Makeup and Styling Done Best

Mia Valdez, winner of the La Verne Chamber of Commerce’s best makeup and hair stylist contest, enhances her friend Valerie Hoar’s natural beauty in her studio. For Mia, these are more than just brushes; instead, they are tools to unlock a person’s inner beauty and confidence. / photo by Kaylie Ennis

by Joslyn Aguilar
photography by Kaylie Ennis

It is the day of the gala. You are really looking forward to the event, but even more to your visit from Mia Valdez, a freelance makeup artist who comes to your home and enhances your look so that you feel great about yourself.

Mia Valdez Beauty is the La Verne Chamber of Commerce winning makeup/hair stylist, and there is a reason for that. She is an expert at what she does. “No one needs makeup. But we like it; we do it for fun. It makes you feel extra confident and sassy,” says Mia. She offers her talents and services at a competitive price. For a full glam, not including hair, she marks her services at $140, and $195 if you want your hair fixed up as well.

What sets Mia’s apart from other makeup artists is that she goes to you. You do not need to get out of the comfort of your own home to be beautified by Mia. But this will soon change, with the opening of her own makeup studio in Old Town La Verne. Her shop will be located on Bonita Avenue and D Street right next to Miss Donuts and Bagels. She says the La Verne Chamber of Commerce will soon be celebrating the opening of her studio with a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony.

Mia Valdez / photo by Kaylie Ennis

Mia says she has more than 200 hours of studying and working with celebrity makeup artists. She includes in her portfolio testimonials from clients that cite the quality of her work. People often call on her for beauty makeup for events, special occasions and weddings. Nevertheless, she has been trained in editorial and avant-garde makeup for runway, SFX and theater. Mia was the head makeup artist for the Anime Los Angeles Convention January 2023. She assembled a team of makeup artists for the event to work on models with anime themed makeup. Additionally, Mia says she has a steady income flow through her pairing up with photographers, including her business partner Sonia Tapia Photography. Also, Mia offers lessons (private and group) and beauty services for men.

The COVID crisis took its toll. For nearly two years, because of COVID isolation protocols, Mia did not work directly with clients. But she reinvented herself. Mia taught Zoom makeup classes where people learned her techniques in real time. In addition, she made YouTube video tutorials and wrote a newsletter. Her YouTube classes include base makeup, powder makeup, eyeshadow and skincare. Upon returning to a face-to-face situation with clients, she says she first made sure that she and her children were OK, and when she felt brave enough, she slowly got back into doing makeup, with safety precautions in place.

Mia fully comes through on her promise to give you what you want, and takes great pleasure in making you look your best. As she works with clients, she also educates them on the process toward how they can make themselves feel more confident and comfortable applying their own makeup. “Personal branding is more than your image or a headshot. It’s an investment in yourself,” she says in her website miavaldez.com. She adds, “As a painfully shy child, I yearned for more confidence but didn’t understand how to achieve it. It wasn’t until I became much older and first discovered liquid liner. A sassy, strong wing brought out something in me that I never knew was there. A few years later, a good friend convinced me to try red lipstick, and it was all over after that. I wish to do the same for all women; I want to help you all shine from within and feel comfortable, empowered, and confident.” Mia Valdez is always the expert who takes great pride in making people feel great about themselves, in the moment and in their future. For Mia, there is no higher honor.