The Momager Makeover

Makeup chairs are usually safe zones — a little island of calm before a big event. But every
once in a while, a client brings company. And sometimes, that company decides to take over.
Enter: the Momager.

The client was a teenager, excited but nervous about her first big photoshoot. Her mom came
along, which seemed sweet at first — until the brushes came out. Suddenly, every decision
became a debate. Should the liner be winged? Was the lipstick too bold? Did the contour
make her look ‘too grown’? The mom had an opinion on everything, and the poor client shrank
smaller and smaller in the chair.

By the third interruption, I realized this wasn’t just about eyeliner. It was about control. And in
that moment, the real question wasn’t how to do the makeup — it was how to manage the
mom.

I finished the look with as much diplomacy as I could, sneaking reassuring smiles to the client
along the way. The photos came out great, but I left wondering what would’ve happened if I’d
handled it differently.