'Off to a new adventure': EPS officer retires after finding beauty blogger success

Officer leaves EPS to become beauty consultant Natasha Brinkmann traded in her badge for the beauty industry. CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg has her story.

A 15-year member of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has traded in her badge for beauty.

This week, Natasha Brinkmann retired from policing to become a full-time beauty consultant and blogger.

"I don't see it as giving it up, I see it as a new adventure," Brinkmann told CTV News from her home studio.

About a year and a half ago, the 47-year-old started posting beauty tricks and tips online under the name Beauty Junky Monkey.

She's since garnered more than 400,000 followers with TikTok being her most successful social media channel.

"What was supposed to be just a fun kind of side gig blew up into basically an international business," she said.

Brinkmann specializes in creating skin care routines for aging skin and has helped people from as far away as Europe and Australia.

"I think what they're looking for is unbiased. So I don't represent any brand, I just represent myself."

POLICING CAREER

Brinkmann had her own aesthetics business when she was younger but she left it to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a police officer.

"When I turned 30, I decided to give it a shot. At the time I was a full blown aesthetician … so it was really quite an unusual change."

She spent 15 years on the service and says highlights include assisting a suicidal boy off a roof and helping to secure a conviction in a sexual assault case.

"With any long-term career there comes a point where you're just like, 'I feel like I've done everything I've wanted to do,'" she said. "I've handled great files, I got to drive a police car, I got to do all the exciting things police officers do."

"And then there's the other side of policing which is exceptionally hard and things you can't unsee and things that take a toll on you."

She says her side business was a welcome break from the stress. One that's become so successful, she doesn't need to do both.

"Why not? Life is way too short and I don't believe we have to be stuck in one career that no longer fulfills the need to continue to create."