
A quick look at Ann Arbor makeup artist Moriah Mierre’s website and social media pages paints a picture of glamour and class. Full of smoky eyes and cut-creases, her Instagram account, @beatbymo, has nearly 18,000 followers.
“I don’t always do full glam, or even soft glam, on myself,” Mierre says of her go-to makeup look. “I love a simple, wearable, everyday look. Just skin, lashes, brows.” Her clients, however, tend to be the “go big or go home” types. On a daily basis, she is catering to brides, prom-goers, and even major celebrities like KeKe Palmer, Soledad O’Brien, and native Detroiter Big Sean. Mierre served as the primary makeup artist for the rapper’s “Single Again” music video, which featured actress Ryan Destiny, another hometown star.
But despite all this success, Mierre, 28, didn’t even have an interest in makeup until she was 19. Her time at a desk job, which she picked up in 2008 to support herself while attending Washtenaw Community College, provided her with hours of free time each week, staring at a computer screen. She filled those hours by watching YouTube makeup tutorials, reading blog posts about understated glam, and building Pinterest boards full of interesting looks to try out. “A lot of my favorite makeup artists are girls I’ve found on Instagram,” Mierre says. “My entire feed is usually makeup looks, so I’m always pulling inspiration from somewhere.”
She pushed her interests further when she started at the Ann Arbor Laura Mercier counter in 2012. “I think starting at a counter allowed me to apply all the lessons I taught myself from YouTube tutorials,” she says. “They did quarterly training, so we were always learning a new technique.” Being at Laura Mercier, which specializes in natural makeup, allowed Mierre to learn the basics. When she began working as a freelance makeup artist that same year, she was able to build upon this foundation.
Since leaving the beauty counter, Mierre’s freelance career has allowed her to experiment with the glam side of makeup. “I love seeing celebrity makeup. Award shows are such a cool thing because celebrities are able to wear all these insane, out there, makeup looks,” says the independent makeup artist, who now takes masterclasses at least three times a year to hone her craft. She pulls inspiration from these shows, taking hyper-glam aspects and making them more wearable.
Moriah Mierre’s Fall Beauty Tips
Go day to night
“Soft-glam is super in right now,” Mierre says. “You can take any look and hype it up a little bit.” She recommends using a BB Cream, light dusting of bronzers, and a brow pencil during the day, and then elevating it at night. “Add more color to your face, use a darker lip than you normally would, just little things to take it to the next level.”
Enhance lashes and lips
What’s the easiest way to pull off the perfect glam? Mierre says lashes and lips are the perfect formula. “I love a double strip [of false lashes], the fluffier the better.” For lips, glosses are on trend for a luscious, bold pout that won’t dry you out.
Bring on the gold
When playing with color, Mierre says it doesn’t get more glamorous than gold. “When I go all out on my own makeup, I love a bronzy, glowy, golden look.” The highlighting trend appears to be here to stay, so add an extra pop by sweeping a golden sheen over your cheek bones, top lip, and the tip of your nose.
This story is part of Makeup in Metro Detroit, an ongoing web series that focuses on fall 2019 beauty trends. Continue to visit hourdetroit.com as we introduce more local makeup artists and share their seasonal tips.
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