Beauty, Makeup, & Founder Stories

From Pittsburgh to Ohio to Florida & Back: My Makeup, Esthetics & Color Theory Journey.

From a fashion school dropout in Downtown Pittsburgh to esthetics school in Youngstown Ohio, then to Florida to study Permanent Cosmetics, my career has taken me places I never expected....

From Youngstown Makeup Artist to Beauty UGC Creator: How Creating Space Changed My Business

I’ve learned that the biggest blessings in business rarely come from the plans you make. From COVID to ecommerce, rented spaces to creating my own, and now stepping into UGC—my...

Sometimes the Blessing Is Hidden in the Pivot: How COVID Changed Ohio Makeup Artist's Small Business

Sometimes the biggest blessings in business don’t look like blessings at first. COVID changed the direction of my makeup career, pushed me deeper into ecommerce SMACKbyKarisa, and eventually led me...

Booked Ohio Makeup Artist | Growing a Beauty Business While Raising a Family

As my beauty career skyrocketed, so did life's biggest adventures. From packed schedules and permanent cosmetics to pregnancy, a broken leg, twins, and building a business from home, this chapter...

⭐ How Makeup Has Evolved: A Youngstown, Ohio Makeup Artist’s 15-Year Journey Through Trends, Nostalgia & Glam

From $45 makeup applications and newspaper ads to social media trends, follow a Youngstown, Ohio makeup artist’s journey through the evolution of makeup, beauty trends, and the moments that changed...

How I Found My Way As A Makeup Artist In Youngstown Ohio

Before there was SMACKbyKarisa, there was a brush. From beauty school and working multiple jobs to permanent makeup, airbrush artistry, motherhood, and building a business from home, this is the...

Why I Love Makeup Applications After 15 Years as a Makeup Artist

After 15 years as a professional makeup artist, I still learn something new with every face I work on. From skin texture and undertones to facial features, color theory, and...

The Art of the Color Wheel: Why I Still Hand-Mix Cosmetics After 15 Years

For 15 years, I’ve been mixing, creating, formulating, and learning the art of beauty. From the color wheel to hand-mixing cosmetics, every shade tells a story — and after all...