Hello, luminous soul!
As I celebrate 14 years in the beauty industry as an esthetician, educator, content creator, and makeup artist, I’m also proud to call myself an entrepreneur. It’s been a dream come true, with its own set of challenges and triumphs that have taken me on an adventure of a lifetime. Growing up with my father as a business owner, I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship. My father has been a major source of inspiration throughout my career.
I’m thrilled to share the opening of my very own space, the Complexions Skincare Studio in Los Angeles — a personal milestone! It brings me great joy to teach others how to advance in their careers, especially fellow professionals. A key factor in my success has always been an abundance mindset. I trust that the universe has my back and is guiding me towards my purpose.
In today’s blog post, I’m reflecting on my journey within the beauty industry to inspire you to forge your own path based on your unique passions and gifts. I truly believe there is enough space for all of us to thrive, and I hope that by sharing my story, it will encourage you to chase after your own dreams!
Early days…
From a young age, I was always drawn to art and creating with my hands.
Whether it was painting, drawing, sculpting, or crafting, I found joy in making things beautiful. This love for creating eventually led me to teach myself makeup techniques. By the time I was 17 years old, I was doing makeup for close friends and family members for special occasions.
Any chance I had to whip out my Caboodle of brushes and glosses, I took it — even if it meant spending all my earnings at Sephora. The process of turning a blank canvas into a work of live art fueled my passion. The greatest reward was seeing the pure happiness on my clients’ faces when they looked in the mirror and saw the masterpiece we had created together.
This feeling only further ignited my inner fire for makeup artistry.
2010: Cosmetology school
I’d always been fascinated by the beauty industry, so when my mom mentioned a local cosmetology school, I jumped at the opportunity and scheduled a tour. As soon as I stepped into the esthetician side, I knew this was where I belonged. It was a passion that would eventually shape my entire career path in unexpected ways.
From there, I dove into the skincare world while using all my teachings to better my work as a MUA on the side. I attended the Palomar Institute of Cosmetology and graduated with a license in esthetics.
After obtaining my license, I landed a job at an Ayurvedic spa where I gained knowledge about Eastern medicine. Hungry for more experience and learning opportunities, I worked at different spas in California to gain insight into both the natural and holistic approaches in the industry.
During a three-year period, I dedicated my time to obtaining advanced esthetic certifications in microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and dermaplaning. After that, I pursued specialized training in various areas such as hyperpigmentation, acne management, reflexology, aromatherapy, chakra healing, herbal medicine, lymphatic drainage, and sound therapy.
My passion for continually expanding my knowledge led me to develop my unique facial massage technique called Symphony of the Skin. This technique not only transformed the skin but also engaged the senses, as I viewed our role as practitioners to be conductors of energy through the power of touch.
Ultimately, I took a leap of faith and became an independent esthetician and entrepreneur, creating my own skincare studio at home. I even started mixing custom blends for my loyal clients.
It was clear that I had a “founder’s mentality” from the start and was determined to pursue my dreams, no matter what.
2012: The Kissable Complexions blog is born
In 2012, I moved to Utah, and it was there that my business really began to bloom. I wanted to share more about my passion for makeup and skincare with the world, so I created the “Kissable Complexions” blog as a source of beauty education and started offering services from my home studio.
My space was a convenient one-stop shop for brides and anyone seeking beautifying services for special events. I provided personalized facials, chemical peels, dermaplaning, waxing, spray tanning, makeup artistry, lash extensions, and even hairstyling.
When a well-known blogger asked me for airbrushing services for her wedding — something I actually didn’t yet know how to do — I immediately purchased a TEMPTU machine and learned the technique on my own. Soon after, I became the top bridal airbrush artist in the state.
I continued to ride the wave of success as I traveled internationally to meet client demand.
2013: Embracing my love for teaching
Whether through makeup artistry, skincare services, or content creation, I love inspiring others to feel comfortable in their own skin. My dedication to learning, improving, and teaching helped me launch the “Kissable Complexions Courses,” featuring one-on-one training on my makeup artistry techniques. It was so rewarding to see other women light up when they learned how to enhance their natural beauty.
2014: The Jadeywadey180 persona is born
At the age of 23, I created an Instagram account under the name Jadeywadey180.
I had been living in Utah for a few years, but my Cali-heart yearned to be near the seaside again. So, I moved to Los Angeles, the City of Angels, in pursuit of my passion for beauty.
There, I caught the attention of major beauty brands and industry luminaries who shared my work on social media and invited me to review their products as an expert. With their support, I quickly gained international recognition as a top beauty creator online.
My heartfelt appreciation goes out to those who believed in me from the very beginning — shout-out to Huda Beauty and Anastasia Beverly Hills! To have the top makeup and skincare lines in the world requesting me to represent their brand was one of the highlights of my career and a dream come true.
As my career as a makeup artist flourished, known for my “before and after” 180° transformations, I began to focus less on my esthetic work and only took on select private clients for facial treatments.
The next few years were filled with all the glitz and glamor you could imagine.
From traveling the world experiencing lavish and luxurious brand trips — like Morocco with YSL, St. Tropez with Jouer, and even Richard Branson’s private island with Benefit Cosmetics — to being hired as a L’Oreal League ambassador and featured in top beauty campaigns for brands like Makeup Forever, Too Faced, Charlotte Tilbury, and many more. I even had the opportunity to collaborate with Luxie Beauty on my very own product, the 180 Nose Perfector, which I designed myself. My inner 17-year-old self was living in pure bliss.
It truly was a beautiful and wild adventure that I’ll never forget. However, as time went on, I found myself going through my own 180° transformation. I began hiding behind makeup, filters, and fillers, putting on a facade that only veiled more of my true self. I lost sight of the artistry and what made me — me.
While I am forever grateful for the opportunities and experiences, I knew it was time to seek something more resonant with my path.
2019: Kissable Complexions becomes Complexions by Jadé
During this chapter, I felt the need to rebrand myself online and showcase my career as an esthetician — something that had always been important to me but had taken a backseat to my more colorful side.
Motivated by my desire to make the world a more luminous place, I changed “Kissable Complexions” to “Complexions by Jadé.” It was time for the real Jadé Marie to shine through on all of my platforms.
I started to openly share my approach to esthetics, which I had been refining for over a decade, promoting skin and mental wellness. I also discussed the tips and tricks that had helped me on my own journey of self-discovery.
2020: Launch of my ASMR spa series
2020 brought about a deep personal and spiritual metamorphosis within me. I began to rediscover my true self buried beneath layers of societal expectations.
I realized it was time for me to create something new with my artistry, something that had deeper purpose and meaning.
That is how the birth of my series came to light. A multi-sensory ASMR experience on YouTube designed to simulate a virtual spa for the skin, mind, and senses. My goal was to share with viewers everything I felt should go into a facial treatment, including meditation and breathwork, which had helped me on my journey towards holistic wellness. These practices were not commonly seen in the esthetic space at the time.
With features like ambient lighting, close-up views of skin textures, HD pimple-popping, and my soft whispers that educated viewers about ingredients, Complexions by Jadé quickly soared to the top on social media.
The overwhelming response from viewers across the globe deeply moved me; many shared how the series had been a source of comfort and guidance during the pandemic, whether it was discovering their ideal skincare routine or managing their anxiety and overall mental health. I received hundreds of tags from newly licensed pros playing my videos in cosmetology school as part of their curriculum. Even established professionals in the beauty industry reached out to express their appreciation for my unique techniques.
My heart was full.
To all those who have embraced this series — your support is what reignited my passion and sense of purpose within the beauty community again.
Thank you.
2018–PRESENT DAY: Special announcement coming soon
As I travel back through time in this blog post, I’ve been able to reflect upon my past in a more thoughtful way, and I’m filled with deep gratitude for all of it. The lessons, the triumphs, and even the challenges. It all has led me to exactly where I’m meant to be. I now know that my audience was — and still is — filled with impressionable young adults like myself when I first got started. Because of this, I hope to inspire a new wave of ”beauty” that the industry has been lacking. This has sparked the creation of a meaningful new business venture I’ve been working on for years — something I’m eager to share with you very soon.
To any of you dreamers out there like me — I believe in you. Keep pushing forward.
Please stay tuned for an exciting new announcement, especially my fellow skincare professionals who will always hold a special place in my heart.
With love and light,
Jadé Marie