BEAUTY AS A MEANS TO BEAT STRESS
Most women, or at least those who are in love, if not obsessed, with makeup, usually start out discovering its magic during their younger, impressionable years and experiment with this newfound interest in different ways.
With Vanessa Garcia, it began around the time she was in high school dabbling with an eyeliner and a few lipsticks and lip glosses. But it was during 2009 that her interest in becoming a makeup artist, after her stint in the Business process outsourcing industry, grew. Fast forward to 2014, she decided to pursue this dream by enrolling in an intensive two-week course at HD Makeup Studio and Academy in Manila, while eight months pregnant.
Apart from appreciating the school’s dedication in teaching the craft, she shared some of the lessons she mastered along the way which she learned from her mentor, Jeave Gabiana, whom she still keeps in touch with to share tips and tricks. “Even until now for makeup tips, I still ask him questions. We learn from each other,” she said.
Vanessa has been a makeup artist for more than two years, dabbling on different occasions be it high fashion, bridal, prom, debut and many more. One of her memorable sessions was when a client of hers was so happy with her look that even the client’s husband was completely in awe of it, so that she got more than the asking price. “That was like a boost of confidence for me!” she exclaimed. “It’s not about the money; it’s about her seeing value in what I did. It was very flattering.”
This to her, is more than a career, it’s a passion. “For me it’s a hobby, a stress reliever. I don’t think about everything. I really zone out!” she said. But despite that, she shared that her top priority is still her family.
When asked what the best part of being a makeup artist is apart from the flexibility she said: “The reaction you get after. My inspiration really is to make you happy at the end of the day of our session. Happy being good about themselves not being someone else.”
Apart from her makeup philosophy “quality over quantity,” she is a firm believer not just in the importance of perfecting the craft, but using the right tools as well. “When I do makeup on clients, I’m not really that fast because I’d rather do the quality work than quantity,” she said. “Applying makeup isn’t just about your skills, but it’s also about the tools that you use because for me also makeup is not just about looking good. It has to be durable.”