Photo by Christa R. Tousley
My one-hour everyday makeup lesson with Maggie Jessen, founder and owner of EVRY Makeup Studio in south Minneapolis, started as any great makeup tutorial should—with a brief discussion of the current TikTok makeup trends.
“I call this one of my TikTok products,” Jessen says as she pulls out a bottle of Elf Halo Glow Liquid Filter, a supposed new “dupe” (or, more affordable approximation) of the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. It is clear that Jessen is primed to handle her Gen Z clients.
EVRY describes itself as, quite simply, “a makeup space for ‘EVRYone.’” The Minneapolis studio held its grand opening in August and is open for bookings, offering five different makeup lessons as well as client-led makeup parties. Jessen’s vision for EVRY is far removed from the practically irreproducible makeovers that department stores give, which tend to leave clients looking like someone they don’t recognize.
Instead, EVRY gives step-by-step lessons guided by clients themselves, meant to complement their features and make for easy replication at home.
Jessen’s fascination with makeup started long before TikTok or her dream to open EVRY. A younger, self-described “acne-ridden” version of herself found her life changed by the transformative power of a quality makeover. Her makeup career has taken her many places since, including the center of Times Square in New York City, where she worked as an artist at Sephora and saw her skills challenged by the wide array of clients.
Photo by Christa R. Tousley
“It taught me a ton about diversity,” Jessen says of the experience. “The way we do makeup in the U.S. is different than how they do makeup in India or Brazil. A big part of being a makeup artist is asking questions and understanding before acting.”
She later acquired a love for teaching makeup skills as the education executive at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, the New York beauty brand. That position landed her work at such events as New York Fashion Week and New York Bridal Fashion Week.
When Jessen finally returned to her home state of Minnesota, she saw a need for the kind of education she had acquired in New York. The EVRY experience would be for people of any skin color, tone, complexion, or cultural background, guided by a team of 14 artists.
“My aesthetic is just making sure people look like and feel like themselves,” Jessen says, a philosophy she keeps at the center of each makeover she gives.
But that is not her only aesthetic. When I walked into her studio that morning, I was greeted by the warm, clean tones of her impeccably styled space, which was a solo project for Jessen. Her former executive position at the Minnesota-based facial bar Face Foundrié exposed her to indoor spas across the country, where she took notes on the clean, functional design elements she felt were well-suited to the beauty industry.
Her main objective was versatility, intending to tailor a space that could play host to any occasion, from wedding parties to birthday bashes to a Taylor Swift-themed makeover event, which EVRY threw for a mom and daughter group this summer—friendship bracelet-making stations and all.
“I wanted the space to be inviting and for people to feel peaceful here. If you were to use this space for a party that’s not necessarily makeup-related, I would still want it to fit.”
One of these occasions being, of course, weddings. Jessen’s experience in the wedding industry had her in high demand this year; she and her team did makeup for over 150 bridal parties, most of them done on location. She hopes to bring more wedding parties in-studio in the coming year now that she has her space firmly established. I could already envision the gorgeous photos that would result in this well-lit, airy studio.
As Jessen finishes up my mascara with light, even strokes of L’Oréal Voluminous in the shade “Black/Brown,” she decides my eye makeup is a perfect “coffee-to-cocktails” look that could seamlessly transition between everyday obligations and nighttime festivities.
And the best part is that my coffee-to-cocktails look will be easily replicable at home. Jessen provided me with a well-organized note-taking template prior to our session, on which I had been jotting down the products she used in their specific shades, as well as the techniques she demonstrated for me. In case that isn’t enough, the template includes a sketch of a bare face, upon which Jessen drew out the exact eye shadow strokes she had used on me, with the product itself.
This is all to ensure these tutorials are not just fun, one-and-done makeovers but are actually sustainable in clients’ day-to-day lives. EVRY also offers a one-hour lesson titled “Makeover Your Makeup Bag,” where clients bring in makeup products they already own and learn how to use them more effectively.
“Years of hearing other people tell me what their concerns are—real people—has shown me what the beauty industry needs more of right now,” Jessen says as she concludes my makeover with a refreshing spritz of setting spray.
What it needs more of, she says, is the kind of guidance and understanding EVRY provides, which turns something like makeup—an often expensive and intimidating art—into an empowering vehicle for self-expression that everyone can enjoy.
