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The New Jersey native has been going viral on TikTok for her makeup transformations by making herself look like an entirely different person.
Sure, she's got some haters. But she's also got skills.
"People use the word 'catfishing' as an insult but I’m like, that just means I’m doing my job," said Curtis, who was born in Plainfield but grew up in Hackettstown and Andover.
Scroll to the bottom for products Curtis uses in her transformations.
Curtis has been interested in makeup for as long as she can remember. As a teen, she was doing makeovers for her friends on the bus to school, and loved making herself and others feel beautiful.
In 2004, Curtis got a perm at a salon that burnt her scalp. She began losing her hair, and it never grew back.
"That was devastating," Curtis said. "I would be getting ready to go out with all my friends, who were doing these cute looks, and I just had this big bald spot in the middle of my bangs. It made me not want to dress up."
And so, she bought herself a wig. Problem solved. But after her first marriage ended, Curtis was after another change. She wanted to do something fulfilling for herself.
In 2008, Curtis moved to California. In 2013, she became a certified makeup artist. Since then, she's been booking birthday parties, weddings, Quinceañeras and more.
It wasn't until the pandemic that Curtis, along with millions of others around the world, downloaded TikTok. She began posing some comedy skits in Fall 2020 just for fun, and started her business selling wigs, lashes and makeup brushes about a year later.
She realized she could probably get more of a following for her business if she used TikTok to help her promote it.
In early 2021, Curtis began filming makeup tutorials.
"I was watching some of my favorite makeup artists and they were doing full blown transitions," she said "It looked fun as hell."
And it was. Curtis began making her own tutorials, and watched her page grow, and grow, and grow.
Curtis' first post to go viral was in April 2021.
She got lots of love — but just as much hate.
There was a lot of name-calling, like Fiona and Shrek, or Hedgehog and Porcupine, Curtis said. "I couldn't take it."
By the time her second video went viral, garnering around 2 million views, Curtis knew what she was in for.
"The flood of trolls just came in," she said. "It was a lot of hate."
That video, posted in November 2021, had garnered 6.4 million views as of March 23.
"This should be illegal," one person said. "Makeup is witchcraft," added a third.
But, then there were those telling Curtis that she was inspiring them. That was a concept she had to warm up to.
"It was kind of weird because you think of yourself as a regular person, not this inspiring person," she said. "I had to accept it. It took me a while to accept it. And once I did on TikTok, I started wanting to be that person for people who don’t look 'normal.'
Now, Curtis loves what she does for others.
"It’s an amazing feeling to have that impact on other people."
Products for Curtis' "catfish" transformation:
- Skin prep and care, more important than primer
- RCMA foundation for 9 years, new favorite YSL
- Eyeshadow Blend Bunny Cosmetics
- Current favorite Blush (called Blushlights) and bronzer Melt Cosmetics
- Concealer Hourglass
- Eye primer P.Louise
- Lashes Sky High Mascara and Krystelle Lee cosmetics
- Brows: City Color Cosmetics Brow Soap NYX Lift n Snatch
- Lipstick and liner any nude from any brand and gloss Buxom or Glamlite
- Setting spray: One Size Beauty
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