Meet Alexandra Cook | Face painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Cook, owner of Opal Moon Facepaint and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my own business was really necessity, mixed with art and joy. I sort of fell into facepainting because I have a background in painting and drawing with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art, and worked in the cosmetics industry for the past 15 years. The two really came together beautifully when I started creating more high end makeup looks for Dia de los Muertos and Halloween. It evolved when I had my daughter and saw the joy she had when I painted her face for the first time. At that moment I realized bringing joy to children was really what I wanted to do. The look on their face when you turn the mirror around is priceless. I am so fortunate that I love what I do now and that so many people (adults and children alike) can appreciate my art on their face!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is facepainting, high end cosmetics, and specialty makeup. What sets me apart from others is that I can duplicate anything I see! I love that a child or adult can ask me if I can do a more complex design and I love taking on the challenge and seeing their jaw drop when they see the completed piece! I am so proud of being a mother and taking on owning a business. I love that I am an entrepreneur which makes me a role model for my daughter. I am excited that people appreciate me for my artwork. It wasn’t all about making unicorns and rainbows at first. I really had to figure out alot of the business side of things, but going through all of the trials and tribulations was worth it. I’d like other people to know that sometimes you just have to jump feet first in and go for your passion in life. Being creative and having a creative business has really fed my soul and made me complete.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city are a few of my tried and true places. I have lived in Tucson for 32 years and have really learned to love the desert and all of its beauty. My favorite thing to do other than create is to hike. I would take my best friend to Tanque Verde falls, seven falls (Sabino canyon), or Romero pools. Tucson is a beautiful place and it’s hiking needs to be appreciated! As for a few restaurants I would have to say El Molinito, which has my favorite Mexican food. I also love Panda house Stir fry (not panda express), which is a family owned stir fry restaurant that has been around since I was a little girl.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to really thank my mom for pushing me to pursue my art degree. Without it I wouldn’t have learned to paint to the high quality I can now, and the life tools I learned from being in University will stick with me forever. I would also like to thank all of my friends at Sephora, I worked at Sephora from the age of 18 and learned all about cosmetics. This really honed my passion for creating art on the face and body and not just on a canvas!

Website: https://www.facebook.com/opalmoonfacepaint

Instagram: @opalmoonfacepaint

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opalmoonfacepaint

Image Credits
Echo chanel starmaker