Makeup artist ‘The Key Look’ says she “deeply regrets” overstepping bride’s boundaries after going viral

After makeup artist Keziah Jones got kicked out of a client’s wedding, she never imagined she’d go viral on TikTok. Jones has now spoken with Dexerto about her regrets.

Makeup artist Keziah Jones opened her luxury bridal hair and makeup business, The Key Look, in February 2020. Her company quickly grew from three to 15 stylists, and she’s only just getting started.

While she intends to give 100% of her attention to the bride and her needs on their special day, Jones’ purposeful approach was lost when she worked at client Kiana’s wedding on September 7.

Jones’ time at Kiana’s wedding quickly went viral on TikTok after she was kicked out of the celebration, and she shared her experience at the wedding and apologies to the couple in a multi-part saga.

Many viewers sided with the bride, though, saying that Jones overstepped her boundaries by staying throughout the course of the night, far past the time she was booked for.

Speaking with Dexerto, Jones wanted to clear the air with anyone who thought her viral moment was distasteful, as she knew once she left Kiana’s wedding that she had “misjudged the situation.”

Before the entire day fell on her shoulders, Jones was enjoying her time at the wedding. However, the groom wasn’t a fan of TikTok content, so her constant filming led to him giving her the boot.

“I thought maybe the groom was just having a difficult moment, and unfortunately I was on the receiving end of it,” Jones told us.

Jones decided to go back to the wedding, though, where other vendors quietly whispered about her reappearing. “I wasn’t embarrassed by the wedding guests, but I was embarrassed by other vendors knowing what was going on,” Jones said. “I was under the impression the bride and I had built a rapport for her to feel comfortable enough to talk to me.”

“Past brides I’ve worked with have always been open and straightforward, so I am working on better communication, so a situation like this never arises again,” Jones added.

After Jones shared her story on TikTok, she faced scrutiny for being in the bride’s dress-reveal photos. However, she felt “absolutely devastated” when she saw the final photos. “I had no idea and really wished someone would have told me to move out of the way… I can see how they could be upset.”

Additionally, Jones admitted that going viral in a negative way wasn’t what she expected. “Going viral for something negative is just not cool and I never imagined this would happen to me, especially for a business that I worked so hard to build. As great as the internet can be, I’ve learned through this experience that the internet can also be very hurtful.”

Despite the backlash, Jones said her bookings are “steadily coming in.” She added, “On average, my team works approximately 5 weddings a month – and that has remained consistent.”

Though going viral has been a lot to process, Jones said she takes full accountability for being in the wrong. “My emotions led me to making a wrong decision, which in this case, was sharing the experience on social media,” she said.