Inside The Unfiltered Conversations Black Makeup Artists Are Having Before NYFW

It was a stormy night in Dumbo just hours before a total lunar eclipse engulfed New York City. Yet, beauty industry insiders still filled seats at WTF Dumbo Studio, a Black woman-owned space founded by makeup artist Brittany Whitfield, for Mind Candy Beauty podcast’s latest iteration of “Beauty, Unfiltered.” 

“‘Beauty, Unfiltered’ was born from a conversation Billie Gene and I had about how the realest conversations between makeup artists often happen behind closed doors,” Mind Candy Beauty founder Lyric Christian told ESSENCE. “Those are the conversations other artists, especially those still finding their footing, would benefit from hearing.”

Just a week before New York Fashion Week, which often leads to conversations around Black representation, makeup artists Ehlie Luna and Jaleesa Jaikaran gave their raw and uncut advice on the reality of being in beauty. And attendees listened intently as they sipped The Pale Rosé and snacked on pastries from Black-owned Brooklyn bakery, Love London Sweets.

This fashion week, “I expect to see more brow bone highlight and experimentation with different blush placement,” Luna says. However, “once you go beyond trends and learn what beauty means to you and everything about your own face, including how you want to look, you will never go wrong.”

Jaikaran agreed: “Beauty should always feel like you,” she says. “You do not need every trend or every product to create great makeup.” Since fashion week shapes what the industry sees as beauty, she says it’s important to know who’s creating the looks, leading the shows, and noticing how Black beauty is represented even backstage.

As for hair and makeup artists, Christian points out the type of pressure they’re under this time of year. “There are so many opportunities, but there’s also pressure to be everywhere, secure the right bookings, and feel like you’re keeping up,” she says. “We see the finished looks and the backstage photos, but we don’t always hear about what it takes to get there.” 

Between uncertainty, negotiations, and feeling overlooked, conversations like Beauty, Unfiltered remind Black artists that they’re not moving through the industry alone. From discussing the evolution of makeup artists and building a long-lasting career to hard conversations about comparison and competition, the evening’s talks told attendees what they needed to hear—not just what they wanted to. 

By the end, Christian opened the floor for attendees to share their unfiltered truths, which left the room in tears. “One young woman became emotional while describing the imposter syndrome she feels in certain rooms,” she recalled. “The whole room poured into her, reminding her that she belonged.”

That type of connection is why she founded “Beauty, Unfiltered” in the first place. Naturally, what’s next for Mind Candy Beauty is expanding even further. Between developing the Mind Candy Beauty Mentorship Collective, planning the next Beauty Breakdown at Hevn Studios, and even preparing more programming for Black men in beauty programming in 2027, her work is far from over. 

“The goal is to keep building a space where established and emerging talent can learn from one another, form meaningful relationships, and access tangible opportunities,” Christian says. “I want people to feel celebrated when they enter the room and leave with connections and opportunities that help move their careers forward.”