Meet Hector Simancas | Make up and Hair Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hector Simancas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hector, how do you think about risk?
Risk Taking is what I’ve been doing all my life. I come from a small town in Venezuela called Barquisimeto and moved to Caracas, the capital, to go to college for Industrial Design and a few semesters of Graphics. But my love for beauty and fashion brought me to photography, something I started doing as a hobby and became my first career working in fashion. I started taking pictures for designers and beauty pageants for about 3 years, until a got an offer to move to Paris. I took the risk to leave everything behind and moved to continue my education as a photographer. A year learning and traveling in Europe opened my desire for more and confirmed that beauty and fashion was my passion.

After being back in Venezuela only a week I again took the risk to move to America and start over again with $100, my book, camera and clothes. I moved to Miami in 1994, the place to be for fashion at that time with models everywhere, photo shoots on every corner, and my dreams really started to come true. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, but nothing stopped me and after three years it was clear my next risk was New York City, the center of the world for Fashion in the late 1990s. Once I got there I started assisting a good friend of mine, make up artist Francisco Valera, and after a year working with him I realized that I always loved make up, so took the risk to try it for myself.

I’ve been blessed and am thankful for friends who helped me with a successful career in make up. With all the changes that came with Covid, last year I decided to stop working and go to cosmetology school to become a licensed hairdresser, this time with the support of my partner who has always been there for me. Now I can do both hair and makeup which is expanding my opportunities.

So taking a risk in life has been the best part of my life and my career. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what sets me apart from others is that I don’t follow trends, everyone’s face gives me inspiration to create. Sometimes it’s the hair or the clothes. I see make up as a complement of the whole look that creates a balance to the look.

I have to said that it was easy for me to establish myself in the industry. Luckily I received help from friends but also I had knowledge about lighting from photography, colors and forms from graphic design, hands from painting and the energy and passion for my art. So establishing myself was easy. Keeping that level or improving on it has been a little more challenging because that doesn’t relate only to talent as an artist but many others factors, your agent, personality, understanding the business and how to keep yourself fresh and available.

I’d like the world to know that make up is more than highlights and contouring, it’s also a health issue. Make up starts with taking care of your biggest organ in the body, our skin. I’m all about before and after make up, that is why I try and create a beauty look that is natural and feels fresh and effortless.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
To be honest I’m not a going out person. I prefer to stay home and cook for my friends and partner. If I have friends in town and they want to explore the city I give them information about places but I rarely go with them. LoL
But New York does have so many places to enjoy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First I have to thanks my Grandmother that teacher me to love every human being and have compassion for others and my mother that show me that is never to late to learn and be better person. Francisco Valera that teach me how to do make up and introduce me to the fashion world.
Rolando Beauchamp that connects me with photographer and show me what dedication is about .
Phillip Lim and Wen Zhou for believe on me and give me the opportunity to work for 3.1 Phillip Lim company.
My Friend Lisette Ackerberg for support and love over the years and show me that every minute is important in life and David Steel the love of my life for being with me, support me and his unconditional love

Website: www.hectorsimancas.com

Instagram: Hectorsimancas

Linkedin: Hector Simancas

Facebook: Hector Simancas make up artist