Alexandria Gilleo is a makeup artist who owns My Zen Den in Beacon.
You work with many professional athletes. How did that begin?
I grew up playing sports and have always been a sports fan. About 10 years ago, I landed my first gig with ESPN and it slowly grew from there. Working with athletes and actors and other celebrities is a mix of hard work, dedication and being in the right place at the right time. I get new clients largely through word-of-mouth. I love to be a part of the hustle and the grind, and I love people.
How did My Zen Den come about?
I have always suffered from autoimmune conditions, including psoriasis and arthritis, but I didn’t start to take care of my health until I was 25, when my dad passed away from a massive stroke. I started to read a lot about movement, nutrition, mental health, physical health. I started to apply all these new tools and tactics, such as red-light therapy, for my psoriasis and joint pain. I have a little red light in a room in my house that I call “my zen den,” where I meditate. When the pandemic hit and I wasn’t doing any makeup, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring my zen den to the community.
Why did you choose Beacon?
The city is nice because you can walk to everything. I don’t think there’s many other towns in the Hudson Valley like that. It’s small, but it’s big. It’s also constantly growing with newcomers, people retiring or new families. I felt like it is a place with a lot of different types of people.
Is there a connection between wellness and beauty?
In my experience, when you start doing the inner work — I’m talking about mental, physical and spiritual, those three elements — when you start nurturing yourself, eating properly, getting enough sleep, creating a skin-care routine and connecting to whatever phase is aligned with you, when you start doing all these things, it shows on the outside. You start elevating and just looking better.
What is your favorite part of running a small business?
I love everything we sell, I love everything we do, but truly, to my core, my favorite part is connecting with people. I met my boyfriend through that space, I met some of my closest friends. I love hearing other people’s stories. I get to ask every single person who comes in the door, look them in their eyes: “Hey, how are you doing? Like, really? How are you?” People will just unleash. A lot of people need to talk to someone, or they’re looking for a safe space. To me, it is the most fulfilling aspect of business.
