Today we’d like to introduce you to Jilian Rose Mua.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in the suburbs outside of Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, I always had a passion and interest for makeup; I would raid my Mom and Grandma’s makeup drawers, look at all of their products, and play with a ton of them. At a young age, I started acting and getting more into the performance world, which gave me more of an inside scoop of the special effects world.
When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which was extremely scary as a child. I was in constant pain and I had no idea what to do. Then an end-of-the-year school project came up for extra credit, and the prompt was to try something you had never tried before. I immediately knew I wanted to try out special effects makeup.
The kind of work I would see in the movies as a kid, the live artwork that I was so interested in for the longest time. So I got some paints, set up a small mirror on my desk in my bedroom and just painted myself for hours. At that moment, I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing with my life, as it was a way for me to cope and express myself, especially regarding the stuff I had been going through. It was a way for me to have fun and have some peace of mind.
After a lot of hard work and practice, I went to work for a haunted house and got a position on the makeup team. There, I started gaining experience with an airbrush, working with different painting mediums, and doing prosthetic work. After that was over, I began to branch out more and get tons of other makeup skills under my belt. From runway looks to character and creature makeup, I started to push my creativity in all directions.
As my knowledge refined, I started doing live demonstrations and sharing my knowledge with others by managing makeup departments. As of now, I am working on various types of projects, such as films, music videos, special events, and so much more. I am beyond grateful to everyone in my life who has always supported me wholeheartedly through this journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest obstacles in my career have been my medical issues and my age. Going into the industry at such a young age is amazing, but it was also quite overwhelming at times. I experienced a few people trying to push me in the wrong direction and wanting the wrong things for me.
It was very challenging to deal with as a child who was trying to promote myself; I didn’t feel like I had a voice in my situation and had some bad apples surrounding me. Taking that negative energy, I took that and ran with it to push me to not only be a better artist but a better person as well. Along with those issues, I also had another dark cloud hovering over me with my fibromyalgia. When one is in chronic pain, daily tasks can sometimes feel impossible.
Now that I am older, I thankfully know how to manage my pain better, but it was challenging to manage all that while being so young. With all of this being said though, I am beyond grateful for the tough times. It has, without a doubt, given me the opportunity to push myself harder than I ever have before. For all the obstacles life throws, I remind myself to just “ride the wave” and to keep pushing myself to be the person I have always wanted to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Makeup artistry of all sorts is my passion. However, my specialty and expertise are in special effects makeup. From creature to character makeup, I love seeing the total transformation. In particular, I love airbrushing and applying prosthetics, it creates such a new world and new canvas. It is incredible how much you can change anybody into anything.
I do also specialize in beauty makeup, as I positively love using bright and new colors to introduce myself to new clients. Alongside all of this, I am also a licensed Esthetician and Laser Technician. I take a lot of pride in my work and in helping others. I love to teach clients new techniques and knowledge they can apply to their everyday skin and makeup routine or even just some looks they can try on special occasions.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role you feel it’s played for you.
Fortunately, my luck stems from the support system that I have around me, and I am beyond grateful. My extraordinary fiancé, outstanding parents, awesome brother, friends, and family have all been extremely supportive.
Every one of them makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world, and I truly am because I get to have them by my side. They have watched me grow and learn through everything, and have cheered me on since day one. Love is an understatement for them, they truly mean so incredibly much to me. I would not be here or do what I do without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: jilianrosemua.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jilianrosemua/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jilianrosemua
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCAga7RVvyL-nc32w7olGpJg
Image Credits
Makayla Mohajer-Iravani, Adam Drendell of HauntedIllinois.com, and Bayley Currey
