Pepper
The Bronx, New York
IG: perfectedbypepper
TikTok: perfectedbypepper
Ashley Nazario is best known as Pepper to her “Fairy Family,” an endearing nickname she’s given to her fellow makeup-loving community on social media and IRL. She’s worked in the beauty industry for over seven years and in addition to her eye-grabbing makeup content, she’s a freelance makeup artist and account executive for Danessa Myricks Beauty. When you visit Pepper’s page, you never know if you’re in for a makeup tutorial, a motivational pep talk (no pun intended) or a combination of the both – and that’s the beauty of becoming a part of the Fairy Family.
“Makeup has always been deeper than what is on the surface for me,” Pepper shares. “My purpose and life calling is making people feel beautiful, even if it is not recommending them a product I love and simply complimenting their natural features, being an open ear for them about their day or giving them the full #perfectedbypepper experience in my home beauty studio.”
What are some things about yourself that you find most beautiful?
I am big on energy and I’d like to think I always give off a genuinely positive and down to earth vibe. Usually if someone is not a fan of me, they had something to do with it. My humility and open vulnerability are also traits I always used to look at as negatives and I now look at them as gifts. I’d like to think my community loves me for me because I show them all sides of me, which can be difficult for people to do so publicly. Those qualities are the ones I find most beautiful about myself.
Where do you get your confidence?
I get my confidence from the motivation to heal my inner child. Right now I am just trying to be everything younger me would have been inspired by. My close friends, partner and family also do a beautiful job at checking me when I may not be exuding my most confident self.
What inspires you each day?
I’m inspired by the life I envision for myself when I close my eyes before bed. My main goal is to keep in mind many of those blessings are already ones I am experiencing and living with. But, to also remind myself there is so much more to come. I am also inspired by those I hold close to my heart and the struggles we have all faced to keep me pushing forward.
What essentials are in your Coach Payton Hobo Black Wild Strawberry Print shoulder bag?
- MAC Lash Dry Shampoo Mascara Refresher- I love to keep this on me because it really refreshes the look of your mascara without it getting clumpy, even if I don’t think I’m going to touch up that day, I like to stay ready.
- Makeup Forever Artist Color Pencil 506 “Endless Cacao”- It’s that perfect “New Yawk Mami” brown lip liner that we all crave, this bad boy with some gloss is my favorite combo.
- Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb “Riri” – We all know Rihanna is the queen of lipgloss and you’ll never catch me without at least one in my bag. This shade is a deep mauve pink with sparkle and I love it alone or with lipliner.
- Half Magic Beauty Face Pearls “Classic Iridescent” – I love these face gems by Half Magic, they are my favorite way to spice up a look. I keep the remaining gems on me just in case I lose one throughout the day, it hasn’t happened before but I’m a Virgo if you couldn’t tell by now and I always have to keep things on me just in case.
- Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix “Clear Glaze”- This is the one gloss I’ll purchase 100 times over, I love to keep it on me because besides it being a lip gloss, it is also safe for eyes and face. Sometimes tapping some gloss to the cheek or eye can add that little oomph of texture my makeup needed that day.
- Danessa Lyrics Beauty Hand Mirror- I keep one in every bag, it is so cute and also has a mixing palette attached which spares the back of my hand while touching up.
- By Rosie Jane “Dulce” – This is my favorite travel fragrance for winter. It is vanilla forward making it perfect for sweater weather, and the bottle is refillable making it easy to reuse.
- Essentials- House keys, pen, phone, wallet, apple wired headphones ( they are louder and do not die on me when I need them the most), pocket knife (I rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it)
What are your favorite makeup brands right now & why?
This is always a tough question because I think people expect a certain response from me being that I work for this brand. However, I made that choice with genuine love/passion for them from the very beginning, so it is only right I speak on Danessa Myricks Beauty. Danessa has one of the most unique and innovative beauty brands on the market. Her formulas and ideas are in the year 2050 and we are constantly trying to showcase them to the world in a way that is digestible for both Pro Artist and the everyday makeup consumer. I love her brand because it keeps me creative, it allows me to think outside the box with how I create looks for myself and my clients. If you haven’t you must check her out, now available in Sephora. Just make sure if you happen to see me selling it to you, you understand hugs are always free.
Another brand that has been exciting me lately is Half Magic Beauty. Created by A24 and Donni Davy, Half Magic has easily become one of my favorite brands because it highlights the style of makeup I am most known for. “Whimsical and Wearable” is my everyday go to. I love to add glitters, gem stones and pops of color to my looks, they have everything I’d need for those details. Without compromising on quality, they even have eco-friendly packaging.
Trixie Cosmetics is one of those brands that can make more merch than makeup and I’d still want to buy everything. Created by Drag Queen Trixie Mattel this brand really warms my heart. I LOVE when I can see attention to detail in a brand and when they have very personal launches to the brand founder. This is for sure a brand you want to check out for a fun gift to any makeup lover.
Kaleidos Makeup dropped into my FYP and thank goodness it did! This brand is so aesthetically beautiful with all of their packaging. However, their products are just as beautiful! I made my first purchase this year after months of adding items to cart and procrastinating the checkout. Can you relate? Haha. But I can assure you their formulas are *chefs kiss* and they now have customer for life. Try out anything! I got one of each item from their skus, everything I loved!
Last but not least is ISAMAYA Beauty by makeup artist Isamaya French. Now I personally haven’t been able to invest in this brand just yet. However, it has been at the top of my list for quite some time and I would still consider it a favorite of mine. It for sure is a brand that is not for the faint of heart and that is what I love about it. It is exciting and not doing what everyone else is. You won’t find a simple lip oil or basic red lipstick here. I encourage you to check them out and if you happen to get to it before I do, let me know what you got!
