How one St. Paul makeup artist built her business from the ground up after high school

For more than a decade, makeup artist Kelexis McKinley has been building her beauty business, Slayage By Keke. McKinley says her business represents creativity and the belief that passion can grow into purpose.

Located at 690 University Ave., the beauty studio offers makeup, hairstyling, and soon skincare services for clients across the Twin Cities.

Behind the glam sessions and bookings is a story of self-belief and years of quietly building something from the ground up.

McKinley, who has been doing makeup for 11 years, says her journey began shortly after graduating high school in 2014.

Growing up, she always loved beauty and makeup. The curiosity came from watching her mother do her own makeup and from trips to the beauty store together. However, at a young age, makeup wasn’t something she was fully allowed to explore.

“After high school, that is when I’m like, ‘I’m gonna get into some makeup.’ I’m grown now, I can experience a little bit more,” McKinley said.

What started as experimenting in the mirror slowly turned into passion. McKinley began doing makeup for friends, and word quickly spread through recommendations and social media.

“I was like, ‘I really do enjoy this.’ People are loving it, so why not keep it going,” she said.

Unlike many other beauty professionals, McKinley did not initially enter the industry through formal schooling. For several years, she remained self-taught while freelancing and building her clientele independently. Eventually, she enrolled in cosmetology school, hoping to strengthen her craft professionally.

Along the way, her journey came with unexpected setbacks.

“The first cosmetology school I attended ended up shutting down two weeks after I graduated,” McKinley said. “At the time, back when I was like 19, 20, it just seemed like, I don’t know, ‘Am I destined for this? Am I meant for this?'”

Still, she refused to quit.

Over the years, McKinley balanced multiple jobs primarily in customer service and management, while continuing to grow her business on the side. She credits those experiences for helping shape how she operates her business today.

“A lot of those skills stuck with me,” she said. “Being able to take that and integrate those skills into my own business, with the skill that I love to do, it just worked out for me.”

Long before opening a storefront, McKinley built her business from home while living in a duplex. She transformed her living room into what she called a “glam room,” complete with a vanity and décor designed to make clients feel welcomed and comfortable.

“It became very successful to the point where I was getting so many clients,” McKinley said.

That growth eventually led her to open her first office space on Grant Avenue before later moving into her current storefront along University Avenue, where she has now been located for over a year and a half.

Still, McKinley said entrepreneurship has not been easy.

“There’s times I’m very busy and I have all these bookings, but there’s times where it hasn’t been like that,” she said.

She described the unpredictability of owning a business as one of the biggest challenges she has faced. Some weekends are fully booked while others are slower, forcing her to stay motivated and continue promoting herself during down times.

“During those down times, it’s all about staying motivated and having faith,” McKinley said. “Don’t just wait for those bookings to come in. Do what you need to do to put yourself out there.”

Even during slower seasons, McKinley continued practicing makeup on herself, posting creative looks online and finding ways to keep her business visible.

“My own face was my canvas when I started,” she said.

Now, Slayage By Keke continues to expand beyond makeup and hairstyling. McKinley is currently completing her esthetician hours and plans to soon offer skincare, waxing, and lash services.

What began as experimenting in the mirror after high school has grown into a storefront business serving clients across the Twin Cities.

For booking, visit www.slayagebykeke.square.site/.

 Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.