How Jéanne Wang Built a Career in Makeup—and Why She’s Returning to JCI to Share What She’s Learned
When I spoke with Jéanne Wang on Wednesday afternoon, I was curious about the story behind her success. Jéanne is a JCI grad who will be returning this weekend to lead a makeup demonstration and artist talk in our community event space, The Frame. I had seen her work online—polished, luminous, confident—and wanted to understand how she got there.
On the call, Jéanne was warm, thoughtful, and determined. She spoke openly about her journey, but there was also a clear sense that she’s someone who is still learning, experimenting, and pushing herself forward. It makes sense that she has grown into the role of educator; helping others seems to come naturally to her.
Jéanne’s interest in makeup started early. As a teenager, she experimented with different looks, often photographing the results with her brother, who is now a fashion photographer. Those early creative experiments helped her understand how makeup translated on camera and how transformation could become a form of visual storytelling.
“I loved seeing how it looked on camera,” she says.
But turning that interest into a career took time. After moving to Vancouver in 2008, Jéanne worked a variety of jobs while trying to figure out her direction. Makeup remained something she kept returning to, especially the world of editorial beauty, fashion photography, and celebrity artistry. At the time, one dream stood out in particular: Lady Gaga.
Jéanne laughs when she talks about it, but the idea stuck with her. She imagined what it would be like to travel with a touring artist and create the looks seen on stage and red carpets. That dream eventually pushed her to start researching makeup schools. She chose JCI because the New-York style environment of our Gastown Campus called to her.
Like many students pursuing creative careers, Jéanne had to navigate financial realities while following her ambitions. Rather than stopping her, the challenge became motivation. She worked hard to make the program possible and threw herself into the experience once she started.
On her first day of class, she remembers hearing about an award given to the top student in the program.
“I remember thinking, I need that,” she says.
There were moments along the way when things felt uncertain. Balancing finances and school wasn’t always easy, but the support around her—and her own determination—kept her moving forward. In many ways, those challenges strengthened her resolve.
After graduating, Jéanne briefly considered leaving Vancouver and returning home to Winnipeg. Instead, a Tray (JCI’s Makeup Director) encouraged her to stay and helped connect her with an opportunity working on a film set. The experience became a turning point, opening the door to the industry and allowing her to begin building her career.
Over the next several years, she worked in salons and with clients while continuing to refine her skills. But as her experience grew, she began to notice something important: many of the looks clients were requesting didn’t fully align with the type of work she felt most inspired by.
She also discovered she had a natural affinity for working with medium to deeper skin tones, and she was drawn toward more dimensional, polished makeup—what she now describes as medium glam. The style sits somewhere between soft, natural makeup and full glam, combining radiant skin, sculpted eyes, and layered products that still feel lightweight and wearable.
Eventually, Jéanne made a decision that would shape the direction of her career. Instead of focusing only on client work online, she began creating the looks she was most passionate about. She started bringing in models, filming tutorials, and showcasing her own creative vision.
Around this time, she was also on maternity leave and spending more time at home. While scrolling through social media, she found inspiration in the work of makeup artist Nikki Wolf, whose luminous editorial style and simple at-home tutorials caught her attention.
“She was filming in her kitchen with one light and her phone,” Jéanne recalls. “And I thought, maybe I can do this too.”
She began experimenting with lighting setups, filming techniques, and content creation. Many early videos were awkward or overly rehearsed, and plenty never made it online. But slowly, she became more comfortable speaking to the camera and sharing her personality.
Over time, her audience began to grow.
Today, Jéanne’s work is known for its luxury glam aesthetic—a look defined by glowing skin, carefully blended eyes, and a polished finish that feels elevated but modern. Her page reflects this clearly, featuring high-end products and palettes alongside her work. Building that sense of luxury has become an intentional part of her brand.
As her social media presence expanded, followers began asking more questions about technique: how to blend eyeshadow, how to achieve radiant skin, how to make makeup last.
Without planning to, Jéanne found herself teaching.
“I never really thought of myself as an educator,” she says. “But once I started explaining things, I realized people really wanted to learn.”
Today, sharing knowledge has become a natural extension of her work. And in many ways, her return to JCI Institute feels like a full-circle moment. The place where she once learned the foundations of her craft is now welcoming her back to share what she has discovered along the way.
The dream that first sparked her journey is still there, too. Jéanne talks about working in the world of celebrity makeup someday—not necessarily for one particular artist, but within the creative energy of backstage environments where fashion, performance, and artistry come together.
For many artists, the horizon line is always moving.
This Saturday, Jéanne will be at JCI to demonstrate her signature luxury glam techniques and speak with aspiring artists about building a career in makeup. For students and creatives curious about the industry, it promises to be a special opportunity to hear from someone who has built a career through persistence, creativity, and a clear sense of personal vision.
We’re excited to welcome her back.
Event Details
Where: JCI Robson (220-1155 Robson Street)
When: Saturday, March 14 (1-4 PM)
Tickets: Free
Entrance: Open to anyone interested in beauty, creative freelancing, and growing on social media