It wasn’t an easy leap, but it was the right one. Fate even introduced me to Jaclyn before my business had a name, and by fall 2017, I was already working my first fashion show with Next On Scene. From that moment forward, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be."

2. What does “Creative Contour” represent to you personally and professionally? 

"The funny thing about my business name is this: one of my best friends came up with it! She literally threw it out there when I couldn't think of a business name on my own yet. It's funny to reflect back on that version of myself, 8 years ago. She didn't know it yet, but she would become a creative, business-saavy person. From a professional viewpoint, Creative Contour By Carla represents creativity within the world of makeup. While there are some rules to follow within the makeup world, they aren't so rigid. Some rules within the beauty world can be broken, and that is okay! I am here to remind all of the beauties reading this today that some rules within makeup can be broken. From that, we can create some of our own rules. Personally, this business represents so much to me: it represents growth, love, pushing past societal norms and rules. Once I started this business, and grew within it, I realized that we can break rules and create our own communities in this world."

3. What has been your proudest achievement since launching Creative Contour by Carla? 

"My proudest achievement since launching Creative Contour By Carla has been developing who I am as a makeup artist and creating new options for my beauties within the makeup world. If you all haven't noticed, I don't exactly follow the standard blueprint. In some ways, that's on purpose. In other ways, it's from trial and error. This is my proudest achievement, because it's still helped me grow, and align with people who see my vision. Some of those people are my clients, and some of those people are in publications. They feel my energy and authenticity, and that is something to be proud of!"

4. What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a beauty entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it? 

"One of my biggest challenges as a beauty entrepreneur has been to find my way in the makeup world. Let me explain what I mean. As I mentioned in an earlier question, I don't exactly follow the rules when it comes to anything. When I first started out, I was following all the rules that everyone else followed. By no surprise, that method backfired every time. It wasn't until the covid19 pandemic happened in 2020, that I woke up one day and realized I had to create my own way. When I tell all of you that it took me the next 5 years to figure it all out, I am telling the truth. Nothing happens overnight as an entrepreneur. I spent the last 5 years navigating what to do in business and how to make it work. Reflecting on this, every step put me in the new chapter that is opening up for me. It put me in alignment with the right people, and they show up at the right times. The process of overcoming these challenges was difficult, but they gave me the confidence to take bold steps to get to this space of opening a new chapter in business. To anyone who is starting a business, this is the truth of entrepreneurship: you constantly adapt and have to face challenges every single day. When you face those challenges head on, following your intuition, you get to the right places. You know what is burning on your heart is meant to be achieved, even when it doesn't look exactly how you planned. I'm proud to have overcome every challenge over the past 8 years."

5. How do you want clients to feel after experiencing your artistry? 

"I want my clients to feel exactly how they look: their best, most confident, happiest selves! That is exactly how I feel, whether I pick up my brushes, or am instructing them how to look their best!"

6. What’s next for Creative Contour by Carla—what are you most excited to create or expand into? 

"I am so excited to be fully leaning into my speaker role next at Creative Contour By Carla! I've seen an increase in demand for me to teach live makeup demonstrations at various events. This is a concept that stumbled upon me, but I've gotten so much positive feedback, that I am leaning into this new side of myself and my company! I can't wait to see my beauties at the next live demonstration!"

1. What first inspired you to become a makeup artist, and how did your early experiences shape your style? 

"My love for makeup started as early as age three, playing with my mom’s lipstick and later unwrapping beauty sets she gifted me for birthdays and holidays. By middle school, I realized makeup artistry could be a career, with Bobbi Brown as one of my earliest inspirations. I became the girl experimenting with every eyeshadow color, cultivating a passion that never left me.

Although I initially followed a traditional college path, I couldn’t ignore my dream. I enrolled in esthetics school, passed my boards, and spent two years assisting a local artist before stepping out on my own. A life-changing trade show—where I met Danessa Myricks and connected with thriving professionals—showed me what was possible. Four months later, I left my retail job and launched Creative Contour By Carla.

Glow Up Society Spotlight Carla Balzano