Making a difference with make-up

After taking a course in make-up artistry with professional make-up artist Ephraim Hunte, Crysande was taking $150 jobs by appointment. Her clients now comprise mainly brides, a business which she conducts during her off time. Crysande is the Merchandising and Promotions Manager at Unilever Caribbean Ltd (formerly Lever Brothers). Part of her job is to manage health and skin care consultants. She is also a make-up artist. Make-up artistry was not the initial course Crysande wanted to take. But always, in the back of her mind, she knew she would run her own business one day.

She lived in La Horquetta and at the age of 15, engaged in door-to-door sales in cosmetics and jewelery. "I did sales in Maloney, La Horquetta and Santa Rosa, from 8 am to 8 pm and with my mother’s help and revolving loans, I went to university," she said. In 1998, Crysande graduated with first class honours, ranking among the top seven of her class and now holds a BA in business management, specialising in marketing. "I believe that if you really want something you have to work for it. For people in the low income bracket, education is the way out. I didn’t have rich parents to get me into a business or open up a franchise."

It was at university that Crysande discovered that wearing make-up can, not only enhance one’s look, but influence one’s impression of you. She explained, "I began wearing light make-up and found it was a way of masking the acne. I’ve worked as a receptionist and at a fast food restaurant and I’ve got different responses based on wearing or not wearing make-up. I found that people treat you better when you present yourself properly. It takes ten seconds to make a first impression. It shows that you have competence and personality. First impression is visual. If you want to be taken seriously in school, work and in your personal relationship, you have to show that you take yourself seriously by being well-groomed." Crysande didn’t deny that the latter helped in winning over her German husband, also a teacher and IT specialist.

Fresh out of university, Crysande worked as marketing and public relations manager at Value Optical. She later obtained a position in marketing at Flavourite. But she developed a liking for make-up artistry "after I found that I became engrossed in it and I felt I could go on and on without feeling hungry or tired. Instead, it engerises me." The job requires a lot of patience, though, because you can’t get pissed off because they (clients) have you there for an hour and they like nothing."

She stressed that make-up trials were essential for weddings and other special events because "the client gets a look they’re comfortable with." Bridal make-ups with Crysande last up to ten hours. "Although the make-up is heavier, the key is in application. I never force my ideas of beauty on the client that is why I do trials." Her trials cost $80. She said many of the brides with whom she has worked with opted for "a natural look, but their concept of a natural look may be different to what I have in mind so I show them before and after photos of faces that I have done, to understand exactly what they want." Two years later she can laugh at her first time experience, fumbling on the job, while applying make-up.

"In the beginning I was real nervous, dropping make-up brushes. I had to pretend I was real calm and try to appear not to be freaking out." She has invested a lot of money, time and energy into her art, and is still learning. A full kit with dozens of brushes, eye and lip make-up and some 20 shades of foundation cost $5,000. "When I show the fellas at work some of the make-up I’ve done they tell me I’m a menace to men. They can’t believe the before and after shots, that one can apply a little make-up and get such a desired look," Crysande said. She believed that now is a good time for the make-up industry, although "a majority of people don’t feel that make-up artistry is an art or science." Nevertheless, she offered a few personal tips, some do’s and dont’s in applying make-up.

"Choose foundation carefully.

Don’t test foundation on hands but on the face and neck. Don’t share mascaras and eyeliners because you may pick up conjunctivitis and other eye diseases." She didn’t believe in wearing silver eyeshadow and silver lipstick in the day time. She further advised, "Don’t be overzealous in shaving eyebrows. Too thin eyebrows make you look hard and older, but a gentle arch softens the face."