Twenty-five years ago, an encounter at a kosher restaurant helped launch Susan Kirsch into a career operating her own cosmetics studio.

She had to serve a kosher dinner and so she went to Milk ’N Honey on Bathurst Street and pinned her business card to their bulletin board.

“Not long after that, I received a phone call from a Mrs. Schmidt from [women’s clothing store] Frumela’s who said, ‘Your card’s not there anymore. I want to hire you to do my daughter’s wedding.’ From that moment on I was busy doing Orthodox weddings. Mrs. Helen Schmidt launched my career,” she said.

Kirsch is the founder of Kirsch Cosmetics Studio, which offers a wide range of makeup services to its clients throughout the city and as far away as Winnipeg, Montreal, New York and California.

Applying makeup for more than 1,000 weddings (doing about 200 per year) as well as prom, bar and bat mitzvahs, Kirsch conducts private and public lessons and seminars and has developed her own line of quality makeup products. Her goal is to promote beauty and boost self-confidence.

“I have never been motivated by building a business based on selling lots of products. For me, it’s always been service-based: making people feel good, feel happy, by teaching,” stated Kirsch.

After graduating with a business degree from Ryerson University in her early 20s, Kirsch was hired as a management trainee at Hudson’s Bay Company and given a project that happened to be in the cosmetic department. “I realized I needed to also use my creative talents – so I decided to become a makeup artist,” reflected Kirsch.

Kirsch’s business was first introduced as Kirsch Camouflage Clinic. “I worked from home for the first five years and specialized in helping people recover after surgery, focusing on camouflage and paramedical makeup techniques.  I worked with dermatologists, plastic surgeons, the burn unit at Sunnybrook Hospital and the vascular malformation clinic at [the Hospital for Sick Children].”

Branching out into a retail environment, Kirsch moved to a storefront at Avenue Road and Eglinton Avenue and stayed there for 10 years. During that time, she offered private service to her clients.

“There was really no place in the city for people to learn the step-by-step makeup application in a private environment.” That led to the expansion on the beauty side with weddings, special occasion photography, and makeup application.

Kirsch’s business continued to grow. She acquired a corner unit of a plaza at Glencairn and Marlee avenues and has never looked back. 

“I have a very large Jewish clientele, especially observant women who require a private room so as to remove their sheitel. To match their lifestyle, we offer long-wearing lipstick and shomer Shabbos makeup.”

The Kirsch Cosmetic Studio team is respectful of its clients’ personal style, teaching girls ranging from 16 years old right up to women starting new jobs.

“People ask me all the time how they [can] get their makeup to last for Shabbos? The secret is layering,” stated Kirsch.

Kirsch created her first product line, which was camouflage makeup. She then moved on to eye shadows and blush. “We also make our own makeup artistry tools and travel sets for clients who are on the go, or who need something in their gym bag.

“Organically, that grew into a whole new company that I created which is called Pandora’s Makeup Box. I am currently building my brand and use my studio as my test location for product development and techniques,” Kirsch said.

This month, Kirsch will launch a nail polish and vegan paraben-free lip gloss at some Rexall and Pharma Plus drug stores.