Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Weather.
Hi Candace, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a creative girl. A little different, a little unconventional, and certainly never one to blend in with the crowd. Although, for a long time, I wasn’t always sure that was a good thing.
I was a chubby girl before body positivity was a movement, wore my natural hair before it was widely embraced, and had a birthmark that covered much of my face and neck long before women like Winnie Harlow were being celebrated in mainstream beauty. I didn’t always see myself reflected in what the world considered beautiful, and when you’re young, that can be a difficult thing to navigate. Beauty became my escape, but more importantly, it gave me a sense of ownership. I couldn’t necessarily change the cards I had been dealt, but I could decide how I wanted to play them.
My love affair with makeup started early. As a little girl, I’d sneak into my grandmother’s lipstick and put on full productions by the piano. (I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic.) By middle school, my auntie had introduced me to the wonderful world of beauty, including trips to the MAC counter, which, to me, might as well have been the most glamorous place on earth. I was hooked!
I started experimenting with eyeshadow and would even sneak and do my makeup on the school bus. Imagine a seventh grader walking into school with a full smoky eye and that roll-on lip gloss from the beauty supply store. That was me, chile. I had absolutely no business, but I was committed to the look! I was also known to do my foundation in morning math class when I should’ve been paying attention, which probably explains why I still struggle with math to this day.
By high school, I’d fallen in love with theatre. It was one of the first places where my big personality wasn’t considered “too much.” In fact, it was an asset! But while I found freedom on stage, the hair and makeup chair was another story.
For many Black girls, those spaces weren’t always welcoming or equipped to meet our needs. Add my birthmark into the mix, and the makeup artists often had absolutely no idea what to do with me. Between colorblind casting, my hair, and my complexion, I quickly realized that if I wanted to feel confident walking onto that stage, I was going to have to figure a few things out for myself.
So, I did.
I taught myself how to do my own hair and makeup, and as it turns out, I got pretty good at it! Eventually, my castmates started asking me to do theirs, too. Before long, I was doing makeup for entire casts, running those dressing rooms like an assembly line. Everybody was going to look good, and we were going to be ready before curtain!
What started as a necessity became a passion and, eventually, a business. By 16, I was doing makeup for proms, ring dances, birthdays, and special occasions. At 18, I landed my first job in cosmetic retail at Ulta, where my education in beauty really expanded.
At the time, only licensed cosmetologists could perform full-face makeup services at my store. But many weren’t as comfortable working with deeper complexions or understanding the nuances of makeup for women of color. So, I began teaching them! From foundation matching to color theory and undertones, I found myself helping other beauty professionals develop skills that weren’t always emphasized in their training. I wasn’t just becoming a better artist; I was helping make beauty spaces more welcoming for women who looked like me.
Over the years, I went on to work at what I affectionately call the beauty industry’s “big three”: Ulta, Sephora, and MAC, while continuing to freelance. My background in theatre had given me a foundation in everything from stage makeup and prosthetics to wigs and transforming faces, so I brought a unique perspective to traditional beauty artistry.
In 2018, I officially established my LLC, and Candiepaint Beauty was born!
I more or less stumbled into bridal makeup the same way I stumbled into the beauty industry itself. One bride told another bride, who told another bride, and suddenly I was a bridal makeup artist! There wasn’t some grand master plan. I was simply doing work I loved, showing up for people, and letting my artistry speak for itself.
But here’s what I’ve learned after 15 years in beauty, the makeup has never really been the most important part for me. It’s the woman sitting in my chair.
One of my greatest joys is helping women see themselves in a way they may never have before. Not because I’ve made them into someone else, but because I’ve helped them recognize the beauty that was already there. I want women to look in the mirror and see themselves in the best possible light. To see, even for a moment, what I believe God has always seen in them.
I’ve also learned that one of my greatest gifts isn’t necessarily something I can do with a makeup brush. It’s how I connect with people. During my years at Sephora, I was often the person called over when a customer was upset, frustrated, or simply needed a little extra care. Somehow, I became the unofficial calm in the chaos. That experience taught me that sometimes people don’t need you to fix everything. They just need to feel heard, understood, and cared for.
I carry that same philosophy into my work today. When a woman sits in my chair feeling insecure or uncertain about herself, there’s a part of me that recognizes her. Because, in many ways, I’ve been her.
As I’ve grown, my relationship with beauty has evolved beyond the makeup chair. I’ve found joy in fashion, modeling, and sharing pieces of my life on social media. Finding my personal style as a plus-size woman has been its own journey, especially in a world that hasn’t always made room for bodies like mine. I’m still growing in my confidence, but I’ve learned that I don’t have to wait until I look a certain way, reach a certain size, or fit someone else’s definition of beauty to get dressed up, take the picture, or live a beautiful, full life. I get to be the main character in my own story, not someday, but right now, exactly as I am. And what a joy it is to help other women discover that same freedom.
In many ways, I’m still that little girl experimenting with eyeshadow on the school bus, just with a bigger closet, a little more confidence, and hopefully better blending skills! And if sharing that journey encourages another woman to embrace herself and take up space, then that makes it all the more meaningful.
Interestingly enough, that same passion for people fuels my career outside of beauty. By day, I work in nonprofit leadership, supporting educational opportunities for young people and families. Makeup artistry and education might seem like two completely different worlds, but to me, they’re rooted in the same purpose: helping people feel seen, valued, and empowered.
Looking back, I never could have imagined that the little girl sneaking into her grandmother’s lipstick, or the teenager doing smoky eyes on the school bus, would build a business out of the very thing that once helped her find her confidence.
But here we are!
I spent so much of my younger years trying to figure out where I fit. These days, I’m much more interested in creating spaces where other people don’t have to wonder if they belong. And whether that’s through beauty, fashion, education, or simply how I show up for someone, I think that’s the thread connecting it all.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth? I’m not sure entrepreneurship and smooth belong in the same sentence! But I will say that the journey has been good to me, and I don’t take that for granted.
I think one of the biggest challenges of owning a business is navigating the inconsistency. There are seasons when you’re booked and busy, and then there are seasons when things slow down. It’s easy to start questioning yourself during those quieter moments, especially when you’re also balancing a full-time career. I love what I do, and I believe in what I’ve built, but there’s a certain frustration that comes with knowing you have something special and not always having the capacity to give it your undivided attention.
And let’s talk about how expensive this industry is! People see the finished face, but they don’t always see the investment behind it. Keeping a professional makeup kit stocked, maintaining quality products, accommodating a wide range of complexions, and continuously investing in your craft is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes I feel like my makeup kit has its own bills!
Then there’s the mental side of entrepreneurship. Self-doubt and comparison have a funny way of sneaking in, especially in the age of social media. We live in a world where it’s easy to conflate followers with impact, and I’ve had to remind myself that those two things aren’t always synonymous. Someone else’s success doesn’t diminish mine, and just because my journey looks different doesn’t mean I’m doing it wrong. A woman leaving my chair feeling more confident than when she arrived may never turn into a viral moment, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful.
Of course, navigating the beauty industry as a woman of color comes with its own challenges, including the biases and assumptions that still exist. And working in bridal means navigating a few interesting personalities along the way! I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the sweetest brides, but every now and then, you encounter a bridal-party-zilla or a mother-zilla. That’s when those people skills really come in handy! I take my responsibility to my brides seriously, and sometimes that means being their calm in the middle of the chaos. Their time in my chair might be the only opportunity they have all morning to sit down, take a breath, and just exhale. I want to protect that moment as much as I can.
And can we please discuss the physical labor? Because nobody warned me that after 30, I’d need a back brace to survive a wedding! I never imagined orthopedic support would become part of my bridal essentials, but whew, here we are. Those long wedding days will humble you quickly, and that brace has earned its place in my kit!
But through all of it, I really do believe God has been incredibly kind to me. Even in seasons when I haven’t had the time or energy to actively market my business, clients have continued to find me. I’ve always joked that my face is my advertisement, and so much of my business has grown through relationships, referrals, and simply showing up as myself. Somehow, the clients who are right for me find their way into my chair, and the ones who aren’t the right fit tend to work themselves out before we ever get started. I consider that a blessing, too!
I haven’t figured it all out, and I certainly still have moments when I wonder if I’m doing enough. But I’ve learned that building something meaningful doesn’t always mean building it quickly or doing it the way everyone else does. I’m proud that I’ve been able to sustain a business I love while pursuing another career I’m equally passionate about. It may not always be easy, but I’m still here, still creating, still learning, and still finding joy in the work. And that’s something worth celebrating.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Candiepaint Beauty is, in many ways, my love letter to women who want to feel like the very best version of themselves without feeling like they have to become somebody else in the process.
I specialize in bridal and special occasion makeup artistry, as well as personalized makeup lessons. Whether it’s a bride preparing for her big day, a woman celebrating a milestone, or someone who just wants to finally figure out her foundation, my goal is to help every woman put her best face forward, whatever that looks like for her.
I think what sets Candiepaint Beauty apart is the marriage of artistry, experience, and education. I’m an artist, absolutely, but I’m also a teacher and connector at heart. My theatrical makeup background gave me a strong foundation in technique and color theory, while my years in the beauty industry taught me that being a great artist requires more than knowing how to blend an eyeshadow. You have to know how to listen, connect, and make people feel comfortable enough to trust you.
I’ve always believed that makeup should enhance rather than erase. I’m not interested in giving every woman the same face. Some women want full glamour, lashes, and all the drama. Others want something soft and understated. I love both! And the educator in me can’t help but come out during appointments. I love explaining techniques, sharing tips, and helping women understand their own beauty. Makeup should be fun and accessible, not intimidating.
I’m also very intentional about the experience my clients have with me, especially my brides. Wedding mornings can be a whirlwind of excitement, nerves, family opinions, and about seventeen people asking the bride questions at once! I want my chair to be the place where she can just exhale. Whether we laugh, talk, pray, or simply enjoy a little peace and quiet, I want her to feel cared for.
What I’m most proud of is the trust I’ve built. Candiepaint Beauty has grown largely through word of mouth, and I don’t take that lightly. When someone refers a person they love to me, that’s a responsibility and a privilege.
There’s a quote by Maya Angelou that I’ve always loved: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s the heart of Candiepaint Beauty for me. At the end of the day, the makeup comes off, but the way a woman felt while sitting in my chair, what she learned, and the confidence she carries out the door? I hope a little bit of that stays with her.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I don’t know that I would necessarily consider myself a risk-taker. I’m more of a “let me think about it, pray about it, and maybe make a spreadsheet” kind of girl. But it’s something I’m actively working on!
I’ve come to believe that everyone has the capacity for bravery, and what feels brave to one person might be completely ordinary to someone else. Some people jump out of airplanes for fun. God bless them, but I’ll be keeping my feet firmly on the ground!
For others, bravery is starting over, putting themselves out there, or simply walking into a room where they don’t see anyone who looks like them.
That last one is interesting for me because, as a plus-size Black woman with a visible birthmark, I’ve sometimes found that people view my mere existence as an act of bravery. Showing up confidently can be seen as courageous, and while I understand the sentiment, I don’t necessarily think I should have to be brave just to exist. I’m just trying to live my life and look cute doing it! But I do recognize that there’s courage in choosing not to shrink yourself in spaces that haven’t always made room for you.
Starting Candiepaint Beauty was certainly a risk. Putting my name, my artistry, and my reputation out into the world meant opening myself up to rejection, criticism, and the possibility of failure. I’ve been fortunate to maintain a career alongside my business, and I recognize that some entrepreneurs have taken much bigger financial leaps without that safety net. That’s a level of courage I deeply admire. But I’m also learning not to minimize my own risks simply because they look different from someone else’s.
Even creatively, I’ve had to learn to take chances, whether that’s experimenting with bold editorial looks, adapting to trends and special requests, or allowing my artistry and business to evolve. There’s always a little vulnerability in trying something new, especially when you’re not sure how it will be received.
I think my relationship with risk is changing as I get older. I’m learning that I don’t have to be fearless to be brave, and I don’t have to make the biggest leap in the room for my steps to matter. For me, it’s becoming less about taking risks for the sake of taking them and more about not allowing fear to make all my decisions.
I’m still figuring that out, but I think there’s something beautiful about giving yourself permission to try, even when you don’t know exactly how things will turn out.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candiepaintbeauty
Image Credits
Lakaye Mbah Photography
