How Photographer and Makeup Artist Angel Samples is helping pageant contestants win titles

Beauty pageants are synonymous with stunning, polished hair and makeup looks. Watching them flaunt innovative hairdos and flawless makeup while oozing confidence onstage is surely awe-inspiring. It is no secret that a lot of skill, time and effort goes into the final looks of beauty contestants.

Angel Samples is a hair and makeup artist, and photographer who found her niche in beauty pageants. Born in Fort Lauderdale and raised in South Carolina, Angel and her five siblings were raised by a single mom in a humble setting. After high school, she started working as a waitress until she met her now husband. It was after that she was able to afford to go to a cosmetology school and fell in love with doing makeovers for others.

Initially, she did hair and makeup for weddings, but after struggling for a year, she was introduced to the world of pageants. Around the same time, she discovered her love for photography and decided to open her own studio specializing in hair, makeup and photography for beauty contestants.

According to Angel Samples, once she was done with the hair and makeup of a model, she offered to click her pictures as her photographer didn’t show up for the shoot. Recalling her experience, she shares, “I had so much fun taking her pictures, and that’s when I knew I loved it. After posting her photos to my social media, I started getting offers from friends to do their hair, makeup, and photos.”

The talented makeup artist reveals that the idea was to provide a one-stop solution for hair, makeup and photography for women who want to look their best at events. Angel went on to say, “I ended up doing it for multiple people as a hobby. After more and more people asked me to do it, I started charging a small fee for it. This is when I realized that I wanted to make a career out of hair, makeup and photography, and opened my first studio.”

As far as her training is concerned, she has attended makeup classes with Mario Dedivanovic and Kim Kardashian in Pasadena, California. She has done makeovers and photography for multiple girls competing in local, state, national, and international beauty pageants who have won the title. Along with this, she has photographed aspiring models for their portfolios to be submitted to modeling agencies and got signed. That just proves how Angel is contributing to the success of these young girls who want to carve a niche for themselves in the beauty industry.

 

Some of the contestants Angel has styled and clicked pictures over the years have made it big in different pageants. The list includes Sarah Hamrick, who won the Miss SC Teen, Madison Lecroy and Leva Bonaparte from ‘Southern Charm’, among others. She has also shot supermodels for multiple magazine covers and has traveled to many different parts of the world, including Bermuda, Costa Rica, Paris, Greece, Bahamas, etc., as a photographer. In fact, she has been roped up for next year’s New York Fashion Week, shooting for them at the Versace mansion in Miami, Aruba, Greece, Mexico, London, Arizona and Utah.

Angel Samples has a simple philosophy; to make her clients feel confident and good about themselves. Contestants only want to look and feel their best so that they can perform confidently in front of the judges and the audience. “The thing I love most about my job is the ability to bring out the self-esteem in my clients after doing their hair and makeup. As I am finishing their look, I can visibly see a boost of confidence. That warms my heart because I know everyone wants to feel and look good,” she explains. “When someone looks their best, they are more likely to feel their best. To know that I have a job that can bring joy and confidence to someone and make them feel good about themselves is so rewarding,” adds Angel Samples.

While doing their hair and makeup, she keeps the mood light and fun by talking to them so they don’t feel nervous. Her goal is to keep them in high spirits and give them a look that enhances their natural beauty, making them stand out amongst others. In fact, all of this results in going onstage with boosted morale and winning titles. For Angel Samples, that’s her success too. In her own way, she has become a part of a bigger industry, helping these beautiful, talented girls regain their poise and not just win titles but hearts too.

 

Angel Samples is hard working, caring, determined and fun. She has struggled in her life to become a successful entrepreneur and hence understands the day-to-day battles women have to go through. This is why she wants to make their life a bit easier by doing whatever she can in whatever way possible. She is amazing at all that she does – whether it is hair, makeup or photography – and if her skills can help others achieve their dreams, she goes ahead and beyond to do so!