The Glamazon Story: How Kim Baker Transformed Adversity into Beauty Industry Triumph

Kim Baker, a beauty mogul who started her career as a plus-size model, has a story that goes beyond the glamorous facade of her life. Her inspiring journey over the years truly showcases her power in the makeup industry, dedication to women’s empowerment, and groundbreaking advocacy efforts.

Kim used to work as a painter and a Wilhelmina model before moving into the makeup industry and starting her own cosmetics brand, Glamazon Beauty. Her drive to blend and apply makeup came from negative experiences with makeup artists who used the wrong foundation shades during her time as a model. Influenced by makeup artist Bobbi Brown and drawing from her industry knowledge, Kim established herself as a professional makeup artist. Today, she is building a lasting entrepreneurial legacy based on authenticity and confidence.

The New York-based commercial makeup artist recently celebrated the debut of her cosmetics line on the HSN shopping network. In light of this news, the Buckeye Review caught up with the artist to discuss her journey from being a trailblazing plus-size model to becoming a “Glamazon.”

Buckeye Review: For those who don’t know, who are you, and how are you currently serving the world? 

Kim Baker: My name is Kim Baker. I am a former Wilhelmina Model, a pioneer of the plus-size model industry, and I transitioned to becoming a celebrity makeup artist. I am presently serving the world through artistry and women’s empowerment.

BR: Is it true that you believe everyone possesses something special? How would you describe your “something special”? When did you discover it?

KB: I’ve been doing makeup for 28 years. I’ve never had anybody get in my chair that I didn’t find something unique or beautiful, whether it was their personality, the shape of their eyes, their skin, or full lips. Bobbi Brown from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics told me when you get people in your chair, you will always find something beautiful about them that’s uniquely theirs. I found that to be true.  

BR: How would you say the power of makeup transformed your life from model to mogul?

KB: It allowed me to empower other women. I was already confident. I’ve always been told, ‘You’re beautiful. You have great skin and beautiful bone structure.’ I felt beautifully empowered, but I would also see women around me who weren’t confident. Maybe they thought they were too skinny. Maybe they thought their boobs were too big or saggy. You can’t find fault in yourself. 

BR: What are some challenges you faced along your professional journey? And how did you overcome them? 

KB: Racism was a big one. I’ve walked into rooms where I’ve been the only Black person, and they see my confidence. I’ve had people comment about it. ‘Oh, you are so confident.’

There’s a guy named Denny. He used to fly Malcolm Forbes balloons. I went to an event he had at his estate. A man approached me and said, ‘I noticed your confidence. Where does that come from?’ I was not bothered that I was the only Black person. I know who I am. And that’s what I told him. 

I had a mother who built me up and explained to me what my melanin meant. My melanin meant God’s protection from the elements. My mother would sit down and make me learn about Africa and the kings and queens. 

BR: How do you align Glamazon’s business practices with your philosophy “Don’t fall into trends-just play up your best features!”

KB: I always say this is a husband- and boyfriend-approved brand. You want to look like you. If you talk to any man, he will tell you, ‘I like for my woman to look like herself.  I don’t want her looking like … a clown.’ He wants your skin to look good. He doesn’t mind you wearing lipstick as long as it’s not too greasy. Men are visual. He wants to make sure that ‘my woman looks like herself at the end of the day.’ 

I’ve always wanted to create a brand that allowed women to look like the best version of themselves. To make their skin look like skin but better. To create a foundation that has a glow and helps reduce the size of pores. I loved Bobbi Brown’s stick and found a way to perfect it. My thing was always perfecting it for brown skin. So, I created 12 amazing shades of foundation. It’s the undertones that create the difference. I took it where those shades are interblendable, where you can create 144 different skin variants just with those 12 shades. I’ve never met a person to sit in my chair that I wasn’t able to match through those shades.

BR: What does debuting your makeup brand on HSN mean to you? 

KB: It was wonderful because I’ve dreamt of being on HSN for over 10 years. I was fortunate enough to start out at smaller brands. Initially, I thought maybe I’m not good enough to be on HSN. The moment I was ready and had the experience under my belt, I shopped at ShopLC and ShopHQ and learned the intricate ins and outs of the home shopping world. When I went on HSN, it was a breeze. Now, I’m confident talking on television. I always say rejection is for my protection. The initial rejection was God’s protection.

BR: Are you in the business of teaching women how to navigate the beauty industry? 

KB: I conduct workshops called Simplified Beauty 101 where I travel around the country to teach everyday women the basics of makeup application. We start with the fundamental aspects of beauty and then progress to more advanced topics, such as finding the right foundation shade, choosing the best concealer, and shaping perfect eyebrows. I teach them this so they will be comfortable purchasing the products.

BR: We learned that you have a new movie in development. What can you tell us about the upcoming Kim Baker movie?

KB: When I was a model, I was facing life in prison. I had disappeared for two years, and when I came back, I reinvented myself as a plus-size model. It’s a cautionary tale because I came before Naomi [Campbell] and Tyra [Banks], right after Iman. Everybody slated me in the industry to be the next thing. 

When I returned as a plus-size model, people would look at my face and notice that I had gained weight. At the time, I was a size 12/14. They would say, ‘Kim, you’re much heavier.’ I’d reply, ‘I’m a plus-size model.’ And they would say, ‘What is that?’ My response was, ‘The average woman is a size 14.’

Me, my girlfriend Emmy, and my friend Donna Ross Baller were trying to get people to accept models of all shapes, sizes and ages. Our work didn’t really pay off back then, however, I think our advocacy for women to be themselves has paid off tremendously. The plus-size industry is a multi-multimillion-dollar industry.