Sasha is the Makeup Director at Paris Parker, an Aveda Makeup Purefessional, and her work has been seen in magazines nationwide.
Sasha Ahart does a model’s makeup for an education event. | Source: Sasha Ahart
While today it’s difficult to scroll through Instagram without seeing a makeup artist’s latest and greatest winged eyeliner or ombre lip all lit up with a ring light, this wasn’t the case in the late 1990s. That’s when makeup artist Sasha Ahart first broached the subject with Debra Neill.
“I must have been 19 years old when I told her I wanted to be a makeup artist,” Sasha recalls. “She said, ‘That’s funny, because people aren’t doing that now, unless they live in New York and Los Angeles.’”
The challenge lit a fire in Sasha’s belly, and now she trains all Paris Parker makeup artists and travels the country teaching makeup for Aveda. Fashion Week is a recurring favorite highlight in her career. One of her favorite experiences, she has worked with Nautica and Project Runway designer Leanne Marshall. Her work has also appeared in magazines including Elle, Salon Today and Modern Salon.
“My passion is really the editorial side; if I wanted to be a celebrity artist I would have gone into the film industry,” Sasha says. She has done makeup alongside some of the top artists in the beauty industry. “Every great opportunity in my career is due to Paris Parker. Working for Paris Parker changed my career path.”
An Early Influence
Sasha also credits her mother for planting the seeds that led her to become a makeup artist. A hairdresser who worked for Aveda when Sasha was young, she influenced Sasha’s choice of careers. Today, Sasha has worked with Aveda for 18 years. As an Aveda Makeup Purefessional, Sasha has gone on to influence many others: she travels the world teaching makeup as Paris Parker’s makeup director.
“Without my mother, I never would have been introduced to this industry,” Sasha says. “My passion is Aveda, Paris Parker, and the people I encounter, whether it be teammates or guests.”
Sasha also counts Aveda’s Global Artistic Director for Makeup Janell Geason as a mentor. In addition to doing makeup for some of the top artists in the industry, she has worked with a few celebrities, including Jon Bon Jovi, rapper Lil Boosie and actors from the Twilight series for a music video. While it’s easy to imagine the young actors getting highlighted and contoured, it’s more of a stretch to imagine Boosie, whose second album was titled Gangsta Musik and who served five years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary on drug charges, sitting in a makeup artist’s chair.
Sasha says she did her typical men’s makeup look for Boosie. “With Lil Boosie, it was just about enhancing. It’s making sure the skin is normal–not too dry, not too oily. I definitely exfoliated the skin.”
The Real Side of Makeup
While Sasha is grateful for the high-profile opportunities she’s had, she says her favorite clients aren’t the celebrities.
“I love doing the everyday person who has never done their makeup before—to see that transformation in them and show them something they’ve never seen in themselves,” she says. “That stands out more than [doing] a famous person’s [makeup].”
Sasha fondly remembers working on countless shows for Neill Corporation, Paris Parker and Aveda. She is glad she was pushed to do so many photo shoots, especially grateful to Michael Baker for inspiring her to make them a priority. “I’m a better artist because of it,” she says. Her greatest career honor was when she was nominated for North American Hairstyling Awards’Makeup Artist of the Year in 2009.
“Though I didn’t win, Janell Geason did win, so it was cool to be alongside her,” Sasha says.
Sasha (left) is recognized at North American Hairstyling Awards in 2009. | Source: Sasha Ahart
Tips and Tricks
Though Sasha used to experiment with wearing the trends, her own makeup routine is far more streamlined now that she has a four-year-old. “My makeup approach is extremely natural, she says. “I’m more about enhancing. The Aveda mineral tinted moisturizer is a must. It keeps my skin looking so fresh. A lot of people say, ‘Wow, you’re 37?’ I know it has to do with skin care and the lip glaze.”
Although Sasha has been with Paris Parker for close to two decades, the thought of moving on doesn’t interest her.
“Our 401k guy came in to talk to us about retirement, but when he talked to me, I realized I never imagined myself retiring,” she says. “I love my job that much. I come to work every day and feel so blessed and grateful to Paris Parker for the amazing people I meet who are in my life every day. And it’s all because of this company. I’ll be working ‘til I die.”
