Whether you already follow Kay or not, you'll be sure to be inspired by not only his work ethic but his passions in life. Read on to get to know Kay!
Tell us a little about yourself and what made you get started in the beauty industry?
I started really getting into makeup because it was like my relief from life. I loved how when I would sit down to do my makeup it would make me feel as if nothing negative could possibly happen. It brings me so much joy and it allows me to express myself any and every kind of way I want. It allows me to have a free canvas at my disposal. I was always told that I could never get into makeup because I was an athlete.
What is one thing that you are really passionate about (besides makeup)?
Running. I run track and cross country I get so much joy when I get on the track.
What is some advice that you would give to someone just starting out in the industry?
Do YOU! If you want to wear eyeshadow wear! If you want to wear lipstick wear it! Never let anyone's thoughts or opinions stop you from what you love and are passionate about.
What’s your biggest makeup regret/horror story?
My biggest regret would be shadowing and lessening my craft in the beginning of my journey because of society. I remember when I first started wearing makeup. I was so scared to go out an buy foundation so I would just wear my friends which was the WRONG shade, a big hat, and shades haha. It was hard getting accepted as a black gay male athlete who wears a full face of makeup and because of that I simplified and suppressed my craft a lot until I finally hit the point in my life where I decided to live for me and not care or pay attention to the negativity.
If you could change one thing about the beauty community what would it be?
I would change the division for good. Big brands and big influencers show love to each other but there is still a HUGE separation in the community. From the male MUAs to the female MUAs, From the African American to the Caucasian, to the Hispanics. There is still a division.
What are your tips and tricks to getting that perfect selfie?
I honestly would have to say it's about knowing your angles and your lighting. I feel as now matter how good the makeup is if you don’t have good lighting and know your angels then you are just hurting yourself more than helping
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
In five years I see myself being the face and spokes person for a brand but not living in Atlanta or L.A but based out of Florida with my boyfriend with two dogs in a very comfortable and cute home
What are some makeup hacks that have really worked for you?
One of the biggest hacks that I have fell in love with and do religiously is mixing my setting powders together.
How do you stay on top of the latest and upcoming beauty trends?
Honestly to me the best way to stay on top on everything I watch two stores, Ulta and Sephora. Of course, I watch youtube and search on Instagram, but with Ulta and Sephora carrying so many different brands which all announce and advertise upcoming products it's a really easy way to stay on top of everything
What types of products do you feel are missing in the beauty industry?
I feel like the industry should redo and revamp BB Cream. I have noticed there aren’t many brands with BB Cream of light coverage foundation and the ones that do have them don’t really have a good shade range. I only say this because my best friend, mom, and sister all refer to wear bb creams and it's always hard for them to find one. Even when I worked at Ulta that was a question that came up a lot at work.
Are followers important to you? How do you work on gaining them?
Everyone loves followers but having a super huge following isn’t why I started wearing and posting makeup pictures. It would be cute to have a huge following and I work toward that each and every day simply by being and staying true to myself. I show the real me on and off camera so my followers know and see they are apart of my actual life. I engage with everyone and always remain humble to each and every one of them.
Where do you find inspiration for your looks?
I honestly just go out and look at my environment and think about the colors and objects I see and it just molds into a makeup look.
What’s your perfect night-out look? (hair, outfit, shoes, makeup, etc.)
If the night out is with friends then my look would be extreme ha I would have three hair colors in my head starting with dark blue fading into a light blue then into a platinum. My outfit as of now with weather conditions would be a sequin shoes an all-black bodysuit with 3 sliver chains on or a sequins choker with my ysl bag.
How do you use social media to promote yourself as a “brand”?
I used social media to show that you can be an athlete and wear makeup, to show you don’t have to fit society idea of what a male mum show be. Wearing colorful eyeshadow big lash lip gloss, lipstick, anything you want. My brand is a welcoming and accepting brand and that's what I work to show people each and every time I promote myself. I want them to see that. I show that through my lives, videos, responding back to comments, the whole nine yards
This or that:
Natural lashes or false lashes? Falsies all the WAY!! I love a good lash. I do live see a good natural lash coated with mascara but I don’t have very good bottom lashes and my top lashes are so curls
Trying new products or sticking with your tried and trues? I would have to say try new things I love having a new product under my belt because each product comes with more knowledge. my tried and trues became that simply from me branching out and trying them
Full glam or natural makeup? Full Glam
Liquid or powder foundation? oh most definitely liquid only because I had really dry skin when I first started doing makeup so me using powder was a killer.
Lipstick or lip gloss? I love lipstick but my lips peel so much so I rock with lip gloss but if my lips didn’t peel so much I would stunt with lipstick