Esthetician Emma McDonald puts skincare first, makeup second
by Amanda Lacey
Photography by Lindsey Mazzaferro
Suffering from cystic acne as a teenager led Emma McDonald down a path to overcome—and help other women beat—the stress, anxiety and even pain that comes from acne, not to mention its impact on a woman’s self-esteem. Before becoming a licensed esthetician and makeup artist, she fought her acne by attempting to cover it up. She’d dig through her mom’s makeup, and while she learned a thing or two along the way, that’s really where her love for esthetics began. Wanting to understand more and quite literally get to the root of the problem, she attended Colorado Advanced Esthetics to take her personal experience and education and put them to use, helping others.
Combining her love for both the medical side of esthetics and makeup, McDonald offers an all-encompassing approach to beauty and wellness services. “I dislike the word fix. I don’t think you need to fix anything about you. If you choose to, you can enhance your appearance and go on that journey of self-love and self-care,” she says. And that’s her approach with her clients, whether they’re coming into her esthetic room or makeup chair.
Taking a skincare–first approach, because makeup will only look as good as the skin underneath it, McDonald offers services ranging from microneedling to chemical peels and laser hair removal as the lead esthetician at Denver Tech Dermatology Associates. Then, driven by her mantra of “makeup is art,” she strives to unveil individuals’ inner radiance by using the transformative power of makeup to express, enhance and empower her clients under her brand, Emma Lynn Esthetics. With a specialty in glowy glam makeup, McDonald enhances her clients’ unique, natural beauty, leaving them feeling uplifted and confident in their skin.
The number one thing McDonald tells her clients? Patience is key. “With a few acne clients, I bring it back to a personal level to relate to them, and while I let them know nothing is going to change overnight, I remind them that by sticking to a routine, whether at home or by services with me, they’re eventually going to get results,” McDonald says. And the before and after photos speak for themselves. “After looking them over with a current client, she told me I was ‘a wizard,’ and that was the most rewarding thing … Not only to see and hear how happy she was with the results but also how thankful she is for what I do.”
McDonald says every woman should have an opportunity to show off an elevated version of herself, whether relaxed from a facial or glammed up from makeup. It’s what she strives for in her business and her life.
Denver Tech Dermatology Associates PC
5889 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Ste. 250
Greenwood Village
303.222.9559
Emma Lynn Esthetics
