Women Who Inspire: Nadia Blouin

Nadia Blouin: Makeup Artist

The first thing you notice about Nadia are her big, sky blue eyes, her radiant energy, and her calm demeanor. Watch out for this up and coming powerhouse as she grows her cosmetic empire!

What do you do?

I’m a makeup artist. I also have my own company, Crown Eyelashes.

When did you start the lash company?

I’ve been dreaming about starting this company for seven years, I just never knew how to start, or where to go.  Then I met my boyfriend, two years ago, and he helped me, because he’s an entrepreneur. So I started the company two years ago, with the official launch last September.

What/who inspires you?

My dad really inspires me.  He was a really big entrepreneur and he was always telling me, “There’s nothing you can’t do in life.” Now he’s passed, but I talk to him every day. He came from such a poor family, they had nothing.  They did not have a fridge at home. Every dream he had, every job he wanted to do, he went straight to the point, and did everything he could to get it.

How do people react when you ask for help?

People are so positive!  Sometimes I’m shocked by how much people want to help you, how much people are interested in your project.   When I do weddings and the dad is there and I’m waiting for the next client, we talk.  They’re interested about my lash company and they’re interested in my makeup business.  And you know what?  When I’m talking to them, I never know who I’m talking to. They could be someone who can really help me.  It could be marketing, it could be design, it could be a distributor, you never know. 

What are your future goals?

My vision right now is for a new product for Crown Eyelashes: a growth serum. I want to have a good product out in the market, that has healthy ingredients, and I want to sell this product in big surface stores. I want to be in a place where people are passionate about the product. 

In your life and line of work, how do you define success?

Success is being happy in life.  Everybody has their own thing that will make them happy.  For me, it is to complete a project, whatever it is.  If I am able to bring a project to life, bring it to the place I want, this is success.

What called you to your current line of work?

My mom was an esthetician and the whole basement was her salon. She also sold makeup and I would love to go into her salon just to see the products. When I was fourteen or fifteen I took a makeup artist class to learn for myself. My teacher thought I was really good so she started hiring me to be her assistant for photo shoots, for fashion shows and events like that. So it really happened on its own…it flowed. 

While I was working at MAC I always thought that the lashes were boring so I used to cut up MAC lashes and glue them back together to change the shape and size.  I would wear these to work and my clients were always so impressed with my lashes; they loved how my eyes stood out. I told them I could custom make a pair for them but they’d need 3 pairs of MAC lashes. Since that time, 8 years ago, I had that project in my mind. Crown Eyelashes was always the name because it’s like a little crown for your eyes.

In your opinion, what are the top three things someone should consider before starting a business?

First of all, before starting a business, you need to make sure that there’s a need for your product or your service. Second, you need to make sure that you’re going to be able to put in the time and effort.  If you’re working full time and you tell yourself you’re going to do this on the side, chances are that it’s not going to work. And third, you need to be surrounded by the right people.  Because they will help you.  It doesn’t need to be money; it can be just positivity or advice.  You need to be surrounded by that.  Then, you can achieve anything you want.

What resources would you recommend to someone starting a creative business?

I just followed the Self Employment program with SAJE (partnered with the governments of Canada and Quebec, SAJE Montréal is a management consulting organization whose mission is to stimulate, promote and support the start-up and expansion of small and medium-size businesses in Quebec – ed.) They guide you on how to create a business plan, how to register the company, how much it’s going to cost you, etc. That course helped me and made me confident about my project.  I knew nothing about business aside from what I saw my dad do when I was young, so it was important for me to have knowledge.

The Olimpia questionnaire

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

It’s very simple.  Happiness is to be healthy and to be surrounded by great people. I feel these are the two most important things.  If you’re healthy you can do whatever you want.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

Actually, my favourite place is the world is home.  This is where I live, this is where my friends and family are. However, it would also be Maui.  My mom spent her whole pregnancy with me in Hawaii, and for my brother too.  Both my parents wanted for my mom to have really peaceful pregnancies.   We buried my dad in Hawaii because it was his dream place.  So Hawaii – Maui – is a special place for me and is my connection to him.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

It’s really to have gone freelance. I’ve been a makeup artist since I was sixteen and I worked for MAC cosmetic for 10 years.  It was scary to leave a comfortable place where I was happy. I had everything there. But I wanted more.

What is your motto?

I will say that I stole the one from my dad, “Nothing is impossible.”  I can achieve anything if I really want to.  It’s one thing to say it but you really have to live it.  You have to want it and work for it, it won’t come on its own.

To learn more about Crown Eyelashes, please visit the website https://crowneyelashes.com