Rodney Jon Went From Mechanic To Celebrity Makeup Artist

If you ask Philly native Rodney Jon how he became a makeup artist, he’d tell you it was a unique path. “Before becoming a makeup artist, I actually worked as an auto mechanic while studying Fashion Marketing at the Art Institute of Philadelphia,” the award-winning MUA explained. A fated encounter, while working at J. Crew, with his client who asked him to be her personal assistant, changed the trajectory of his career.

“One day, she asked me to personal shop for her son for his graduation,” the celebrity makeup artist said. “She was impressed by how detail-oriented I was, but also by my energy and personality. She asked if I would be interested in working for her at Aveda. The opportunity was a big step for me—I was making $9 an hour at J.Crew, and she offered me $13 an hour at Aveda.” And the rest was history. Jon would go on to spend eight years with Aveda before joining the team at MAC for two and a year with Bobbi Brown. Then he craved more.

“I left retail, moved deeper into the New York City beauty and fashion scene, and began building my portfolio through Fashion Week, magazine editorials, and beauty work. That decision changed everything. What started as an unexpected opportunity at Aveda eventually led me to becoming a celebrity makeup artist, educator, and three-time Emmy-nominated artist. Looking back, I truly believe every chapter—from being an auto mechanic to working in fashion and retail—helped shape the artist and entrepreneur I am today.”

Today, Jon continues to slay the girls with clean painted faces. From Sherri Shepherd to Muni Long, his brushed has blessed the cheekbones of all the it girls. We caught up with Jon, who opened up about his big break, working on ‘The Sherri Shepherd Show’ and painting the faces of our favorite starlets.

HB: Who was your big celebrity break?

Rodney Jon: My first big celebrity break was working with R&B artist Marsha Ambrosius. I was booked to travel to the Dominican Republic to work on a campaign for Inferno DR, and Marsha happened to be the artist performing at the event. I was asked to do her makeup, and that was my first time ever working with a celebrity.

It was such a great experience. The energy was amazing, the makeup came out gorgeous, and it really opened my eyes to what was possible for me as an artist.

At that time, I didn’t consider myself a celebrity makeup artist. I simply saw myself as a makeup artist who had been given an incredible opportunity to work with a celebrity. But looking back, that moment was definitely the beginning of a new chapter in my career. It showed me that I could take my artistry beyond the traditional beauty space and into the world of celebrity, entertainment, fashion, and media.

HB: Tell us about doing the faces of top celebrity women like Sherri Shepherd, Michelle Williams and Muni Long…

RJ: It has been an incredible opportunity and an amazing experience to work with women at this level. Each of these women is extraordinarily talented in her own right—whether she’s an actress, comedian, songwriter, producer, or entertainer. To be in the presence of that kind of greatness and to have the opportunity to contribute to their image and how they present themselves to the world is something I never take for granted.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that beauty is not about making someone look like something they’re not. It’s about understanding who they are, recognizing what makes them unique, and enhancing the beauty that’s already there. Working with women with melanin-rich skin has also deepened my artistry and challenged me to understand the nuances of different complexions, features, textures, and tones.

But I’ve also learned that the relationship is never one-sided. Yes, I’m there to bring my artistry and expertise, but these women have taught me so much about confidence, professionalism, individuality, and owning your lane.

For me, makeup is about more than just the finished face. It’s about creating an experience, making someone feel confident, and adding value to their moment. I feel incredibly fortunate that, through my artistry, I’ve been able to add value to so many amazing women while they’ve simultaneously added so much value to me as an artist and as a person.

HB: How hard was it to say goodbye to ‘The Sherri Shepherd Show?‘

RJ: It was incredibly hard. When I first got the call to work with Sherri Shepherd on her daytime talk show a , I was living in California. I had built a life in Los Angeles that I truly loved, so I never imagined that I would be moving back to New York City. But I knew this opportunity was bigger than me. I understood that it would give me the opportunity of a lifetime to amplify my artistry on a national platform where millions of people could see my work every day.

So when I got the call that the show was being canceled, I was disappointed, hurt, and honestly, upset. I wasn’t ready to let it go.

What made the experience so special was the energy. From the moment you walked in until the moment you walked out the door, there was so much joy, excitement, laughter, and genuine connection. I loved seeing my coworkers every day. I loved seeing the audience members come through the doors. It felt like being part of something special, and I’m grateful that I got to experience it for four seasons. 

And then there’s Sherri. She is such an incredible talent and an amazing host. I truly believe she created a beautiful show and had so much more to give. So yes, it hurt to see that chapter come to an end.

But this industry teaches you that sometimes you have to pivot, even when you’re not ready. I’m learning to honor what that experience gave me, be grateful for the memories, and keep moving forward. Now I’m focused on creating my next chapter, embracing new opportunities, and discovering what my “next” is going to look like.

Sometimes the ending isn’t the end of the story—it’s simply the beginning of what comes next.

HB: What was your proudest moment working on The Sherri Shepherd Show?

RJ: Oh my gosh, there were so many proud moments. We produced more than 500 episodes, so there are countless memories that I’ll carry with me. But if I had to choose one, it would have to be our Halloween episodes.

Those shows were something truly special. I felt like we raised the bar as a new show on the air because we didn’t just celebrate Halloween—we created incredible, larger-than-life transformations and recreated some of the most iconic pop-culture moments. We did a Renaissance-inspired Beyoncé recreation, Met Gala looks, and brought characters like “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Family Matters” with Urkel, and “The Addams Family” with Morticia Addams to life.

Every season, we found a way to outdo ourselves. As a makeup artist, those moments allowed me to push my creativity, work with incredible talent, and show what beauty and transformation can look like on a television platform.

And being able to do beauty transformations on camera and appear on the show was another career highlight. It allowed people to see my personality and the artist behind the work.

Those moments will stay with me forever. I’m incredibly proud of what we created together and grateful for that chapter in television.

HB: How can everyday people feel like celebrities in a makeup chair?

RJ: I believe every person deserves a celebrity moment—not because they need to look like a celebrity, but because they deserve to feel like the best version of themselves.

When you sit in my makeup chair, my goal isn’t to change who you are. It’s to enhance what’s already beautiful about you. I want you to look in the mirror and still see yourself, but with more confidence, more glow, and a reminder of your beauty.

The celebrity experience isn’t just makeup—it’s energy, attention, care, and how you feel when you leave the chair. You don’t need a red carpet. You just need a moment for yourself. Everyone deserves that.

HB: What’s next for Rodney Jon?

RJ: There’s so much that I’m excited about, and I really feel like I’m stepping into a new chapter with Rodney Jon Beauty.

One of the things I’m most excited about is my master class this November. This class is designed for everyday people who want to learn how to create beautiful, wearable makeup that they can actually do for themselves during the day—whether they’re going to work, brunch, meeting friends, attending a special event, or simply want to feel a little more festive and confident during the holiday season.

Because we’re heading into the holiday season, I’ll also be introducing some of the latest beauty products, techniques, and trends that people can incorporate for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and those special holiday moments. I want everyone to leave feeling empowered, inspired, and confident enough to recreate what they learned at home.

I’m also expanding into media and storytelling. I’m launching a podcast with my best friend, B.Slade, called Beauty and the Beatz, where we’ll have conversations around beauty, culture, entertainment, creativity, music, and life. Make sure you follow us on Instagram @Madebyrodneyjon and @bsladenow for podcast launch updates and all upcoming details.

And, of course, I’m continuing to expand my artistry. I want to do more television, film, and movies, while continuing to build my celebrity clientele and work with amazing talent across different platforms. I don’t want to put myself in a box. I want to continue growing as an artist and seeing where my creativity can take me.

For me, what’s next isn’t just about doing more makeup. It’s about education, collaboration, television, film, celebrity artistry, media, creating opportunities for other artists, and building Rodney Jon Beauty into a brand that reaches people and artists on a much bigger level.

I feel like everything I’ve done up to this point has prepared me for this moment. And honestly, with Rodney Jon Beauty, I’m just getting started—because as Nipsey Hussle said, “The marathon continues.”