What does graduate school, perfectly constructed winged liner and children’s therapy have in common? Hannah Leger.
The 22-year-old speech pathology graduate student has quickly picked up clientele around Baton Rouge and her hometown of Lake Charles doing makeup and blogging.
Her makeup-focused Instagram, @makeupbyhannahliz, just hit its one year anniversary in April. The account now has 240 followers.
In addition to makeup, Leger has a beauty and lifestyle blog where she gives her clients and fans a more personal look at her life.
Her blog, A Cup of Charm, arose out of many comments on her social media pages asking for tips and tutorials on her makeup looks.
During the week, she goes about her busy school day along with her job working at a children’s therapy center. On the weekends, she does freelance makeup.
The charismatic, wide-eyed freelance makeup artist’s interest in cosmetics grew out of the need to cover up her natural skin. As a teenager, Leger had widespread acne, which is what initially drove her to experiment with drugstore makeup brands, she said.
“My mom is a total glamazon, so when I wanted to learn how to cover up my acne in middle school she jumped at the chance to help me learn,” Leger said.
By the time Leger attended the University in the fall of 2013 to study communication disorders, she knew she wanted to get serious about her hobby. After many nights scouring Pinterest for ideas and watching YouTube tutorials to pick up tricks of the trade, Leger went public.
“I started freelancing my junior year, but the first time I did someone’s makeup it was a disaster,” Leger said.
However, the disastrous experience didn’t deter her — instead, it pushed her to improve. Now, three years later, Leger finds herself busy with makeup appointments for weddings, sorority formals, high school proms and more.
Even with her success, Leger will never monetize her blog. Her work is about communicating and connecting with people, she said. Her personal goal is to become a speech pathologist, and do freelance makeup work on the side.
“I love doing makeup for people — to give them that transformation and to help them feel beautiful for their special night,” Leger said.
