IN CONVERSATION WITH ARTIST KEIRA ROWLAND
Keira Rowland has been inspiring us for some time now with her unique talents and incredible work in the beauty industry. Her trademark, “Beauty. Transformation. Empowerment.” perfectly explains the entirety of Ms. Rowland. She has been front and center of many an artist’s dream jobs- working for celebrities like Iggy Azalea, Kehlani, and the one and only Beyonce. What we have found special and distinctive about this woman is her presentation as an artist. Not a makeup artist. An artist. And, her work certainly affirms the distinction. From stage looks to music video glamour, Rowland no doubt personifies herself as a true artist within her craft.
Rowland’s career path has not quite been linear; she has dipped her feet in various fields, starting at the MAC makeup counter in her hometown of San Francisco, to pursuing product development and branding, then subsequently working for brands like Sephora and Kaja Beauty. All this has evolved her into the driven professional she is today. Our high esteem for her work all began with the Halloween looks she would create and post on Instagram. The process of these transformations would add a definite ‘wow factor’ to the end result and we were not shy to stalk her account for the next one. Following her journey, we saw the ground-breaking work she did with Kehlani on her music videos to joining Sir John’s team on projects like Beyonce’s Ivy Park campaign and the Formation Super Bowl performance. Her talents have not gone unnoticed but rather distinguished and praised.
Rowland continues to excite us with the content she generates. Like she has mentioned, she “has been empowered by the properties of makeup.” And, “..believes in its ability to do and feel good.” It is no wonder we wanted to personally have a sit-down to get her opinion on the industry, a glimpse into her past on achieving success, and touch on the future of beauty as well as what’s next for her. We just hope you pick up on some great beauty tips like we did!
You grew up in the Bay Area. How has it influenced your creativity and work as an artist?
After working in big cities like New York and LA, and even pivoting to living in Hawaii, I’ve made a full circle and returned to my hometown. I most recently accepted an Associate Director of Social role at Urban Skin RX. A skincare brand focused on delivering effective skincare solutions for diverse skin tones. But what I am most grateful for coming from the Bay Area is the people there. I’ve followed my clients’ journeys from their executive headshots, wedding days, to their first maternity photos. There is something about community which is priceless.
Tell us about your relationship with beauty. How did you come to appreciate it?
I was teased for my appearance growing up. I was 5’8” And the same size I am now in the 5th grade, and one of the only half-Asian students at my predominantly Asian elementary school. I was called “giant”, and was called some variant of “ugly” almost every single day. I felt like an outcast, and had very few friends. Growing up half-Asian also had its growing pains, as there weren’t that many faces in the media or popular culture that looked like me that I could look up to. I remember one day after school, I was walking through Nordstrom at SF Centre — I had dry skin on my nose that I was super self conscious of, and wandered over to the Lancôme counter. The associate was a beautiful girl in her 20’s, and I remember admiring how stylish and confident she was compared to my braces, plaid skirt and biker shorts. I asked her if there was anything I could do to conceal the red flakiness around my nose, and without thinking twice, she sat me down and went to work. I remember the time she took to chat with me, and it felt nice to connect with someone who wasn’t teasing me for my appearance. She didn’t judge me. 15-20 minutes later, not only had she covered my trouble zone, but also took the time to apply some blush, some eyeshadow, and a lip color to tie my look together. Obviously I wasn’t going to be her highest sale of the day, but that was my turning point with beauty. That’s when I realized that I wanted to be a part of it, and help others feel the same way that associate made me feel. Better. Stronger. More confident in my own shoes. That’s what we can do for each other.
And what does “beauty” mean to you?
It has changed over the years, but at 32, it means self acceptance. Embracing my natural hair color (or at least not venturing out too far from it), honoring the way my brows want to grow instead of fighting them. Drinking a gallon of water a day, working out consistently, getting enough sleep. Doing just enough makeup to make me feel like the best version of me, without transforming myself into something that I am not. These days, I like to put more of my energy into my work and what I want to accomplish with the day, versus spending hours on my makeup.
“BETTER. STRONGER. MORE CONFIDENT IN MY OWN SHOES. THAT’S WHAT WE CAN DO FOR EACH OTHER.”
You’ve worked with Beyonce’s MUA Sir John on several occasions. How did that come to be?
Social Media - the pool was smaller then, and many artists were following each other on Instagram just to admire and support each other’s work. It’s something totally different now. I redid a look on myself that he created on Bey for “All Mine”, tagged him as to give him original credit, and the rest is history.
With that said, you were part of the glam team for Beyonce’s Ivy Park campaign, her Super Bowl performance, as well as her Grammy one. What was the highlight of working with such a high caliber artist like Queen B herself?
It took a while for me to think of a response to this, but Sir John taught me that it’s all about energy, working hard, working quiet, and remaining humble. The vibration that you carry is pivotal to what comes out of the shoot or project. How you are on set, how you are to others, it’s all super important and it’s what attracts people and opportunities to you.
Any celebrity you are dying to work with?
I’ve always wanted to work with Zoe Kravitz or Lion Babe.
Is there a project you’ve worked on that’s especially dear to your heart?
Early years working with Kehlani are special to me — she’s blown up now and I’m super proud of her, but to me she’s still the young K I met years ago in Berkeley. I see her on camera and she hasn’t changed a bit, which is what I like about her. She’s genuine.
Secondly, as I’ve progressed in my career, I’d say having the ability to create the change I wish I saw in the beauty industry when I was growing up — everything from casting to shoots and hiring the crew. I’m grateful to be able to work on the other side of things as well. I often think about the younger version of me, and what message would I be giving to her though my work and my decisions.
“THE VIBRATION THAT YOU CARRY IS PIVOTAL TO WHAT COMES OUT OF THE SHOOT OR PROJECT.”
What is the least favorite part of the artistic process for you?
Stakeholders that are out of touch, or attempt to micro-manage the creative process not having any experience in a creative field.
.. and what is the part you enjoy the most?
Being able to look back and say “My little chunk of work made a difference to someone out there”.
What are your thoughts on the changes that the creative industry is going through?
I think it’s about time. As a mixed-race person, I’ve always fought for diversity in every shoot, campaign, and product I’ve been able to influence. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to beauty anymore, and it feels like we finally are carving out enough space for everyone. I’m excited to see the positive change happening in the industry, and look forward to seeing where we all go from here.
What are the beauty products you deem essential?
A good tinted moisturizer with SPF, brow pencil, mascara, bronzer, and a cream lip and cheek product.
And inessential?
Powder contour during the day time. If you’re going on camera, it’s appropriate, but a cream contour is way more skin-like and looks like you didn’t think about it at all.
When you’re not working, what are you doing?
Anything outdoors — hiking, hanging out at the beach, anything to get some fresh air and get some time away from my screen.
What’s next for you?
I’d love to put more time into content that represents me now, as a professional in my 30’s. I’ve gotten a lot of requests for work-day beauty and style tips. Working in social marketing has shown me there really is a client for everyone, and people searching for the exact things that you can offer. Eventually I want to start my own brand as well, but I would want it to be the right thing, the right message, at the right time.
IN CONVERSATION WITH ARTIST KEIRA ROWLAND