- How the makeup artist has created ground-breaking makeup application tools that act like an extension of your hand
- How Terri begins and ends her days with a gratitude practise
- Why she lives by this saying by Robindraath Tagore: “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to color to my sunset sky”
Terri Bryant is a makeup artist and the Founder of GUIDE BEAUTY, a beauty brand designed to make makeup application easier. Terri talks to 35 Thousand about balancing family life with her business, pets and hobbies.
Describe yourself in 3 words…
“Loyal, creative, driven.”
Tell us about your work…
“We partner with our design team, ergonomic engineers, and test users across a diverse range of abilities, skill sets, and needs to create our makeup application products. Our user-centric approach is highly collaborative as we engage users in exploring existing products and our working prototypes.
We’re able to observe where people struggle using traditional tools and formulas and discover ergonomic and design preferences to improve the user experience. We apply those findings into our designs to create tools that can perform as an extension of the user’s hand, along with custom formulations that enhance the tools performance. Additionally, while our products focus on innovation and usability, the importance of beauty to the overall brand experience is a must. The goal is always an artistic, glamourous and confident identity that taps into the essence of what we love about makeup.”
Do you work in the spare room, a skyscraper or other
“Most often on my patio.”
What parts of your work give you energy?
“People and creating”
What parts of your work drain you?
“Spreadsheets and numbers.”
Most pivotal point of your career so far?
“Launching GUIDE BEAUTY”
Best piece of advice you received that you now pass on to others?
“As we do in our design process, lean into the roadblocks and mistakes. They are your greatest opportunity.”
What event or situation is funny now but wasn’t at the time?
“Early in my career, I was asked to present to an executive team. I prepared for the presentation, but not the set-up, as a video-audio team was taking care of that. I stepped on stage in my high heels and skirt. Three words into my speech I tripped over a loose chord which landed me, and my skirt, on my head. It was a good lesson in humility as I stood up, dusted myself off (pulled my skirt off my head), and finished my presentation.”
Pets, hobbies, external commitments?
“My husband and I will always have dogs in our life and are big supporters of pet rescue, fostering and adoption. I love interior design, estate sales, and I am always searching for vintage treasures & finds – basically pieces that give a room character & soul. I love all styles. My personal design philosophy is simply buy what you love & it will find its perfect place in your home.”
Describe your pre-pandemic day-to-day…
“Pre-pandemic my work called for quite a bit of travel. While my day-to-day may have varied while travelling, it always started and ended the same way: knowing my husband’s voice would be the first I heard in the morning and the last I heard before going to bed at night.”
How has your daily life changed, what’s your new normal?
“I set goals for each day centered around what feeds my mind, body and spirit. I bookend my days with verbalizing what I am thankful for in my life. In this time of Covid, I’m fortunate to be able to work from home, but as a creative, my environment feeds me. I plan for time where I can immerse myself in creative environments. Some days this is listening to music, other days it’s thumbing through interior design magazines or rehabbing furniture, and most days it’s playing with makeup.
One constant is spending time moving with my loved ones. Walking our dog, or doing yoga and kickboxing with my husband. This practice has helped me manage the inevitable ups and downs in life.”
Has the Corona crisis impacted you personally and professionally? How?
“Professionally the pandemic certainly affected our options of how and where companies could connect with their community. We found social media to be an incredible platform. It allowed us to not only share our story, but to engage in a much more meaningful way. People are people. We still long for connection. During Covid-19, social media has given us all the opportunity to maintain existing connections and build new ones.”
What, if anything, keeps you up at night?
“I’m fortunate to have a loving family and supportive friends. As a new founder, I do have those moments where I wonder if I missed something that could have expanded the brand and our mission.”
What have been your best coping strategies over the past year? Do you have any objects, routines or tools that you found particularly uplifting? Gin or Gym?
“I start every morning with a moment of gratitude. It’s part of several mindful moments I incorporate throughout my day. A few moments to breathe, take a quick “retreat” on the patio, and reconnect mind & body. It’s self-care, it’s important and just a few moments can be so impactful.”
Did 2020 change your outlook on life in any way?
“When the pandemic first started my husband proposed we start a garden. My response was something along the lines of ‘Sounds good honey. Let me know how that goes’. Though I was happy to benefit from the literal fruits of his labor, I was not at all interested in participating. That response surprises some people who know me and over the years have seen me constantly working on one project or another. I have always loved creating and building, watching a design project take life and form. I don’t thrive on instant gratification but the process itself. That said, I need to know I can finish something in one sitting, no matter how long it takes, or it makes me crazy. I’ll create a makeup look, rehab a regency desk, paint a room but once I start, I do not stop until finished. While the ability to complete a task has in many ways served me well in life and in business it has at times been a detriment. I have patience for the process when the process is on my terms. This is admittedly not my finest quality and can cause undue stress in life and it’s not a realistic or fair expectation.
Eventually, with no more walls to paint, desks to rehab and my face on fire from one too many makeup applications, I gave in and joined my husband in the garden. Turns out it was just what I needed. It’s allowing me to see things grow and change. As we were working and isolated in our home, gardening let me see the environment change. The bigger and unexpected reward is that it taught me to let go and appreciate the process even if I can’t control it.”
Are you ready to travel ready? Where do you want to go, with who or would you rather stay home?
“I’m so ready! While I am somewhat of a homebody my friends and family feed my soul. I desperately miss my LA family and friends. I look forward to the day we can safely have our big Palm Springs reunion.”
Finish this sentence “If you look in my handbag at any time you will ALWAYS find….”
“Lip & cheek balm.”
What are your work from home saviours? (routines/ products/ coffee/ music?)
“Coffee in the morning and an afternoon walk around the lake with my dog, Harvey.”
Describe your style?
“My style can vary, but at my core it’s boho chic with a dash of 70s vintage. I love a kaftan, a cocktail ring, and a long gold necklace.”
Name your 5 essential items of clothing:
“Kaftan, cocktail ring, a black jumpsuit (my favorite alternative to the little black dress), a tuxedo blazer, high rise flare jeans in a dark wash.”
How do you see your business or career in two years from now?
“Exciting things are happening in the GUIDE Lab! We started with the products and techniques (Eyeliner Duo, Brow Moment and Lash Wrap Mascara) that create definition. Products that create definition are not only the most impactful, but also tend to be the most challenging for the everyday makeup wearer. We wanted to tackle these challenging techniques first and offer a range of products that allows the user to wholly define the area around the eyes. From there, through our method of Universal Design and a culture of inclusivity, we will be expanding our color range as well as continue focusing feature-by-feature to create a full GUIDE Beauty face. The goal is that more and more brands will integrate Inclusive and Universal Design methods into their product development, and we will see a much-needed shift in the narrative around inclusivity in the beauty industry.”
“‘Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to add color to my sunset sky.’ – Rabindraath Tagore. None of us go through life unscathed. While we certainly don’t wish for struggles, they come. While I still feel the pain living through it, my personal journey has shown me that from even the darkest moments, something beautiful can be born. For me, a meaningful life is one lived through a wider lens with shared experiences, and the deepened range of empathy that grows from those shared experiences. Being challenged in life is inevitable. This quote from Tagore is a beautiful reminder that every experience colors our life, but you can shape your perspective.”
Do you have a life motto or mantra that really resonates with you?
Take a look at GUIDE BEAUTY’s website here.
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