So I've been told that anytime you would say "il/elle est" you actually should say "c'est" Is this correct? I translate this more as "it's" so it feels strange to say "C'est belle" when talking about a person, etc.

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Hmmmm, tricky question. I don't even think there is a grammatical rule about this, it's one of those things you have to "feel" when to use one or another. The nuance between the two is very hard to explain.

From all the exemples I can think of, I would say that you use it like this :

- When you're describing the subject with an adjective, you can use either "c'est" or "il/elle est", unless you're describing a person or an animal; in that case, you only use "il/elle est".

Exemple :
(Talking about a painting, or a piece of furniture)"It's really beautiful !" -> "C'est vraiment beau !" OR "Il/elle est vraiment beau/belle !"

(Talking about a person or a horse, dog, etc)"He/She/It is really beautiful !" -> "Il/Elle est vraiment très beau/belle !"

- When you describe the subject with a noun, or a noun+adjective, you only use "C'est", wether it's an object or a living creature.

Exemples :
"C'est un homme", "C'est une femme", "C'est un magnifique tableau", "C'est un gigantesque avion", etc.

I hope it's clear enough. Don't worry if you struggle with that, it's one of those things that become more natural when you practice speaking and listen to native people talking.