When you see a celebrity with a picture-perfect countenance on television, on the red carpet or in a fashion magazine, with their signature style, designer threads, immaculate hair and glowing skin it is the result of experts collaborating behind the spotlights to achieve his or her look. Celebrity makeup artist (MUA) Juan Tamez, 23, known professionally as Boomkack MUA, knows exactly what it takes to transition celebrities from average to awesome, but he was not always confident he would be able to live his version of the American dream.
At six, Juan traveled from Mexico to Houston, TX on a visitor visa (for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business, for tourism, or for a combination of both). When his visa expired, his parents “decided to stay.” After a great deal of perseverance, in 2016 Tamez excitedly became a full United States citizen.
The Tamez family’s plight in America in search of better wages, living conditions, education and opportunities was common during their time of migration but has recently been met with hostility and divisive legislation. Over the past few years, proposals have aimed to shift the nation’s immigration system from its current emphasis on family reunification and employment-based migration, toward a system that prioritizes the admission of immigrants based on education and employment qualifications. Tamez is aggressively advocating for this ethical shift. He believes America would not be what it is bereft of the immigrant population. According to the Bureau of the Census, approximately 43.3 million foreign-born people live in the United States. The Center of American Progress reports that our foreign-born population includes 20.7 million naturalized U.S. citizens and 22.6 million noncitizens. Of the noncitizens, approximately 13.1 million are lawful permanent residents, 11.1 million are unauthorized migrants, and 1.7 million hold temporary visas.
Juan Tamez is not your ordinary entrepreneur and did not follow the traditional college trajectory of his peers. He followed in the footsteps of his mother, a Mexican immigrant who worked as a maid for most of his childhood and eventually found success in financing her own business. Juan, determined to become self-employed, earned his cosmetology certificate before high school graduation and left Texas at age 19, inspired by Joyce Bonelli’s words, “Boom, you need to be in L.A.”
Juan arrived in L.A. in January 2016 without any money, friends or family. He did various odd jobs to make ends meet until celebrity choreographer Laurieann Gibson requested his cosmetology services for a national Degree deodorant campaign. Although he knew little about television, production or makeup, this was his foray into the world of celebrity makeup.
Today, his resume boasts celebrity clients such as Orange is the New Black star, Diauerrero, international critically-acclaimed artist Ivy Queen, R&B songstresses Kehlani and Teyana Taylor, and hip-hop superstars French Montana and Cardi B to name a few. This year, Juan appeared alongside Laurieann Gibson on her Lifetime television show, Beyond the Spotlight and launched the Beyond the Glam Institute to facilitate national workshops and training with an emphasis on teaching rather than makeup.
Inspired largely by his on-the-job experiential learning, which is key for Gen Zers, Beyond the Glam recognizes the learning curve necessary to acclimate artists to Hollywood and teaches the methods necessary to go beyond superficiality. Tamez's fearless hustle and drive positioned him for mass success in the industry and it's his personal mission to redefine what it means to be a Mexican immigrant in these challenging times.
Marcus Noel: Time Magazine Article, “15 Super Successful People Who Never Graduated College” suggests that being at the top doesn’t necessarily require a degree and lists Steve Jobs, Ellen DeGeneres, Anna Wintour and Kim Kardashian, to name a few. Given your success, is there anything you would change?
Juan Tamez: Coming up, I watched my parents do various labor jobs for other people to provide, but despite them not being college graduates or educated, they instilled in us that we had immense value and could be anything we wanted. They decided to stay in Texas to give us the lives they never had and to start a new generation of Tamez’s that could be more than the help. I am happy with the path we took and our outcomes. Some of us arrived by boat and physical force, others by border and choice, but despite poor circumstances, we prevailed against insurmountable odds. I’m a MUA because of my parents’ sacrifices and I’m grateful.
Noel: Do you feel there is a better way to address immigration than the way the current administration is addressing it?
Tamez: I feel Make America Great Again is divisive because of the lack of context and the harmful statements that followed about building a wall in Mexico, and about how immigrants take away from Americans and disrupt the status quo. If we truly want to make America great, it will require learning from our past mistakes and the history of racism, and by recognizing our similarities and celebrating our differences so we can all share in an extraordinary human experience. I never want to see any child of any color torn away from their family or in a hostile environment as a result of border policing. There just seems to be a lack of humanity in people and returning back to empathy, compassion, and the things that make us human would be a good start for us all. I don’t think it’s a matter of politics. It is a matter of ethics.
Noel: What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you about being a celebrity makeup artist?
Tamez: My advice to makeup artists seeking growth is to master the art of being a constant student and learner.
Noel: The beauty industry is a $445 billion dollar industry and contributes much of its recent success to Millennials and Gen Zers on YouTube. What’s been the spark of this growing industry?
Tamez: The internet revolutionized makeup application and transitioned it from being a personal learning experience to one where you can watch tutorials and learn best practices from someone online. If you are unsure about a beauty product or are thinking of purchasing a new brand, you can now go online and search consumer videos and reviews and base your purchasing decision on what you learn.
I have great engagement online from Gen Z and Millennials actually. I receive questions regarding looks on clients, products, requests for advice from aspiring artists, suggestions, and I also interact with a significant amount of people who are avid makeup lovers of all ages. This industry is very promising with the rise of digital media and more folks being in front of cameras.
Noel: What is the best tool an aspiring MUA can have in their toolbox?
Tamez: Brand integrity. I know people will read this and be let down because I didn’t name a beauty product, but experience has me taught me that my brand is my signature and my credibility and ability to conduct business with the best and brightest in the industry depends on how I conduct myself and perform.
I pride myself in staying abreast of best practices in makeup application and providing an exceptional brand experience. Early on, when I was trying to build my clientele, I provided a mobile service to busy entertainers to eliminate the hassle of traveling to me. I am not fond of L.A. traffic, but I invested in creating a memorable and superior guest experience so the mobile concierge makeup service helped distinguish my brand amongst top competitors.
To publicize and introduce new people to my brand and artistry, I made a commitment to learn about online engagement, branding and marketing. This was a part of an effort to continue to grow my clientele and maintain brand integrity at the same time, which often poses problems for business owners both old and new. I share best practices for branding in the Beyond the Glam Workshops and often receive kudos from participants because it is often a new area of learning for them.
Noel: What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking a mentor?
Tamez: I encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to enroll in workshops to meet new people and learn new techniques. I also stress recognizing the value of potential mentors who may not appear to be mentors in the formal definition of a mentor. Laurieann Gibson’s infinite wisdom has helped my business grow and flourish and boosted my confidence and my valuation of my self-worth. She has helped push me when I felt defeated and helped ground me when I felt invincible.
Last, I suggest an equal amount of giving and receiving. I am a mentor and I teach to give back. The Lion King called it the circle of life and it gains its momentum from humans being kind to one another so all things can work together for the greater good.
Follow this rising star, Juan Tamez, as he continues to disrupt the immigrant narrative to achieve his American dream!
