Life & Work with Suzanne Blons

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Blons.

Suzanne, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At age 16, I moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling with Elite Modeling Agency and worked with some of the greatest designers and photographers of the time. Subsequently, I signed a contract with Revlon to perform as The Charlie Girl for two years. The industry is as bad as you imagine, maybe worst. Having said that, the opportunity at such a young age to rub shoulders with such cultivated and accomplished artists drove me to step behind the camera and study professional makeup. Having grown up pulling weeds on a farm in Washington State, I would never have imagined heading in this direction.

Fast forward, I’m now 55 and specialize in beauty and coaching for mature women to present themselves in a way that honors who they are. An ideology that my history in the beauty industry never taught. I am deeply frustrated with the ridiculous and exhausting focus on not only youth, but that aging is somehow BAD. My heart goes out to every older woman who steps in front of a camera and the list of judgments that many people hurl at us. This motivated me to start my YouTube channel, The Beauty Shaman, where I offer tutorials and expert strategies for women over 45.

There is no inner and outer beauty. You are a whole and the complete multi-faceted person with an enormous amount to offer our twisted and scattered world. The Dalai Lama stated that “The world will be saved by the western woman.” A heavy statement to be sure, however; if you step outside the confines of our deleterious culture, you find an open, breathable space that respects and honors women, wrinkles, and belly fat included. My question is always, who are you, and what do you feel makes you beautiful? If you live from your heart and love your body, you can discover the right mixture of self-care, self-esteem, and voicing your truth.

We are desperately needed by the world. Contrary to the beauty industry, beauty is spiritual, and not something that can be falsely created. How this idea blends with makeup and skincare is where I come in, and I know what I’m talking about. You are a spiritual being with immense power! The key is you stepping out and speaking up from your soul. For most women, this translates as, how can I look my best without compromising or caving to inauthentic methods? I am The Beauty Shaman and I’d love to support you in your journey.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building an online E-commerce business and YouTube channel is, unashamedly, NOT in my wheelhouse. I am a creative, an artist, and an eccentric introvert. My happy place is with a non-fiction spirituality book and a cup of PJ Tips tea with cream.

When I started the channel and website, it came from my heart. I wanted to offer honest and practical information to women that had the message, YOU ARE POWERFUL, engraved in it. Much of the hard sell from the beauty industry to older women is that they are incomplete, faulty, and somehow wrong. How silly. Having said that, the learning curve for me to manage not only creating my own videos, social media content, editing, blogging, and WordPress site has been riddled with hiccups and tears.

In the end, the motivating factor for me is the BIG WHY. Why am I doing this? For me, having an online presence means a greater reach, a more distinct voice, and a broader impact. Plus, I want the lifestyle offered by an online business. Those two factors have kept me going when I just really wanted to throw Quick Books out the window.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a creator!

My passion is creating beautiful and practical content for older women. My focus is health and beauty; including makeup, skincare, and wellness, and I arrive at this distinction from nearly thirty years (has it been that long?) in the beauty industry. I started as a professional model, and when the dieting became too much, I trained as a professional makeup artist, aesthetician, and stylist. I’ve worked with some big names including Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Arianna Huffington, and Peyton Manning.

I’m known for guiding people into being their best and highest self, and not creating cookie-cutter looks driven by trend. My proudest moment is in being a mother to my two grown daughters, Rachel and Riley.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The beauty industry is going through some epic upheavals. Older models and actresses like Andi McDowell, Paulina Porizkova, and Dame Helen Mirren are proudly flaunting their age, gray hair, and sassy attitudes, and I love it. No longer does the twenty-something young woman rule the industry! Older women want clean, toxin-free products, visuals that respect differences in age, size, and color, and an end to the paradigm that aging is bad. We are done with it.

In the next five to ten years, I see the industry catering more to the woman who is confident, successful, and owning her wrinkles. I see the margins of women using injections, plastic surgery, and implants to minimize, and for the tide to turn more towards an honest and captivating picture of age, wisdom, and power. Bring it on.

Contact Info:

• Email: suzanne@thebeautyshaman.com
• Website: https://thebeautyshaman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_beauty_shaman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebeautyshaman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SuzanneTheBeautyShaman
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@suzannethebeautyshaman

Image Credits
Robb Dickehut and Christina Kiffney Photography