Nick Stenson Sees Your Beauty

Nick Stenson has been making a name for himself since the minute he graduated beauty school. “I think I always wanted to do a lot. My career has definitely morphed as the years have gone, and I am always hoping and excited about what the future brings. It’s important to challenge yourself to do different things and to challenge yourself to be who you want to be.”

Working as a Matrix Artistic Director and a celebrity stylist, Nick has collaborated with some of the best stylists and colorists out there, as well as some of the biggest celebrities in the world. Recently, he was part of the glam team that got Lady Gaga Super-Bowl ready, styled Olympic gymnast Simone Biles for the Golden Globes and has worked behind the scenes for various TV and runway projects.

And then, earlier this year, the big news came—Nick was announced as Ulta Beauty’s first-ever Chief Artistic Director. With over 500 brands and 20,000 products on shelves, Nick says everyone knows Ulta is a powerhouse on the retail side, but now, his focus is on the stylists. “One of my biggest things is that we have well over 7,000 stylists, and I want to not only invest in them, but also future stylists who maybe haven’t thought about us just yet.”

Love this look? Get the how-to here!

In addition to his new title, he’s assembled a hand-picked team for Ulta Beauty featuring artists from across the industry. Including, Ammon Carver, creative director for L’ANZA Healing Haircare, Sonya Dove, global ambassador for Wella Professionals, Sean Godard, Redken artist, Carmody Homan, Redken artist and Danielle Keasling, Matrix artistic director.

“It’s not so much about one brand anymore. I love Matrix, but Sonya loves Wella, and that’s OK,” Nick said. “At the end of the day it’s about the artists on the Pro Team coming together to support the artists in the store.” Which was the exact message the team gave during their artistic presentation at SCA. “It was a way to jump in and show off the artistic and educational side of the company,” Nick said. 

Picking the right people to be part of the Ulta Pro Beauty team wasn’t a task Nick took lightly, and came down to surrounding himself and the company with like-minded, goal-oriented people. “When you see the team I put together, you’ll see that they all work really hard. We’re sort of a melting pot, we come from different places but we are all passionate about the same thing.”

Not only did the Pro Team debut their first presentation at SCA, but Nick was also announced as the Stylist Choice Award Winner for Best Brand Educator of the Year.

Here’s what he had to say about the big win: “I did not think I was going to be the one winning that night, I am humbled and appreciative in ways I can’t even express and I will continue to work really hard. It’s nice to be recognized, and I think it just added to my fire—to want to do more and to give more to the people and the artists in this industry.”