Whitney Coss: From Hobby To Passion And Gaining Exclusive Clients

Whitney Coss is a celebrity make-up artist (MUA) based in Los Angeles and New York. Having always had a knack for drawing and painting, she discovered her love of make-up and has garnered clients from all over the world!  She's worked on countless sets and is currently one of the go-to artists for the cast of Love and Hip Hop Hollywood. Keep reading to find out what sets her work apart, when she discovered her passion was more than a hobby, and how she gained such exclusive clients!

What aspect of this artistry excites you the most?

What I love the most is being able to transform yourself (or someone else) into whoever or whatever you want to be. Some days I feel like being subtle with my looks and then there are other days where I want to wear bright colors, it all depends on my mood. I love that I can express how I feel through my make-up looks!

At what point did you know doing make-up was more than just a hobby?

I knew make-up was more than just a hobby once I started posting my work on Facebook and girls were sending me messages asking me for my rate. I knew then, that not only was I good at it, but that I could make a business out of it.

What resources did you use to develop your skills as an artist?

I read books written by top celebrity make-up artists and I also watched a ton of YouTube videos. I've always been artistic and good at drawing and painting, so I was just naturally good at applying make-up. However, I still wanted to be educated and learn the craft from top tobottom because I did not have the money to go to beauty school.

As a NY native, how did you expand your network to reach Los Angeles?

Well, I already had connections from working on VH1's Love & Hip Hop New York so it was not difficult to transition into working on the Hollywood show in L.A. I met some really cool artists in L.A that are doing their thing, so I was just out there absorbing and learning from my peers.

In a world full of self-proclaimed MUA’s what sets you apart?

A lot of people always tell me they can recognize my work on the girls on the show and I think its because of certain little things I do to make my work stand out from the rest. I love a very matte finish and I like to believe that my work is very clean-I consider myself a perfectionist. For example, I love making sure that the lip liner/lipstick is clean and not messy-everything has to be very sharp and neat. I also feel like my silly and bubbly personality shines through my work through my selection of colors and hues!

I know celebrity circles are small, so how did you develop to becometheir go-to MUA?

I have always wanted to be a celebrity make-up artist because I love the art of make-up, but I also love traveling and visiting new places. I didn't want my work to limit me to just one  place, so I reached out to high profile clients and sent them a link to my onlineportfolio and the rest is history. I began traveling with clients that were on TV shows and were on tours! I feel like not only did they love my work, but they also loved my energy and I noticed these clients just wanted me around. I built my clientele but I also gained some new friends. 

Working for Love & Hip Hop Hollywood is pretty amazing. I can be on set all day long and it doesn’t feel like work.

How would you describe your experience working on the set of Love &Hip Hop Hollywood?

Working for Love & Hip Hop Hollywood is pretty amazing. I can be on set all day long and it doesn’t feel like work. I've become really cool with everyone that works behind the scenes as well as the cast so, it never really feels like work it just feels like you’re hanging out with your friends. Everyone is really chill and laid back- it makes the work day go by so fast. I love my job! I thank God every day that I get to wake up and do what I love and make a living out of it.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d known when you started out?

I wish I had known to pack light! I used to bring everything I had with me to set and later on I noticed I was only using half of the products. I was getting a lot of back pain and it was just really uncomfortable having to travel with such heavy bags, so now I just pack my essentials and its way easier and more comfortable for me to get to my clients.

If you could get one message out to the world, what would it be?

To be kind to one another. I noticed that us, as MUAs, come across a lotof different women. Some are going through a lot of emotions and important life events. We somewhat play the role of their therapist and just someone who can listen, so I always try to be kind and open with everyone who sits in my make-up chair. You really never know what someone is going through.

Check out some of Whitney's work by following her on Instagram @whitney.coss. For booking inquiries email [email protected]