Life & Work with Jynivah Grant of Kansas City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jynivah Grant

Hi Jynivah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up I always loved to play dress up and give makeovers to my mom and myself. My mom would always style my hair, put eyeshadow on me, and take my pictures. I had always loved the feeling of exploring my femininity and how confident it would make me feel. Through exploring my femininity with beauty and fashion I also discovered something else that really made these things so fulfilling to me, the way that it can really restore the joy in someone and build up their self esteem. When people feel good about themselves they are elevated in their self worth and feel empowered. The difference that a flattering outfit and a beautiful makeup look can make in someone’s day can really inspire them to see the beauty that has been there all along, it just needed something to help emphasize it. I began to really take this passion seriously once I got to college and wanted to teach myself how to do trendy looks that I would see on social media. I had never been the type of person to put myself out there while in college, but my passion that grew from learning how to master something that brought me joy inspired me to take many chances at putting my work out there so that I could start gaining clientele and building relationships. Taking those chances and risks at possible rejection really made me into an even more confident person by letting me know that I am capable of many things as long as I navigate it through a place of serving others and make sure that it comes from the heart. I got so much support and even made friends from doing makeup that still remain great connections.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Even though I made the most out of what I had growing up, poverty had always been a really traumatic experience throughout my adolescence. This really put a damper on my personality and the way I showed up in the world. It had always been me prioritizing and hyper focusing on survival, so much that I put aside just how important beauty and fashion had been for me. Depression was a result from this causing me to lose parts of myself throughout the years. While going through not having the security of knowing if the bills would always be paid or even the certainty of safety while being at home, it was comforting figuring out how to express myself through my outfits and makeup. Whether I went natural and decided to dye my hair, added an accessory to make my uniforms unique while in middle school, or stayed up until 3am trying on and reworking things from my closet or that I had thrifted, these things really brought me to a place that transcended past any of those circumstances. This is when I learned the power in looking good and taking care of your appearance. You can be going through hell on earth, but when you get up and put together a good outfit, do your hair, and do a little makeup you realize that you can show up as who you want to be and not what you’re going through or who your challenges in life try to convince you you have to be. Once I got to college one of the biggest obstacles would be myself. Self doubt and fear have really hindered me throughout the years from going harder with promoting myself and being more confident in my work. Going from someone who put themselves in a shell to cope with the mental battle that I was constantly going through, to realizing I would need get used to being vulnerable in sharing a passion and form of art consistently and socially made me so anxious. I had suffered from social anxiety a lot and really let it keep me from having a social life, but I knew I would have to be a source of encouragement for myself to get to the goal that I had.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a self taught makeup artist and creative. I can do any type of makeup, whether it is a simple soft look or a really dramatic beat! I also enjoy putting together really cute outfits and modeling. I have made it a goal for me to utilize my skills to serve God by serving others. I love uplifting people and making them feel seen, there is no better way to do this than to use my passion for beauty to paint and highlight every detail on the face of someone who doesn’t realize just how special and beautiful they are. My services in makeup are here to build up each and every client while giving them an outlet have a trustworthy person to confide in that genuinely cares. One of my most proudest accomplishments with my business was creating an event for the ladies at a women’s domestic violence shelter to give them makeovers. I titled this event “Beauty From Pain” and had a goal to use my service to repair the broken spirits of women who had been shattered from mental and physical abuse with makeup therapy. I also had others work with me to give manicures and hair care for a full on transformation! We talked and laughed about many things while sipping on beverages catered by a local coffee shop. I was filled with so much joy that for a few hours I could take these women away from the painful memories of their circumstances and immerse them into an atmosphere of love being poured into them so that they could feel it for themselves and be confident looking in the mirror. This is what I want to do with every face I touch and every client that I work with. I hope that they can always leave feeling like the best version of themselves, not just physically but mentally and know that they are beautiful. I also got the chance to participate in doing makeup for Heartland International Fashion Week, which really brought me joy since it is a faith based event that aligns perfectly with my morals and values towards fashion and beauty! Hopefully this year I can incorporate more of my love for fashion into my work by getting back into styling outfits and creative directing more photoshoots for myself and my makeup clients.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My appointments with my clients aren’t just about getting the job done, with me doing makeup I have also gotten to use the gift of my calming, understanding, and loving spirit to pour into my clients who happen to feel safe enough to share their own personal experiences with me. Being able to offer encouragement and wise counsel, or even just a good laugh to my clients are what really touches my heart about every single appointment. Having an intentional approach to interactions with my clients has really made it such an intimate thing that has brought me connections that I will cherish for life. I have received a lot of support from friends from college and even organizations that have shown me a lot of love! I am so thankful for that because it really gave me so much confidence to keep pursuing my craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jynivah.wixsite.com/pristinebeauty/book-online
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beatsbyjynivah and https://www.instagram.com/jynivah
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15X3abiRDB/