Handling Grief Beautifully: A Makeup Artist's Guide
How to Handle Grief Beautifully
Grief isn’t exactly a fun conversation topic — but it is ultimately part of life. I recently joined host Val Kleinhans on the Very Vogue podcast for one of the most honest and heartfelt conversations I’ve ever had about loss, beauty, and finding grace through the hardest moments of life.
My Story
I have experienced loss at many levels. I lost my mother to cancer, my son Beau on Christmas Day, and my husband Ken Flach to Sepsis in 2018. Each loss changed me deeply. But none of them broke me.
It all started with my mother. When she was going through cancer treatment, she asked me to do her makeup one evening so she could feel beautiful for a date with my father. That single moment sparked my lifelong passion for helping people feel their best — even on their worst days. It is still the foundation of everything I do today.
What It Means to Handle Grief Beautifully
Handling grief beautifully doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay. It doesn’t mean hiding your pain or rushing through your healing. It means choosing to find purpose within the pain. It means showing up for yourself and the people you love, even when it’s hard.
Here is what I’ve learned:
• Grief is part of life — don’t run from it, move through it
• Fill yourself up first so you can show up fully for others
• True beauty comes from the inside out
• Find what brings you joy and lead with passion every day
• Never wait to tell the people you love how much they mean to you
Beauty as Healing
As a celebrity makeup artist, I have sat across from women in some of their most vulnerable moments. A bride on her wedding day. A woman facing illness. A mother who just needed to feel like herself again. In those moments, beauty becomes so much more than makeup — it becomes a form of self-love and healing.
My motto has always been beauty from the inside out. When you feel good on the inside, it shows on the outside. And when life gets hard, taking care of yourself — even in small ways — can be a powerful act of resilience.
During our conversation I also shared Ken’s story. He passed away from Sepsis — a life-threatening response to infection that can be treated if caught early. Since his passing I have been a passionate advocate for Sepsis awareness, speaking on TV, radio, and podcasts to help people recognize the warning signs.
Please visit www.sepsis.org
To learn the signs and protect your loved ones. It could save a life.
Christina Flach discusses how she handled grief on the Very Vogue podcast with Val Kleinhans. To listen on Spotify, click here.
Book celebrity makeup artist Christina Flach for makeup, events, or private lessons in the San Francisco Bay Area.