Amanda McKnight is #MadeForKnoxville.

After having her son while in culinary school, Amanda realized that her working hours would be long and strenuous. In other words, they would keep her away from her son. After taking time off to decide what to do, a friend suggested she go to beauty school because of her talent with makeup. At 29, McKnight started esthetics training at Tennessee School of Beauty Skin Care Center. Today, she owns her own makeup business: Southern Sirens.

Southern Sirens specializes in on-site wedding and special event makeup. Her team of seven is dedicated to enhancing the natural beauty of clients rather than covering up their features. Southern Sirens’ belief is that everyone deserves to feel beautiful—especially on their special days.

“I want to enhance the people we work with, not change them.”

In Their Own Words:

I always knew that I wanted to own my own business. I was working on a culinary arts degree, so that I could open a catering business. While I was in culinary school, I had my son. I realized that I would be working long hours, and would be away from him a lot. I took some time off from school to decide what I wanted to do. A friend told me that I was good at makeup, and that I should go to beauty school and pursue a career in makeup. So at the age of 29, I went for esthetics training at Tennessee School of Beauty Skin Care Center. They offered additional makeup classes, and I loved them. I graduated and worked for another company for a year before going out on my own. I have owned Southern Sirens now for 9 years. I started out with just myself and now we have 7 team members. We specialize in on-site wedding and special event makeup and hair styling. I want to enhance the people we work with, not change them. We are all beautiful in our own way, and everyone deserves to feel beautiful, especially on their special days.

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