Everything Old Is Neon Again
Just ask Monica Noe, makeup artist and founder of Bay Vanity Cosmetics
By: Gail Goldberg
Photographer & Creative Direction: Alon Reuveni
It's indisputable: San Francisco native Monica Noe wields a mean eyeshadow brush. Precisely why the freelance makeup artist and founder of Bay Vanity Cosmetics is on FiSF's speed dial. She's the go-to makeup/hair guru for our magazine photoshoots.
On set from our first-ever shoot in March 2020—right before the city went into pandemic mode—Noe has been an invaluable part of the team. As we get back to normal(ish), it seemed like the perfect time to showcase her work. Taking a cue from Bay Vanity's best-selling Welcome to the Bay eyeshadow palette, we decided to go full-blown neon for this feature. Naturally, the makeup led the way, informing the apparel styling team rather than vice versa.
The gorgeous palette features a dozen electric shades that pack a punch of color, and personality. The names are just as sassy, and christened by the 30-year-old Noe herself. For example, there’s yellow Hella, orange Giggin, purple Sucka Free and green Trippin…you get the idea. “They all come from my Bay Area vocabulary and feel very true to my upbringing in the Bay Area,” she explains.
For Noe, makeup is all about expression and celebration. It’s this philosophy that drives her when creating products for her small, eyeshadow-focused brand. “Bay Vanity is for people who really appreciate the artistic part of makeup, and it allows them to express themselves. The colors in the palettes bring excitement,” Noe says.
Unsurprisingly, Noe has been excited about makeup since she was a kid: “I would sit and watch my mother apply her makeup on special occasions, and I was always in awe of how getting done up could transform someone’s mood and personality,” she says.
After high school, Noe pursued makeup artistry as a career. The self-starter advertised her services online and began booking jobs, ranging from special-event makeup for friends and family to working on music videos for underground rappers in the Bay Area.
Although her talent and passion for makeup were crystal clear, Noe's path wasn't without a few roadblocks, as she recalls: "I was still fairly young and I let fear and other people steer me away from pursuing my career for a few years. I tried getting into the medical field, which never felt right (and I wasn’t very good at). Then, I moved on to the banking industry, which taught me the most. I made connections in that industry that I still have to this day."
Noe's drive to get back to the beauty world, however, went into overdrive after having her first child. "I needed a job where I could make my own schedule, and I had to be honest with myself and follow my gut—no matter what the world was telling me. I saved up for two months and quit my job at the bank," she says.
After enrolling in nail school, an opportunity for a makeup instructor opened up there, and Noe was offered the position. She also took on the responsibility of creating and structuring the school's beauty curriculum.
No doubt about it, Noe fell in love with teaching. A few years ago, her desire to open her own beauty school led to the birth of Bay Vanity. "I created it as a short-term project to earn more capital while I was taking a digital marketing course, filming makeup with a digital media company, freelancing, and structuring this makeup-school business idea," Noe says.
When her first product sold out three times, plans changed. "It was a hit within the Bay Area community and kept growing," Noe beams.
Today, Noe continues to juggle her roles as an entrepreneur and freelance makeup artist. It's the latter that led to booking her first gig with FiSF and, subsequently, becoming part of the family.
How did it feel to be the focus of the shoot instead of a behind-the-scenes player? "I had to hold back a few tears a couple of times. Working so many years in a service-based industry, it felt so unreal to have something focused on me, where my hard work would be highlighted. I can’t express how much it means to me, and I'm so thankful to the whole team for helping bring the vision of the shoot to life," she says.
Next up for Noe: More Bay Vanity products in the near term, getting back to creating her own beauty school in the long term. And, oh yeah, she and her husband are about to welcome a baby any day now. Congrats!
// Shop Bay Vanity Cosmetics at bayvanity.com and follow the brand @bayvanity