Meet Juliana from Liverpool who moved to LA 17 years ago to pursue makeup.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
I chose LA because I used to come for holidays as a child every few years with family to visit an uncle who lived here. I had then decided I must find a way to live in the land of fabulousness!
What do you miss most from home?
I do miss the beautiful colonial architecture of England which I took for granted while living there and walking around our many stunning parks and gardens. British pub food is the best and a really good chippy, Indian or Chinese is just not the same here in LA.
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since?
My first impression of LA was that people here are on a permanent holiday, which is definitely not the case. Many of my friends here are extremely hard-working but know how to balance work with leisure.
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus England?
The biggest difference living here is how optimistic people are. I feel that most people here in LA are extremely encouraging and quick to connect you with people they feel you would get along with, be it in business or on a personal level, I love that about LA. I love the amazing service here, it’s well worth the tipping because when I travel back home, it’s so frustrating to wait forever for your meal and since the staff are not working for tips I feel bad to complain. Oh, and the weather of course!! Who would want to live anywhere else?
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
I have so many hidden gems that I love but if I were to pick one it would be The Marciano Art Foundation. It’s the private contemporary art collection of the founders of Guess?, which they exhibit in a beautiful space in Hancock Park. The space is not too overwhelming and a great place to walk around and get lost in imagination on a weekend.
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Well, the first thing I would suggest before you move here is to get your legal situation sorted out. I was fortunate to have done a bit of modelling in Asia so was able to get a work permit really easily but if you don’t have a permit and can’t work, things will start to get stressful and your LA experience will not go as smoothly as anticipated. I’ve seen it so many times where people will spend thousands of dollars and get nowhere and have to pack up and go home. Line yourself up a job while you’re on holiday or enrol in school, this will make your LA experience that much happier.
Lots of our members join our group Brits in LA seeking out words of wisdom- what is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
The best advice for those who move to LA is to be open minded, people are different here and to us Brits Los Angeles may appear fake. I always say I’d rather have fake happy and optimistic people around me than real negative Nellies. Find your tribe and community because LA can get lonely if you don’t make an effort to make friends. The Brit Breakfast is the perfect place to make new friends and get your footing and the people there make an effort to mingle and chit-chat so you’ll never feel left out.
Lastly, how can we find out more about you? Are you working on anything at the moment?
Right now I’m building my beauty business, Beverly Hills Lash Institute, where we do lash services and train beauty professionals in the service. It’s a business I’ve been in since 2005 so I could say it’s a bit of a passion of mine. I love how lashes can really transform a person from being plain Jane to J-Lo, it really does make a difference and boy do the ladies love their lashes! I would probably get death threats if I asked my clients to take a rest, they can’t live without their lashes once they start doing them. My website is www.beverlyhillslashinstitute.com and you can find me on Instagram @beverlyhillslashinstitute or @thejulianahussin
