Meet Katie Baker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Baker.

Katie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Beauty has always been my passion! Growing up in Albuquerque, NM there were not a ton of ways to get involved in the industry yet. When Sephora opened their first location there, I beat down the doors for a job having anything to do in makeup artistry. I worked there through college and continued with the company after moving to Denver. I was with Sephora for almost nine years in various positions up to earning a position on the national artistry team. As the demand was growing for on-location services for clients I met at work, I started to dream of being a freelancer. In Colorado, you must have an esthetician’s license to offer makeup services. I enrolled in school and had my license a year later. As I expected, I also fell in love with doing skin services and wanted to utilize my new skills. Enter Bre, the owner of the Denver and Boulder favorite- Alchemy Face Bar. She came across my Instagram and the rest was history! I have been working as a full time esthetician in our Highlands location and am the lead makeup artist. I have the pleasure of providing bridal and other on-location makeup services as well as helping to grow our amazing makeup line Alchemy Minerals.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Going back to school was not easy. I had to quit my full time job because of the time constraint and still had to pay tuition while a student. Leaving Sephora was the close of a huge chapter of my life. It was probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Also, probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I worked a cocktail waitressing job on the weekends which was pretty demanding considering school began promptly at 7 am on the weekdays. I knew that balancing my studies and being able to afford all of it would mean making some sacrifices, but I knew it would be worth it when I achieved my goal. It was!

Please tell us about your company.
Alchemy is a full service, open concept Face Bar. We provide a wide range of skin, lash, brow, and makeup services up to the medical side including injectables. I specialize in bridal and special occasion makeup services in particular. As a company, we are known for our strong values. We use all natural and organic products and are a “green spa” meaning we produce the least amount of waste possible. We are always at the forefront of innovations in our industry as well. After working for such a huge corporation for so long, it makes me proud to now be in a company that is more like family than anything else. Our clients have their community as well. I think our open style facilitates that friendly feeling to our space.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Alchemy is getting ready to bring TWO new locations to Denver this summer. Union Station and Hale neighborhood. We can not wait to meet new clients, have more options for existing, and share our amazing space and services! Wedding season is also quickly approaching which is so much fun. It is such a wonderful honor to have the trust of my clients on that special day.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4343 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80212
• Website: https://alchemyfacebar.com
• Phone: (303) 284-2890
• Email: kbakermua@gmail.com
• Instagram: katiebakermua or alchemyfacebar

Image Credit:
Les Baker V , Bingham X

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.