Skip to content

Free US shipping on every order · Three serums, $38 each · All three for $98

Aly V, smiling, her long dark hair over her shoulders, in a white top with cherries — her own photograph, set in a blush-pink studio: pinned to the wall behind her, a picture of the New York skyline, palm trees at a Los Angeles sunset, a framed photo of three small dogs, and notes reading “Faith over fear” and “Who says you can’t do both?”; law books and makeup brushes to one side, a pink peony and a ring light to the other — in a carved green-and-gold frame with a brass nameplate carrying her name.

Building MakeupGemz · Pensacola, Florida

Aly V

Six years building her name as a makeup artist in New York, three years in beauty in Los Angeles, and now MakeupGemz — with a law degree next, because, in her words, who says you can’t do both?

Told in her own words.

When did you find her?

I found her in NYC. After graduating from USD, I took a leap of faith and enrolled in makeup school in the city to follow my dreams.

What are you building?

I’m building MakeupGemz, an online makeup and beauty platform featuring relatable beauty and lifestyle content on Instagram, a live-streaming Whatnot channel, and a Skool community for makeup tutorials. I’m also planning to return to school for my JD. Who says you can’t do both?

What did it take?

Discipline, sacrifice, and resilience. Countless sleepless nights, no days off, and saying no far more than yes. I invested heavily in my dreams, overcame significant adversity, and learned to stay in my own lane. More than anything, it took perseverance, strength, and a mind-over-matter mentality.

What are you proud of?

I’m most proud of choosing faith over fear and never giving up. After graduating from college, I spent six years in NYC building my career as a makeup artist and became a published MUA. After moving to LA, I worked at Valentino Beauty for three years and then launched MakeupGemz, which now includes a Whatnot channel, a relatable IG page, and a Skool community for makeup tutorials.

What makes you feel most like yourself?

Recording makeup videos in my studio, live-streaming on Whatnot, and working at my desk as a paralegal.

What would you tell a woman beginning now?

Don’t care what anyone else thinks. Do whatever you want. You can achieve far more than you can fathom if you have the courage to chase your dreams.

When did you find her?

Every story here was sent in by the woman who lived it. Yours can be next.

Share your story

The LALALOCA Collection

Three serums. The part of this that pays for the rest of it.

Shop the collection