake Culpepper, I come all the
way down to Fredericksburg andSpotsylvania County.
Um, so I have friends andfamily everywhere.
(12:30):
Um so I just kind of I just Idon't mind driving.
So I still service a lot of thesame people I did before.
Nice.
Speaker (12:37):
That's awesome.
So let me ask you this.
If someone came to you andsaid, hey, I'm inspired by
watching what you're doing, andI love hair and makeup, and I
want to start my own businessdoing this too, what advice
would you give them?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think uh the biggest piece of advice is to
never stop trying because it'svery intimidating to not only
are you dealing with the canvasitself, right?
But you have differentpersonalities and you have
different types of people youcome across.
So the whole experience can bevery overwhelming.
Um, I've worked withintroverts, I've worked with
extroverts.
(13:16):
Um I think extroverts have alittle bit of an easier time uh
connecting with people and thenlike kind of not being
intimidated by the process.
But a lot of artists areintroverts, so it's a little
hard to work on those um sort ofinterpersonal skills that are
required to do a customerservice role like we do.
Um, so that's on that side.
Um, and then I'd say like allthe Sephora sales and just scour
(13:39):
all of the sales and grab asmany things as you can in all of
the shades that you can.
I know one big thing I did whenI started was um I picked a
prominent YouTuber in everysingle ethnicity and skin tone,
and I really watched them.
I looked at the products theyrecommended and why, um, and
learned the tips and tricks foreach of those sort of
(14:00):
subcategories so that I couldrelate better to my clients
since diversity was a bigcornerstone stone of my
business, even when I started.
Um, I think that was what wasmissing in Stafford at the time.
They were like, we have a lotof, you know, women of different
skin tones, but we don'tnecessarily have makeup artists
that reflect that.
So we would love people who arelike available all the time and
also can do a Filipino skintone versus like even even the
(14:24):
girls who love to go tanning anddo spray tans and stuff like
that, they were like, people arestill matching our skin tone to
our like um untanned face, andthen our body's brown.
So like we want some.
So that was like a lot of whatit's a lot of just like trial
and error listening to clients.
Um, and so for me, I think theinterpersonal relationship and
(14:44):
like listening skills are a lotmore important.
And I think as a makeup artist,you should practice, practice,
practice on all your friends andfamily, all different types,
ages, everything, becauseliterally every everybody's so
different.
And I think as many uh faces asyou can get your hands on, it's
like super important to justhave those conversations and
practice the lines and practicethe contouring and all those
(15:06):
types of things that come acrosslike real clients when a lot of
times people I work with, um, Idon't ask for like a selfie
ahead of time, whether it's apersonal client of mine or I
kind of learned that when Iworked with all the
photographers, especially in theboudoir community.
Um, there's like five prominentphotographers around your area,
and so um they wouldn't tell mewho was sitting in my chair
(15:26):
that day.
So I had to build a kit thatwould take me from the palest of
pale to the deepest of skintones, and then also accommodate
people who wanted pageant sizelashes all the way through
people who've never worn thembefore and maybe don't want
something so big.
So I had to keep a prettystocked kit.
So those are like the thingsthat I really want people to pay
attention to when I mean, Ithink any area in the DC area,
(15:48):
um, sub-area you might live in,like it's it's just a diverse
area, you have to be prepared.
Speaker (15:54):
Yeah, that's really good advice.
And what a uh interesting andchallenging profession every
single job you have is going tobe obviously completely
different.
So uh embracing that isprobably very important to just
be willing to go with the flowand be surprised.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
And there's such an intimacy too with clients
because similarly to how um Ithink it's because we spend a
couple of hours with eachperson, you really get to know
each other very well.
So I've heard people's likelike pregnancy stories first.
I've heard like breakupstories, I've heard I, you know,
a lot of girls, it's like yournails nail artist knows
everything about you, yourhairstylist knows so similar
with makeup artistry.
(16:38):
So I've had I've shared tearswith people, like there's just
so you it's very much a people,a people person kind of job.
So that's something to keep inmind when you want to start
doing makeup artistry.
Speaker (16:50):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Thank you for that.
Yeah.
So, what is something that youwish the listeners knew about
you or your business?
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah.
Um yeah, I I feel like who Iwas pre-pandemic and after the
pandemic has changed a littlebit more and just vulnerability.
I used to be a lot more likebusiness focused and I've been a
little bit more lifestylefocused after because so many of
my clients like became so closeto me and they watched me,
right?
(17:20):
Like I left Stafford pregnant.
Um, so a lot of my clientclients were gifting me.
Um, I had diapers, I hadclothes for the unborn baby.
Like it was so special to me.
Every single appointment that Iwent to, somebody had a gift
bag ready for me.
And so that was so special tome about that area.
Um, and so that's I was dyingto get back to because I
literally felt like I'd um afamily away from my family
(17:43):
there.
And um, but I, you know, uhthose who have followed me
closely know I lost my sisterlike at the 2021 mark.
So it's as people were startingto go back to work and starting
to do things.
Um, and a lot of them had mether because she would tag along
with me when she would visit.
And so she had a blooddisorder, and a lot of people
followed that.
They donated um when they foundout, but so she's been a big
(18:05):
part of my story and a lot ofreasons why.
Like I've done more boudoirshoots, I've been less afraid to
post things about like mypersonal life and things like
that.
It really she lived with acarpe diem life, like um, like
motto to her life, right?
That's how she kind of framedthe world because she was always
told she wasn't gonna make itto 20, she wasn't gonna make it
to 25, she wasn't gonna make itto 30, and she made it to 33,
(18:28):
and we were still devastatedlosing her.
But I think she was just such atestament to being your true
self, you know, do somethingfirst, ask for permission later.
Or sorry, what is it called?
Ask for forgiven forgivenesslater type of personality.
And so I've had to be a lotmore brave and just I don't
know, it just made me just notbe as like I I just connected
(18:49):
better with people.
I feel like everything thatI've gone through, I feel like
my clients in some way, shape,or another always have.
I feel like people say thatyour clients always find you.
I literally had a bride who hadlike a mirroring story to mine,
and it was so it's so crazy,but it happens all the time.
Um, and I just feel like we areonline, right?
(19:10):
We're personalities that areonline and we put ourselves out
there, and so some people it'sreally scary for me.
I love it because people knowlike me so intimately and
they're able to connect with mewhen I'm before I even meet
them, and it helps me just kindof have that trust there.
Um, but yeah, my sister ischanneled through a lot of my
work, and it's why I just don'tlike I I started traveling more,
(19:32):
I started doing different typesof projects.
I've worked with children allthe way through the elderly,
like I do a lot of stuff tochallenge myself constantly, and
I feel the need to like reallylive, you know.
And that's something that'scome across, I think, since
2021.
Speaker (19:46):
That's amazing.
It's really beautiful that youhave taken uh the lessons from
her life with you movingforward.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Thank you.
Speaker (19:55):
I love that.
So if the listeners want tolearn from you, want to work
with you, where can they findyou?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Sure.
Um, I have had a pretty strongsocial media uh presence on
Instagram and Facebook businessfor a long time.
So I'm on both of those.
Um I've kept my handle verysimple all over all of the
platforms.
It's Glam by Jeet.
Um so um I have a separatepage.
I started permanent makeup aswell during the pandemic because
(20:24):
I thought weddings were gonnabe a thing of the past at that
point.
Nobody knew what was gonnahappen.
But also a lot of my clientsloved the brow transformations I
had done for them during photoshoots.
So it was something that I'vemostly done for prior clients,
honestly.
Um they're like make me allowmyself to wake up every day the
way you did my makeup, right?
So um I have a separate pageonly for that that I called
(20:44):
browse by Jeet.
But otherwise, Glam by Jeet iswhere you can find me all over
Instagram, um, uh TikTok,Facebook.
Um, I'm not that active onTikTok though, so don't look for
anything crazy there.
But um yeah, so that's whereyou can find me.
Um, and then um my website isalso just glambyjeet.com and I
have I have all of the things Ido on there, and you can take a
(21:07):
look at the whole portfolio andpick what you want to what what
you want to buy from me.
Speaker (21:12):
Amazing, amazing.
Well, congratulations on yoursuccess.
I am so impressed by you andall that you have to offer, and
I appreciate you sharing yourstory and your wisdom with us.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Thank you for having me.
Thank you for listening to theFredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to FXBG NeighborsPodcast.com.
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors
Podcast, where we share thestories of our favorite local
brands.
I'm excited to introduce you tomy guest today.
We have Jeet Bahra joining uswith Glam by Jeet.
Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker (00:32):
I am so excited to dive in and learn more about you and
your business.
So let's start there.
Share with us a little bitabout your business.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Sure.
I started Glam by Jeet back in2014.
I had previously been abackground investigator for
security clearances and gone toUniversity of Maryland for a
criminology degree.
And once I had children andlife, you know, sometimes
changes, I was looking for asecondary career that would
(01:02):
allow the flexibility I neededfor my family and also give me a
creative outlet since I comefrom a family of creatives.
My mom is an artist, so she wasalways sculpting, painting,
doing all sorts of stuff when wewere growing up.
And um so I have that innatelyin me too.
And my creativity mainly cameout in getting my friends ready
for things like that.
(01:22):
So um I took some classes witha makeup artist that I'd met at
my own five-year anniversaryboudoir shoot.
And um, she was like, Are youcomfortable like with different
skin tones and stuff like that?
So if that's where I likelearned, and then I jumped in
military ball season 2014, and Inever looked back.
(01:42):
Uh I was full-time within ayear.
Speaker (01:45):
That's amazing.
So what a uh change of careers,and it shows that you've got um
you're extra talented.
You've got the right brain,left brain thing going on,
you've got the technical side ofyou, and then you've got the
creative side.
So that's so cool.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
And I've gotten to dabble a little bit more with
tech as well.
Like I've I've second shot forphotographers, I've dabbled with
videography, I've done promovideos, I've done all sorts of
stuff in my career.
So it's been really nice toconnect with everybody that I've
met along the way.
Speaker (02:18):
Yeah, so that's really cool.
So kind walk me through a um aclient experience from the time
they find you and all theservices that you offer.
Kind of share with us what thatexperience is like.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, sure.
So uh first point of contactusually is via Instagram or
Facebook from a personalreferral, in my experience.
And then sometimes it's fromGoogle.
Um, and so usually the firstpoint of contact is uh sending
the email, and then I set up aphone consultation usually so we
can chit-chat about what you'relooking for.
Um, I do have a lot of repeatclients, so those are always fun
(02:54):
to get to know again.
But um, yeah, so we we book andthen we consult about what
we're looking for.
I do both hair styling andmakeup, so I'm usually talking
about like what they're wearingand um sort of what the occasion
is, what fears they have, maybewhat they don't like about
previous experience they've hadbefore with uh hair and makeup.
So that's where we start.
(03:15):
And then I do have a sizableportfolio, so they're able to
kind of look online and see sortof like the general style, but
I do also pride myself on uhkind of making everybody happy
since I've come across so manydifferent types of people and
like uh diversity in both colorand um ethnicities, as well as
um like how much makeup peoplewear is something that's always
(03:39):
been important to my businessand my portfolio.
So um I usually end up havingto um, you know, kind of like
talk through that whole process.
Like, hey, if you're somebodywho doesn't wear makeup all the
time and you're looking for acomplete transformation, I can
help you with that and sort oflike make sure your skin still
(03:59):
feels comfortable and and you'renot feeling like you're itchy
and you know, feeling like amask is on you.
Um and I have other clients whoare like, hey, completely
transform me.
I don't want to recognizemyself, and you know, then we go
from there as well.
So I and same thing for hair.
Sometimes it's for a wedding,sometimes it's for special
events or photo shoots.
So we talk about just like whatthey look like on a day-to-day
(04:19):
basis, um, you know, what theyenvision.
A lot of people have likePinterest photos ready for me.
So um, if they don't, usuallyhave them go back and look for
about 10 pictures of makeup and10 pictures of hair that are
sort of speaking to them.
And then we'd look through eachone and talk about like, hey,
what stood out to you for eachphoto?
And sometimes it's like, hey, Ilike the lips on this one, I
(04:40):
like this contouring on thisone, I like the eyebrows on that
one.
So it just helps me get insidemy client's brain as much as
possible.
And so that's on the makeup andhairstyling sides.
And the next time I would seethem is when I actually show up
to their home or their venue ortheir hotel where they're
getting ready.
I do also have a studio that isa little closer to my hometown
up in Bethesda, Maryland, butthat is an option for those who
(05:02):
are um going to military ballsand things like that in DC, for
example.
Um, so that's one big service Ioffer.
And another one that becamereally popular in about 2015 was
my shop and learn.
And so a lot of my photo shootclients, um, since I work a lot
of boudoir maternity headshotsin that space, Monday to Friday,
(05:22):
they would be like, I can'tbelieve my makeup doesn't feel
uncomfortable.
And I actually like how I looklike, so can you teach me how to
do a version of this everysingle day?
And so I started with a mom whohad contacted me for her
teenager who she didn't want herdaughter to go through like the
ugly makeup phase.
So, like, not trying the hotpink lipstick, blue eyeshadow at
(05:44):
the same time.
So I that was my first evershop and learn that I did, and
we went to Walmart because shewanted to keep the budget in a
certain number, and so we wentto the store.
I custom matched all of hercomplexion um products that she
would need, tools that would fither face and her eyes, for
example.
And then um we made a cutelittle makeup kit, and then we
(06:04):
went back to her mom's house andwe taught her how to do an
everyday look.
And so from there, I mostly wasdoing adults, but I also do a
lot of like like parties, likefor like, you know, teenagers,
for adults who are doing like agirls' night in.
Um, but the main thing is we goto the store, we get the skin
prep, the complexion andproducts that fit the fit their
(06:25):
skin type and colors.
Um, I match for them, like whatblush should go on their
complexion based on their goals.
Um, and then we go back totheir home, we do a whole lesson
on like techniques, why we runthe brush the way we do across
the skin, um, like all of thesteps.
And then I do half of the faceand they do half of the face,
(06:46):
and it's that's the um hands-onportion of the lesson.
So I try to hit all of thelearning styles for people so
that they can um replicate theprocess next time they sit down.
Speaker (06:55):
That is a really, really cool service that you
offer.
I love that.
I love that so much.
I I mean, you're saving peopleso much time and money and a
heartache of, I mean, I'm I'm 52years old and I'm still trying
to makeups.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So that's really cool.
There's different reasonspeople have done it from um I've
had flight attendants who arelike, hey, we have a whole like
facci that we have to follow forour job all the way through
like women who've been promotedand they're in a more
client-facing role and theydon't want to worry about what
they're looking like.
They want to feel confident.
And then others are like, hey,like I kind of got by in my 20s,
(07:35):
and now that I'm 30 something,I need a little more help and
and to look more polished, orlike others, it's just like,
hey, I got like 10 weddings thisyear I need to attend in
different states, and I can'ttake you with me.
So can you please teach me howto get myself ready?
So there's a lot of reasons whypeople do it, but mostly it's I
just want to look refreshed andlike a look tailored to my skin
tone and like how I dressnormally.
(07:57):
I even go in their closetssometimes and I look at like the
color palettes and they're allin their closet because a lot of
girls are like black, black,black, black, black.
So something neutral is moresuitable, and other people love
color and like playing.
So I I'm able to do thatsecond.
I do like one main look andthen we learn how to like play
with looks as well.
So that's that's my mostpopular service outside of like
traditional hair and makeupservices for like events and
(08:18):
stuff like that.
Speaker (08:19):
That is really cool.
I love that.
I love that.
Well, so for those listening,uh Jeet has actually made over
my daughter a couple of timesfor her prom in homecoming a
long time ago.
It was pre-COVID.
But something that I reallylove that you did, uh, my
daughter has tons of freckles.
And you made sure that youdidn't cover her freckles and
(08:42):
you still made her lookglamorous for her prom, but let
her natural, you know, um traitscome out.
And I thought that that wasreally special that you did that
for her.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Thank you.
And I I always ask that becauseuh freckled our freckle friends
are different sometimes.
So some of them hate theirfreckles and others love them.
But I usually I usually try tourge them to love them a little
bit because I can't get them.
I want them, I can't even getthem.
So I feel like they're uniqueand beautiful.
And most people have a uniquetrait about themselves.
And I'm always like, you're notugly or anything, it's just
(09:13):
something you can enhance andlike love about yourself.
Speaker (09:16):
So that's awesome.
I love that.
So do you find that you comeacross any myths or
misconceptions about theindustry?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Um, I think I've lived that a little bit.
So um I think uh I think asmakeup artists, a lot of us do
wear the all black or we're likeum always in fake eyelashes and
things like that.
And so um in like just feelingoverly intimidating and stuff
like that.
I've heard from clients orthey're like, we were afraid of
like maybe um not being glamenough for the services and
(09:51):
stuff like that.
But you know, it's funnybecause on the business side, we
all have to present ourselvesas a like luxury brand or like
you know, whatever it might be.
And so we do all the fancyphoto shoots and like the promo
videos and all that stuff.
And um, I kind of, especiallyin the Stafford, Fredericksburg
area, I felt so at home.
I felt like I was hanging outwith friends and sisters, and so
(10:13):
it was like I always showed uplike kind of as I am, like I'm
even wearing some makeup today.
Most of the time I wouldn'teven wear it.
And so I really like had thatmore family feel um with my
clients and they embraced it andthey never were intimidated in
that way, but they appreciatedmy like uh my literature and my
website and all that lookingprofessional so that they felt
(10:33):
confident in my services, butum, they never felt like I was
unapproachable or you know, I II really developed a lot of
connections and friendships umover the years, and so that's
been like really important to meand just word of mouth and um
just a trust that comes withjust um just entrusting all your
family and friends with the thepeople that you work with,
(10:54):
right?
Speaker (10:55):
Yeah, that's amazing.
And so tell me what is yourservice area?
Do you cover so you're inMaryland, but you also come down
to Fredericks?
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yes.
I so I'm from Montgomery,Caroline, Montgomery County,
Maryland, originally.
Um, I lived in the Stafford,Fredericksburg area for over a
decade.
Um, I've also lived inWarrenton, so I've made
connections all over.
Um, and I've worked reallyclosely with photographers in
Lake Gainsville and Ashburn, allthe way through Annapolis, um,
Frederick.
(11:26):
So I've kind of worked all overthe place.
And that was part of the perkof we moved away just during
COVID to try a slower pace oflife and a lower cost of living
out in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
That's the reason I'd leftStafford for just about a year.
When we tried to come back,because it wasn't it wasn't for
us, but when we tried to comeback, it was like the height of
the market.
(11:46):
I um I had friends telling me,they're like, Do you want to go
to your old house and tell themthat it's haunted and they need
to get out so that you can moveback in your house?
Like I had a whole army ofwomen like ready to do that for
me.
It was so funny.
Um, but we tried, um, and noneof the the offers work because
like the same 20 families arefighting over the same homes.
But um, so now I ended upsettling near my parents.
(12:08):
So I'm like 10 miles away frommy parents.
I get help with the kids when Ineed it.
I'm close to my family andfriends from that part of my
life, but also I'm verycentrally located.
And so I'll go up to likeBaltimore, like I said,
Frederick, Loudoun County, um,Lake Culpepper, I come all the
way down to Fredericksburg andSpotsylvania County.
Um, so I have friends andfamily everywhere.
(12:30):
Um so I just kind of I just Idon't mind driving.
So I still service a lot of thesame people I did before.
Nice.
Speaker (12:37):
That's awesome.
So let me ask you this.
If someone came to you andsaid, hey, I'm inspired by
watching what you're doing, andI love hair and makeup, and I
want to start my own businessdoing this too, what advice
would you give them?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think uh the biggest piece of advice is to
never stop trying because it'svery intimidating to not only
are you dealing with the canvasitself, right?
But you have differentpersonalities and you have
different types of people youcome across.
So the whole experience can bevery overwhelming.
Um, I've worked withintroverts, I've worked with
extroverts.
(13:16):
Um I think extroverts have alittle bit of an easier time uh
connecting with people and thenlike kind of not being
intimidated by the process.
But a lot of artists areintroverts, so it's a little
hard to work on those um sort ofinterpersonal skills that are
required to do a customerservice role like we do.
Um, so that's on that side.
Um, and then I'd say like allthe Sephora sales and just scour
(13:39):
all of the sales and grab asmany things as you can in all of
the shades that you can.
I know one big thing I did whenI started was um I picked a
prominent YouTuber in everysingle ethnicity and skin tone,
and I really watched them.
I looked at the products theyrecommended and why, um, and
learned the tips and tricks foreach of those sort of
(14:00):
subcategories so that I couldrelate better to my clients
since diversity was a bigcornerstone stone of my
business, even when I started.
Um, I think that was what wasmissing in Stafford at the time.
They were like, we have a lotof, you know, women of different
skin tones, but we don'tnecessarily have makeup artists
that reflect that.
So we would love people who arelike available all the time and
also can do a Filipino skintone versus like even even the
(14:24):
girls who love to go tanning anddo spray tans and stuff like
that, they were like, people arestill matching our skin tone to
our like um untanned face, andthen our body's brown.
So like we want some.
So that was like a lot of whatit's a lot of just like trial
and error listening to clients.
Um, and so for me, I think theinterpersonal relationship and
(14:44):
like listening skills are a lotmore important.
And I think as a makeup artist,you should practice, practice,
practice on all your friends andfamily, all different types,
ages, everything, becauseliterally every everybody's so
different.
And I think as many uh faces asyou can get your hands on, it's
like super important to justhave those conversations and
practice the lines and practicethe contouring and all those
(15:06):
types of things that come acrosslike real clients when a lot of
times people I work with, um, Idon't ask for like a selfie
ahead of time, whether it's apersonal client of mine or I
kind of learned that when Iworked with all the
photographers, especially in theboudoir community.
Um, there's like five prominentphotographers around your area,
and so um they wouldn't tell mewho was sitting in my chair
(15:26):
that day.
So I had to build a kit thatwould take me from the palest of
pale to the deepest of skintones, and then also accommodate
people who wanted pageant sizelashes all the way through
people who've never worn thembefore and maybe don't want
something so big.
So I had to keep a prettystocked kit.
So those are like the thingsthat I really want people to pay
attention to when I mean, Ithink any area in the DC area,
(15:48):
um, sub-area you might live in,like it's it's just a diverse
area, you have to be prepared.
Speaker (15:54):
Yeah, that's really good advice.
And what a uh interesting andchallenging profession every
single job you have is going tobe obviously completely
different.
So uh embracing that isprobably very important to just
be willing to go with the flowand be surprised.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
And there's such an intimacy too with clients
because similarly to how um Ithink it's because we spend a
couple of hours with eachperson, you really get to know
each other very well.
So I've heard people's likelike pregnancy stories first.
I've heard like breakupstories, I've heard I, you know,
a lot of girls, it's like yournails nail artist knows
everything about you, yourhairstylist knows so similar
with makeup artistry.
(16:38):
So I've had I've shared tearswith people, like there's just
so you it's very much a people,a people person kind of job.
So that's something to keep inmind when you want to start
doing makeup artistry.
Speaker (16:50):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Thank you for that.
Yeah.
So, what is something that youwish the listeners knew about
you or your business?
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah.
Um yeah, I I feel like who Iwas pre-pandemic and after the
pandemic has changed a littlebit more and just vulnerability.
I used to be a lot more likebusiness focused and I've been a
little bit more lifestylefocused after because so many of
my clients like became so closeto me and they watched me,
right?
(17:20):
Like I left Stafford pregnant.
Um, so a lot of my clientclients were gifting me.
Um, I had diapers, I hadclothes for the unborn baby.
Like it was so special to me.
Every single appointment that Iwent to, somebody had a gift
bag ready for me.
And so that was so special tome about that area.
Um, and so that's I was dyingto get back to because I
literally felt like I'd um afamily away from my family
(17:43):
there.
And um, but I, you know, uhthose who have followed me
closely know I lost my sisterlike at the 2021 mark.
So it's as people were startingto go back to work and starting
to do things.
Um, and a lot of them had mether because she would tag along
with me when she would visit.
And so she had a blooddisorder, and a lot of people
followed that.
They donated um when they foundout, but so she's been a big
(18:05):
part of my story and a lot ofreasons why.
Like I've done more boudoirshoots, I've been less afraid to
post things about like mypersonal life and things like
that.
It really she lived with acarpe diem life, like um, like
motto to her life, right?
That's how she kind of framedthe world because she was always
told she wasn't gonna make itto 20, she wasn't gonna make it
to 25, she wasn't gonna make itto 30, and she made it to 33,
(18:28):
and we were still devastatedlosing her.
But I think she was just such atestament to being your true
self, you know, do somethingfirst, ask for permission later.
Or sorry, what is it called?
Ask for forgiven forgivenesslater type of personality.
And so I've had to be a lotmore brave and just I don't
know, it just made me just notbe as like I I just connected
(18:49):
better with people.
I feel like everything thatI've gone through, I feel like
my clients in some way, shape,or another always have.
I feel like people say thatyour clients always find you.
I literally had a bride who hadlike a mirroring story to mine,
and it was so it's so crazy,but it happens all the time.
Um, and I just feel like we areonline, right?
(19:10):
We're personalities that areonline and we put ourselves out
there, and so some people it'sreally scary for me.
I love it because people knowlike me so intimately and
they're able to connect with mewhen I'm before I even meet
them, and it helps me just kindof have that trust there.
Um, but yeah, my sister ischanneled through a lot of my
work, and it's why I just don'tlike I I started traveling more,
(19:32):
I started doing different typesof projects.
I've worked with children allthe way through the elderly,
like I do a lot of stuff tochallenge myself constantly, and
I feel the need to like reallylive, you know.
And that's something that'scome across, I think, since
2021.
Speaker (19:46):
That's amazing.
It's really beautiful that youhave taken uh the lessons from
her life with you movingforward.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Thank you.
Speaker (19:55):
I love that.
So if the listeners want tolearn from you, want to work
with you, where can they findyou?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Sure.
Um, I have had a pretty strongsocial media uh presence on
Instagram and Facebook businessfor a long time.
So I'm on both of those.
Um I've kept my handle verysimple all over all of the
platforms.
It's Glam by Jeet.
Um so um I have a separatepage.
I started permanent makeup aswell during the pandemic because
(20:24):
I thought weddings were gonnabe a thing of the past at that
point.
Nobody knew what was gonnahappen.
But also a lot of my clientsloved the brow transformations I
had done for them during photoshoots.
So it was something that I'vemostly done for prior clients,
honestly.
Um they're like make me allowmyself to wake up every day the
way you did my makeup, right?
So um I have a separate pageonly for that that I called
(20:44):
browse by Jeet.
But otherwise, Glam by Jeet iswhere you can find me all over
Instagram, um, uh TikTok,Facebook.
Um, I'm not that active onTikTok though, so don't look for
anything crazy there.
But um yeah, so that's whereyou can find me.
Um, and then um my website isalso just glambyjeet.com and I
have I have all of the things Ido on there, and you can take a
(21:07):
look at the whole portfolio andpick what you want to what what
you want to buy from me.
Speaker (21:12):
Amazing, amazing.
Well, congratulations on yoursuccess.
I am so impressed by you andall that you have to offer, and
I appreciate you sharing yourstory and your wisdom with us.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Thank you for having me.
Thank you for listening to theFredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to FXBG NeighborsPodcast.com.
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