Finding Bliss Through Beauty & Resilience
Celebrity makeup artist Christina Flach with long brunette highlighted hair, smoky eye makeup and nude lips, wearing a white turtleneck, looking directly at camera
I was recently featured in Canvas Rebel Magazine, where I had the opportunity to share my journey as a celebrity makeup artist, entrepreneur, and mother. I’m sharing it here because it comes from my heart — and I hope it inspires you.
Do What You Love
I always say that you should do what you love and then find a way to make money doing it. Being a makeup artist allowed me to design my life around the things I love — meeting new people, traveling, thinking creatively, and making people feel and look like the best versions of themselves.
True beauty begins from the inside out. Every person who leaves my chair should feel like the best version of themselves — on the inside and the outside.
Resilience Is Everything
Life has thrown many curve balls at me — from the unexpected loss of my son Beau and my husband Ken Flach, to challenges in business. Although I have faced many tragedies, I do not consider my life to be tragic. Time is not guaranteed, so you have to live every day to the fullest and love big.
Happiness is a choice and I choose to be happy and positive. Each day, the pain softens and your new normal appears. It will be different from your old normal — but that doesn’t mean it can’t be wonderful.
Giving Back
Giving back to the world is incredibly important to me. After losing my son Beau on Christmas Day and my husband Ken in 2018, I started the Baby Beau and Ken Flach Educational Funds at the Northern Light School in Oakland, California — a magical school that teaches its students that nothing is impossible.
My son Ben, Beau’s twin, has participated in the Vida Blue Celebrity Golf Tournament for seven years, raising over $150,000 in honor of his daddy and twin brother. I also started the Beau Friedman Outdoor Classroom at Edna Maguire School in Mill Valley, California — because I believe children exposed to gardening and growing food from a young age will make healthier choices for life.
Since losing Ken to Sepsis in 2018, I have been a Sepsis awareness advocate, speaking on TV, radio, and podcasts about the signs and dangers of this life-threatening condition.
My Advice to You
Figure out what you love doing so much that you would do it for free — then figure out how to get paid well. Never go into business with a goal of making a billion dollars. If you don’t love what you do, you will resent the process.
If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, I would tell her to be kinder to herself and not stress over uncontrollable outcomes. Every failure is a lesson learned that leads us to where we belong.
Dream bigger than you can possibly imagine and never stop reaching for new heights. You’d be surprised at how much you are capable of.
About Christina Flach
Christina Flach is a celebrity makeup artist, CEO of Pretty Girl Makeup, mother of five, philanthropist, NBC California Live on-air beauty expert, and Sepsis awareness advocate. Her motto: Beauty from the inside out.
Book Christina Flach for makeup, events, or private lessons in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Shop Pretty Girl Makeup at www.prettygirlmakeup.com
Christina Flach Celebrity Makeup Artist & Pretty Girl Makeup CEO
I always say that you should do what you love and then find a way to make money doing it. For me, I love meeting new people, traveling, thinking creatively, and making people feel and look like the best versions of themselves. Being a makeup artist allowed me to design my life around the things that I love and in turn, give me a life of bliss. For me, bliss is a feeling of inner peace and joy. Everyday and everything is not always perfect, but in these times I remind myself that I am surrounded by love and blessings. I am extremely grateful for everything I have, including a successful career.
While I love my life today, maintaining a state of bliss was not always easy. Life has thrown many curve balls right at me, from the unexpected loss of my son and my husband to a wrongful death lawsuit that spanned years. I was facing inexplicable sadness that I do not wish on anyone.
Behind the scenes: Grooming for Tyler Florence by Christina Flach featured in major productions including The Great Food Truck Race.
Christina Flach is a trusted celebrity makeup artist and grooming expert for television, fashion and media.
Although I have faced many tragedies in my life, I do not consider my life to be tragic. Time is not guaranteed, so you have to live everyday to the fullest and love big, which includes loving both yourself and the people around you. I feel my best when I make other people feel their best and while being a makeup artist naturally lends itself to creating outer beauty, I have integrated inner beauty into my career. I pride myself on being able to read my clients and know what they need to change their mood before they step in front of a camera. I try to exude energy that will positively impact my clients. I want every single person who leaves my chair to feel like the best version of themselves on the inside and the outside.
We underemphasize inner beauty and underestimate the connection between how a person feels on the inside and what they show the world on the outside. In today’s world we often forget the importance of human connection yet it is so important to treat those around you-and yourself-with kindness and love.
Prioritizing wellness and nutrition has been instrumental in improving not only my physical, but my mental health as well. I have created a life filled with balance, where I laugh and have fun but also exercise, drink my green juice, and rest my body. Making the time to take care of ourselves can be difficult, but with discipline, consistency, and time management it will help you achieve seemingly impossible goals. Society often stigmatizes self care as selfish, when in reality it actually gives you the energy and clarity to take better care of the people around you. The kinder you are to yourself, the better you and the people in your life will feel, and the more likely you are to cultivate a state of bliss. It is imperative to me to set a positive self care example for my children because if I can not show them a life of fulfillment, love, and happiness, how can I expect them to achieve it themselves?
If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, I would tell her to be kinder to herself and not stress over uncontrollable or unrealistic outcomes. If you utilize a positive mindset and focus on the outcome that you want, it will happen. Not always the way or how you expect it to happen, but manifestation will enable you to design the life you want. Napoleon Hill once said, “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” You are the only one in charge of your life and if you are not doing what you love, you may end up looking back with regret. So many people are afraid to fail but I truly believe the only failure is when you do not try at all. Every failure is a lesson learned that leads us to where we belong.
Things that may appear to be happening ‘to us’ are actually happening for us. If I had never taken a chance on my career as a makeup artist, who knows where I would be today. Building this career took a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice but I would not change a single thing. I have enjoyed every milestone and every misstep along the way because it has led me to who I am. If you cannot enjoy your journey and only focus on your destination you will end up burnt out and resentful. I truly love my life and every opportunity that comes my way. I am so excited for what the future holds and what I will achieve in a year, five years, and this lifetime. Finding your bliss can and will be a bumpy road, but you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable to make your dreams a reality. Dream bigger than you can possibly imagine and never stop reaching for new heights. You’d be surprised at how much you are capable of.