Finding My Eye
At 16, I really started doing my own makeup and teaching myself how to create the looks I loved. I experimented, practiced, made mistakes, tried again, and slowly started developing my own eye for beauty.
The artist behind Shades of Jade
Meet JadeRich
Hi, I’m Jade Rich, a Washingtonian born and raised, a mom of two, a makeup artist, beauty lover, and the woman behind Shades of Jade.
When I say beauty has always been a part of me, I mean always.
Where it began
Beauty, fromthe beginning.
Before I knew anything about foundation shades, undertones, blending techniques, or setting powder, I had Bratz dolls and Barbies. I remember looking at their makeup—the dramatic eyes, glossy lips, pretty colors—and thinking that when I grew up, I wanted to do my makeup just like theirs. Beauty fascinated me before I was even old enough to understand that it could one day become something much bigger than an interest.
By elementary school, I was already sneaking eyeshadow onto my eyes. Makeup wasn’t something I suddenly discovered as an adult. It grew up with me.
Learning by doing
Growing Into the Artistry
Sharing the Process
By 18, I was doing my makeup on live, sharing the process and letting people watch me create looks in real time. Looking back, those moments were some of my earliest experiences putting myself—and my artistry—out there for other people to see.
Behind the Brush
At 21, my love for beauty started turning into something more. I began selling beauty boxes filled with makeup goodies, and around that same time, I started doing makeup for family and friends. One face became another, one opportunity led to the next, and I realized how much I loved being on the other side of the brush.
There is something special about watching someone look into the mirror after their makeup is finished and seeing the way their entire energy changes. Makeup can be glamorous and fun, but for me, it has always been about the woman underneath it, too. I love enhancing what is already there and creating a look that makes my client feel beautiful, confident, feminine, and like the best version of herself.
More than one journey
Building the Dream Between Real Life
My journey hasn’t been one straight line to becoming a makeup artist. I’ve grown up while building this dream.
I’m a mother of two, and motherhood has been one of the biggest parts of the woman I’ve become. I’ve balanced raising my babies, working, childcare, everyday life, and still finding my way back to something I’ve loved since I was a little girl. There have been seasons when building my dream had to happen in between everything else life required from me—but I never completely let beauty go.
Beauty from every angle
Forever aSephora girlie.
And yes, I’m forever a Sephora girlie.
Working as a Beauty Advisor at Sephora gave me the opportunity to take a passion I’d developed over years and experience the beauty industry from another perspective. I worked with different products, brands, skin tones, skin types, textures, preferences, and everyday clients. It strengthened my product knowledge, customer service, and understanding that makeup is never truly one-size-fits-all.
But eventually, I knew I wanted to continue building something that belonged to me.