Hello beauties, it’s time to shed more light on women who are doing great things in the world. Today, we are super excited to announce our newest segment for BeautyLeeBar.com: a recurring interview series dubbed Ladies Who Inspire. Ever so often, we will spotlight one empowering beauty who is making an impact in the digital realm. These are ladies you’ll want to get to know and learn from. No matter the skin color or the job title, we are always delighted to partner up with women who inspire us daily.
Today, we introduce Ana Delagillo of PressedBby.com. Is the name sounding familiar? That is because last week we shared luxury pressed on nails that you can do at home for an affordable price which happened to be one of Ana Delagillo brands. Ana is a makeup artist and business owner who is inspiring her supporters through beauty and fitness.
Here’s what Ana had to say about her journey so far…
Let’s start from the beginning. How did you transition from being a Makeup Artist to being a fitness influencer then into running your own company?
This is a complex question, lol! So, makeup and fitness have always been huge for me. Makeup artistry helped me express my creativity and boost my self-confidence, which is something I had an extremely hard time with growing up due to bullying. Fitness, on the other hand, was my savior in terms of keeping me healthy. I was on a ton of medication for depression and PTSD in the past that caused me to gain an extreme amount of weight so working out also helped my self-confidence and self-esteem. As I grew on social media, I noticed that my passion wasn’t only makeup artistry or fitness, but helping young women feel empowered overall. Once I figured this out, I started posting my fitness journey on Instagram and noticed it was helping a lot of people start their journeys. I felt like I wasn’t doing much by just posting my progress on socials so I decided to start my own companies to further cater to my audience whether it’s through Pressed Bby or Peach Wear (which I’m still working on).
What has been your favorite makeup look that you have created whether it was on yourself or a client?
My favorite makeup looks that I have created has to be on my clients. All the looks I do for my clients have a place in my heart because they always leave my chair feeling confident, empowered, and like they can conquer anything! I had a wedding client a couple of years back and it was the most special thing ever because she cried and told me how beautiful she felt. That’s honestly the most gratifying thing about being a makeup artist.
How would you describe your style in terms of being a beauty influencer?
My style, I would say, is very raw. I don’t try to fit in! I’m just my authentic self and I hope to inspire others to be their authentic selves no matter what anyone might say or think!
Can you share some tips for people looking to enter the social media world?
The biggest thing is not to compare yourself to others! Not going to lie, I struggled with this when I started my influencing journey. I get it, it’s hard not to compare yourself to others with more likes, and followers, etc. but that’s not what matters! What matters is that you’re putting out content that you genuinely love, no matter the analytics! Also, don’t feed into the negativity! People will leave rude comments, it’s life, but remember it’s always a reflection of them and NOT you.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to follow their dreams and start their own company?
Let go of the fear! Fear is the biggest thing holding many, many people back. Life is about risks and taking that leap of faith. Yes, you’ll make mistakes, especially as a young entrepreneur, but that’s how you learn! That’s how you grow, so as hard it may be, take those mistakes as a blessing! If you didn’t make mistakes, you would never know what to improve on.
We are huge fans of your Instagram. Do you have any tips or tricks for achieving an aesthetically awesome Instagram page?
Thank you!! I love planning out my posts, so using Photoshop (or anything similar) to plan my posts ahead of time and making sure they all look cohesive is extremely helpful in achieving an aesthetically pleasing feed!
What is your favorite part about owning your own company?
I think it has to be how much you learn! Nobody in my family has ever leaped starting their own business so I love expanding my knowledge and knowing that I CAN do it. Aside from that, it’s super gratifying to see your business start growing and knowing YOU DID THAT!
What is the biggest lesson you have learned since launching your own company?
Doing your research beforehand! There’s so much that goes into creating your own company, so having a list of all the things you need to do before actually starting your business is KEY! For example, the why behind your company, who is your target audience, what are your differentiating factors, etc.
What has been the best moment of your career so far?
I would say the fact that I can just see myself growing into the person I’m meant to be! All the experiences I’ve had thus far, both positive and negative, are all equally as important to me. They all teach you lessons!
What’s your favorite part about doing collaborations?
My favorite part about doing collaborations is working with others! Whether I’m doing collaborations with a brand or another influencer, you always learn so much!
Words to live by?
Dreams don’t work unless you do!
What is next for Pressed Bby and Peach Wear?
I’m currently rebranding Pressed Bby and adding some new exciting things to the website! As for Peach Wear, I’m hoping to launch by the end of this year or the beginning of next year! When that’s complete, I plan on doing events and workshops to meet new people and continue my mission to empower young women!
Is there any woman who inspires you? Why? (In life, fashion, beauty, etc)
Oh my goodness, there are so many! First of all, my mother. She came to this country with nothing but the clothes on her back and me as a baby and managed to make sure my sister and I never needed anything. She taught me to always strive for better and that everything is possible no matter what happens along the way. The second person, I would say, is Nastassia Ponomarenko. Watching her motivational videos and seeing how she was able to create a successful company at the age of 16 was the push I needed to throw my fear out of the window and start my own! I know the next person isn’t a woman BUT he inspires me so much, Gary Vaynerchuck. I listen to his podcasts every morning and the insight and knowledge he gives out to people, willingly, honestly changes your perspective on so many things!
Do you have any upcoming events that we should watch out for?
No events at the moment, but hopefully in the next couple of years I can launch a secret project I’m working on to help young women all around the world who have gone through similar hardships as I have, and set up workshops so we can all come together and help them get through it ️🤍 I can’t give more details on this special project, but it’s something to watch out for!
Define beauty in your own words?
Beauty, to me, comes from the heart & not appearance. I know it’s super cliché to say, but I genuinely believe that a person’s heart is much more valuable than their looks! It’s the way you interact with others, how you see the world and how you treat yourself.
What have you learned from being around other beauty creators?
I learned that we all have a unique voice! I struggled to find my “differentiating” factor in the industry but with a little time and a little analyzing, I realized that we’re all unique. We all have our own experiences that make us stand out from the rest. If you’re struggling with this, just know that your experiences are unique to you and it shaped you to the person you are today. I’m kind of going on a tangent but this also helped stop comparing myself to others because we’re all supposed to be unique ️🤍
Do you have any beauty and skincare routine that you follow religiously? If so can you tell the viewers some tips on how to get beautify like you!
SPF! I feel like sunscreen is super overlooked and many people believe that you don’t need it if you don’t go out or if the sun isn’t out, but girl! UVA & UVB rays are everywhere and they do not discriminate lol sun or not. Wear your sunscreen and drinks LOTS of water! OH, and don’t sleep with your makeup on lol!
Before closing out, what would you like for BLB readers and your supporters to know about you?
My supporters already know this lol, since I’m always saying this! There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, whether you’re having a bad day, a bad week, or a bad month; things will ALWAYS get better. You’re stronger and smarter than you know!
Keep up with ANA DELGADILLO amazing work on her YouTube and on Instagram here!
Who would you like to see me interview in my next Beauty Who Inspire?
Chat with us in the comments below.
