Palette: a Professional makeover on the go

Graphic by Agnes Lee

A new Northwestern Kellogg startup is aiming to be the Dry Bar of makeup. Picture this: professional makeup artists, a vibrant fun environment and a glass of wine –– the perfect hype-up before a first date. Palette, started by Nicola Wendy Craig, was launched in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck with various pop-up events in the Chicagoland area. Mimicking the in-house pampering of the blow dry salon, Palette hopes to open up a permanent location in Chicago, with the next pop-up scheduled for April 30. 

Craig says her goal is to create an inclusive, safe and fun space for the hard-working social butterfly who can spare less than an hour to get their makeup done and have a quick glass of wine between engagements. Palette was built around the sentiment that “Confidence is key to both feeling and looking one's best,” and as such Palette strives to cultivate this confidence through both a stellar makeup job, and by being actively inclusive, dependable and convenient.  

Stores such as Sephora that do customer’s makeup typically do not have professionally trained makeup artists on staff, take too long or are unreasonably expensive. Craig expressed that many individuals leave the beauty bar frustrated with the so-called professional’s lack of account for their skin tone or unsatisfied with the final look. From these conversations, she was inspired to establish a facility that would offer a high quality, fast and affordable service with products for a range of skin tones and trained professional makeup artists that are able to execute flawless looks on everyone. A typical makeup appointment at Palette takes 30 minutes to an hour, and prices for different looks range from $20 to $50. Palette specializes in the more casual, dewey look that has become popularized by brands such as Glossier, which is currently priced at $40. 

Image via Palette

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed obvious setbacks on Palette. Masks now cover more than half of a would-be makeup job, and the lack of social events and gatherings has  limited clientele. However, Craig envisions that once more people receive their vaccines and restrictions are lifted,  the social excitement of a group makeup experience, coupled with a  desire to present the most confident version of yourself upon re-entering society will draw people towards Palette. 

In order to mitigate risk, Palette follows all of Illinois’s COVID-19 guidelines and uses only single-use application tools.  Visit Palette’s website https://www.palettebeautyco.com/ or Instagram @palettebeautyco to book an appointment or submit a question. 

mage via Palette