SAD UPDATE – Mel Thompson PASSED AWAY ON 9/26/2021.  Her light will be so very missed and I am sure you join me in prayer for her loved ones who mourn her loss.  Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us Mel! You were loved!

What do Mommas, Motorcycles and Makeup Have in Common? Mel Thompson!

Mel is a momma, she personifies makeup and rides a motorcycle. (A Ducati to be exact.)

You may have noticed a trend if you’ve been reading my blog since I started it;
the people that I’m interviewing are all incredibly nice human beings. Despite being extremely successful, they’ve managed to maintain their own sense of integrity and self. My guest blogger today is certainly no exception. When I began watching beauty videos on YouTube I stumbled across Mel Thompson and was fascinated by the absolutely artistic work she does with make up.

Many of you may have also been intrigued by the depth of her talent and enjoy watching her every bit as much as I do. Mel Thompson is certainly someone who, if you don’t currently watch, you’re going to want to watch. Not only is she extremely talented, she is also funny and kind and just a delight to watch.

Her artistry is something that I periodically try to emulate. I may fall far short of her abilities however, when trying to emulate her, I always learn something. Working with her on interview questions has been a lot of fun and has brought to light a truly delightful human being. I hope she goes farther than she ever thought possible! She is certainly deserving of her success.

Please enjoy this interview with Mel Thompson! I’m sure we will see lots more of her in the future.

Tell us a little bit about your career to date. You started out as an artist and had to switch professions due to a shoulder injury which prompted you to begin working with makeup. How has your work as an artist helped and inspired you in your beauty/YouTube career

I had my first shoulder surgery approximately 6-7 years ago and then another one the following year. I never really played with makeup. I was an artist. I loved to paint and I loved interior design. However, repetitive motions were a big no no after the last surgery. I picked up a makeup brush and it quickly became a new way to create art. I used to focus mainly on creating true art on my face and then that lead to focusing on makeup work. Working on others, learning about different skin and techniques. I started working at MAC and Kelsee was the one that really made me do YouTube. I wanted to, but I was scared. She helped get me started. I owe her a lot of credit.

If you have watched their joint videos on YouTube you will agree these two are close friends. (Plus, they are incredibly funny!) Making others great is an expression of my values and as such, I had to ask Kelsee about her friendship with Mel. Here is her response.

“The first time I met Mel, she was shopping with her mom at my job at MAC Cosmetics. I instantly asked her if she modeled because she is so gorgeous and tall. Lol! She laughed and said no…but I said you should! Fast forward a year down the line, she ended up working at the counter with me. She would come in only on the weekends because she still had young kids at home, but wanted an outlet to express her love for makeup artistry. We quickly became best friends, and work would be like a party when we were scheduled together. During this time, I already had been uploading videos on YouTube, and I felt like Mel would offer a cool perspective on the platform. When I brought up the idea of her doing YouTube, she always shied away from it. I knew she would be amazing at it based on her passion for makeup and makeup artistry. Finally, after a year of constantly bringing it up to her, she agreed to do it! We discussed all of the basics, and she told me she was uploading a video that week! I was so excited! When her video debuted, I was one of the firsts to watch, and of course she wanted my feedback. Her anticipation of my feedback was met with my constructive criticism. Because Mel was nervous about putting herself out there for the first time, she held back on her faboulousity. In her first video, she was super quiet, had on a hat that hid her cool hair, and was slouched over in a corner. I was like…um no! Lol. I wanted the world to meet the rockstar Mel that I knew and loved, so I gave her my honest opinion. After that, she went full force! Before my eyes, I saw her slowly come out of her shell on camera to evolve to the powerhouse that I knew in real life! Since then, she hasn’t looked back! I’m so proud of her, and I know that with her determination, this is only the beginning! Love ya Mel!  ??”

Look for Kelsee as a featured guest in the near future.

You have a some gorgeous tattoos. Tattoos are a beautiful art form and they are also very personal. Are there a few of your favorite tattoos you would care to share with us? Is the one of your kids still your favorite?

The one of my kids as Zombies is definitely still my favorite. That one is so adorable and just really shows how my kids were when they were little. I love it. I recently got a new tattoo of my dog, Charlee. It’s a new fave and I also LOVE my red panda. 

You are a self taught makeup artist and highly successful YouTube guru. What advice do you have for others (women & men) who may want to follow in your footsteps?

My motto is that if you want it bad enough, you’ll do it. If you don’t, you’ll make an excuse. It’s hard work and it takes a lot of time to get the hang of things, but to me, it’s worth it. I love what I do. If you truly want it, go for it. There’s never a better time than now.

What do you wish you knew at 20 that you know today? How would your life had been different with that piece of knowledge?

At 20, I wanted to please everyone else. I wanted to be what others thought I should be. I hid my tattoos, wouldn’t cut my hair and even my style was different. I wish I would have let my true self come out sooner. When I finally realized that this was my life and I was only going to have one chance to make it what I wanted… I let go of caring about what others thought and started to truly be myself. It was hard. I’m a little “unique” but I’m much happier now than I ever was trying to be something I’m not in order to keep others happy. I think I would have started my journey much sooner had I not let other opinions matter so much.

Motorcycles.You started riding when you were around 28. Tell us how that came to be. Is riding your most relaxing outlet?

I actually started in 2015 on a Harley Sportster 48 and then moved onto the 2016 Softail Slim S when I got more confident a year later. Riding, for me, is so freeing. I feel like a lot has been taken away from me with all the surgeries I have had. There are so many things that I can no longer do. I can’t hold up a large Harley so I bought a Ducati. Much lighter. I don’t think you would ever be able to take riding from me. I’d probably let go of makeup before I’d let go of riding.

Work life balance is always a topic of conversation. With four children, a husband, a thriving career along with your other activities you are one busy lady. How do you prioritize and balance your personal and business life? What do you do to correct it when you sense it’s out of balance?

Thank That’s a hard one. There was a time when I was a wife, mother, full time employee, did YouTube and was going through a lot of surgeries. I thought I had everything balanced, but I didn’t. I realized that I needed to quit “doing it all” and give my body a break. I no longer work outside the house and focus on YouTube. I try to do my YouTube work while my husband and kids are gone at school and work and then I turn back into wife and mom when they return. ? There’s a much better balance now. I can film a few extra videos during the week and have my weekends off. It’s all about balance and not neglecting your family… which can be hard to do if you’re doing too much.

You have four adorable children. (Left to right, Kaydence is about to be 15, Ethan is 13, Landon is about to be 12 and Emma is 11).Your two beautiful daughters made their debut on your YouTube channel on May 6, 2015. (Which by the way, is one of the sweetest and most adorable videos ever!) What advice will you give them about beauty as they grow up?

Thank you!! My girls are so different from each other. The older one loves makeup and the younger one couldn’t care less. I try to keep things fun for them and let them express themselves but at appropriate times. Bright pink lips are for the weekends, not school and I show them fun ways to use natural sparkle on the eyes for school. Kaydence, my other girl, loves highlighter.

The last makeup store in the world is disappearing in 2 hours. You can only take 5 items from it. What items do you take and why?

A radiant powder, foundation, mascara, bronzer and lip balm. I feel like as long as I’m radiant, got some coverage and my lips aren’t dry… we’re doing pretty good! ? Mascara is just necessary!

Who has been the single biggest influence in your life and why?

I would have to say my husband. He always believed that I could do this “YouTuber” thing, even when I doubted myself. He has such drive and discipline with what he does. He keeps me going and his belief in me makes me want to work harder.

What are the top three things you would like to professionally accomplish in the next 3 years?

✅ Have a collaboration with a brand I love and respect.
✅ I would love for my channel to grow and to be able to have a more professional setup.
✅ If I could come up with the next game changer, that would be amazing. Whether it be a technique or personal product I develop…. I would love to discover a way to truly change the way makeup looks on the skin.

Favorite high end:
o Foundation: La Prairie Skin Caviar
o Mascara: Pat McGrath
o Lipstick: Tom Ford
o Blush: Chanel Elegance
o Bronzer: Natasha Denona Sculpting Powder

Favorite drugstore:
o Foundation: L’Oréal Magic Lumi
o Mascara: CG Exhibitionist
o Lipstick: Maybelline Truffle Tease
o Blush: Milani
o Bronzer: No 7

If you could make one positive change in the beauty blogger community, what would it be?

I would have people show more love and support. I would love to see more people supporting others instead of it being a competition.

You had a very inspirational and motivational call with Wayne Goss. Have you stayed in contact with him? What is the long lasting impact his call has had on you?

My experience with Wayne Goss was life changing for me. To be able to see the authenticity in his eyes and how kind he was really made me believe that there were still people in this world that were in it for the right reasons. A passion for makeup. I have chatted with him a few times back and forth. We don’t stay in constant contact but a little like and comment here and there to show support. I have such a huge amount of respect for him. Truly someone and something I’ll never forget.

Please include any sources that people can use to connect with you.
YouTube: Mel Thompson
Instagram: Mel Thompson