This spring, she’s touring with Avril Lavigne as the singer’s makeup artist, creating signature looks for each stop, including a mega performance at Madison Square Garden. But even while working behind the scenes at major shows, Dantas is focused on her business.
“I actually made the tough call to pause a lot of my main business operations,” she says. She scaled back on clients and educating to focus on developing her brand. “But I believed so strongly in the vision for 411 Cosmetics that the short-term sacrifices would be worth it.”
That vision centres around a totally customizable makeup toolkit—one she designed after years of dealing with bulky, inefficient kits. Crafted in genuine leather and finished with luxe gold hardware, the 411 Makeup Toolkit is built with both style and practicality in mind.
It’s a product that reflects Dantas’s dual mindset: creative and strategic. While she’s comfortable with a makeup brush in hand, she’s just as focused on operations, logistics, and brand development.
Most mornings start with team calls, whether she’s on the road or back in Toronto. From reviewing product mockups to managing packaging tweaks, much of her energy goes into refining the brand behind the scenes.
“Something no one really talks about is how glamorized launching a product-based business can look—especially on social media,” she says. “But behind the scenes, the day-to-day work isn’t always exciting or Instagram-worthy. It’s a lot of logistics, problem-solving, and reinvesting every dollar back into the brand before you ever see a return.”
That process has shifted how she defines success. “I used to define success by how booked and busy I was,” she says. “Now, I see success as the freedom to run a business I’m proud of, to express my creativity, but also to step away, recharge, and trust that things will keep running without me.”
It’s a mindset shift that reflects the evolution of her career—from freelance artist to founder. And it’s one that continues to shape the way she works.
Whether she’s prepping an A-lister for a show or reviewing design samples at home, Dantas is focused on building something with staying power: something that blends creativity with structure, and passion with purpose.
Because for her, beauty isn’t just about what you see. It’s about how it all works behind the scenes.
