Remember my previous post on me mentioning that I enrolled for a Make Up Course? Well, I have finally graduated from the course and now officially a certified make up artist!

Anyway, let’s side track a bit and allow me to story you a bit on how I ended up going into make up artistry.

What interest me in taking up a make up course is because I like art. If many of you people who knows me long enough, will know that I like art (though I’m not born an artistic person like my father and brother) but I just like to create things related to design, arts and crafts since young. And because of financial issues, I couldn’t pursue into it as much as I wanted to and ended up in nursing, in which my seniors told me “Nursing is also an art“. Which is true lah, as nurses need to design the best way to care for their patients.

Anyways….

I spent most of my time looking for part time courses related to art or even practice them on friends for free, just to fulfil my satisfaction. First in mind was photography. As I really love taking pictures, I took up photography classes, learnt tricks online and put them into practice on my friends. I used whatever knowledge I have about Photoshop to edit pictures or create something (which is not professional lah).

Taken for Rose and Baldwin’s Pre Wedding in 2012.

These pictures are the most professionally captured by me (though not pro at all la). I spent lots of money, lots of hours just to practice on my skills without charging the couple a single cent (but i got some yummy filipino food in return hehe). Some people will compliment, some will critique – which is expected lah. And because photography requires a lot of money, time and energy, I decided to take it slow. I only take pictures when I am free (I am working full time and doing my Degree as well). I kinda even sold my camera to Josh because he uses the camera more than I do and when I need it, I will just pinjam from him. Smart lehhh…hahaha

Ok….so…taking up a make up course was never on my mind although everyday I watch Michelle Phan‘s make up tutorials and practice on myself. I don’t know what inspired me to take up the make up course actually. Haha. MAYBE… as usual, I was looking up for art/design related courses and I suddenly had the thought to learn professional make up art. I thought no one will support me, so I kinda applied it quietly, trying to keep it a secret to people whom I thought will think it’s a waste of time and money. You know lah, older people tend to think nursing, engineering, law, medicine courses are the best courses in the whole wide world and have the everything-else-is-just-a-waste-of-time kind of mentality.

I always believe in pursuing in something that gives you satisfaction and makes you happy. You may be a very superb lawyer or engineer but you may not enjoy what you do. Since I am in a job I don’t really enjoy doing (though very challenging and noble – which I like) but I don’t like the shift duties, doing calls, feeling miserable most of the time due to horrible work politics and not having much social life (most nurses don’t have friends who are not nurses…hmm…like me) and I couldn’t attend church as I need to work. One reason why I started signing up for courses is to meet new friends and do something that will divert my mind away from work related stresses. And of course, maybe one day….quit my job and just paint people’s face.

When I first signed up for the make up course, I was expecting some bimbos to be there. You know, those kind of girls who will apply lots of make ups and the know it all about make ups or those girls who just hate studying and want to pursue make up because they hate studying/can’t study and a make up course does not require any qualification unlike other design courses offered in college or universities and only speaks Chinese……. yadayadayadayada…And….my heart was prepared. To face these people.

But on the first day of class, the first person I met was Xuann. She was pleasant and friendly. And she is a teacher in a primary school. So, I thought, I wasn’t alone! And 8 more girls turned up and wow…. NONE of them were bimbo at all. HAHA! No thick make ups! All of us have a full time job, all professional jobs! There are teachers, engineer, finance, marketing, professional hairdresser, beauty advisor and me, a nurse. And they all joined the course for the same purpose – to explore something new so they can quit their jobs one day. Hahaha. I am glad. SO GLAD that my classmates are awesome people!

As all of us have our full time jobs, it is actually very tiring to come to class 3 time a week. The course is for 6 months and we have to pass our theory and practical exams in order to graduate with a diploma.

One of the earlier classes – Bohemian make-up

The before and after picture of my model. Created this look based on my story I created. Can’t remember liao. hahaha. 

Faridah’s strong and arrogant make up based on a faceless picture given by my teacher.

Special effects class. Creating wounds. I didn’t want to put anything on my face, do I did on my arm. 

I had problem doing this look as I couldn’t make my face paler. Then, i realised, I used the wrong brown colour. =______=

My whacky classmates and I with our wounds. 

Aretha was one of my model for my exam. This picture was taken during my revision for my exam

Geraldine was also my model for my exam and I spent a lot of time on her creating a look which I failed to achieve la. Sighh…

I turned my brother into a girl. 

And here, my buddy Xuann and I turned our model into a cute lil owl

Practiced a 1940’s look on Aretha for my exam. 

After the exams, the school gave us an opportunity to help up in a huge stage play called Footprints. It was very exciting and stressful (fun stress haha) to work and experience how is it like being in the world of a makeup artist. The fun part of it is we get to be backstage and be part of the production team. =)

Xuann and I at our allocated stations. The performers will come and we will do the make ups based on the given reference.

At the end of the 3 days show, we made new friends and I enjoyed seeing their reaction when I told them I am a full time nurse. Not just a nurse, but an Operating Theatre Nurse. Haha. Then they somehow found me on Instagram and followed on how I live my life as a nurse.

It was a an eye opening experience and I already miss it. Because I kinda enjoy doing stage make up, I volunteered myself to a charity show called the Brave Maeve next month and got to be in charge of the make up team. It is a super stressful task as I am a brand newbie in this profession. Thankfully, the rest of the make up team are my own friends, who are newbies too. Glad they are willing to volunteer.

Brave Maeve The Musical Poster

And on 10th September 2013…..

with Jyue Huey and Bobbie

I received my official results and graduated from The Make Up Room with a Diploma in Make Up and Hairstyling Artistry! Not the top in class but it’s okay as I am happy to be able to learn something art related and I am happy that this course helped me in my stress management with work. And I quite like how professional my portfolio looks. As it is difficult to find a freelance job for now as I have a crazy schedule full time job, I guess I will have to start creating my own portfolio from my own photography skills. So stay tuned for that!

SO… This make up course has definitely brought me on a new journey on discovering what I like. Well, I still like photography and design. But I have fallen in love with Make Up Artistry. I like how people turned out to be happy after seeing a new look in them with make up. I like how I am able to create crazy looks for stage performances. I like how I am able to make people look awesome in pictures during photo shoots. I just like seeing people happy. =)

For the past few months towards the end of the course and after the course I spent a lot of money on make up products, to prepare myself into a whole new journey of becoming a makeup artist. A makeup artist takes at least 2-3 years before he/she becomes a reliable makeup artist in the market. For now, I do makeup for free on my friends and charging only around $50 for my clients, which is not enough to cover my expenses of make up products. That is why, I still have my full time job to support my expenses.

However, if any of you, who are aspiring photographers or blogshop owners or fashion designers or bride or models who needs a makeup artist, you can look for me. Depending on what you want, I can either do it with a minimal charge (at least to cover my transport and for me to om nom nom) or for free if you really desperate for one. It will be a win-win situation as the both of us wants to build up our portfolio, right?

Oh, my portfolio pictures? Wait lah. I will post it on my next post. I guess this post has too many pictures already. I will save the pictures for the next post. At least it gives me another reason to blog, right?

So after this make up course, what’s next? Of course more make up course lah! Haha. I am planning to enrol for more make up courses after I complete my Degree. And oh, Pilates! <3 On that, I will blog about it another day (when I have that perfect figure I am dreaming about). hehe.