By Venessa Anthony
Makeup is a means of self-expression. It’s art. Dominique Sedra, an accomplished makeup artist, told The Morning Brunch that she adores working with everyone’s different faces. “Each person is unique, they all have features that make them special, and I love bringing out the best in them. That’s what makeup means to me,” she shared.
Dominique was never allowed to wear make up as a child; at the age of 14, all her friends from school would wear makeup, and she always felt like she was missing out. This prompted her to begin experimenting on herself with various makeup products, and received many compliments on how amazing her final look turned out, even though she barely had any experience with it. She then began trying out new looks on her friends and they then began recommending her to their friends, and that’s how she made a name for herself.
A look for everyone
“There’s a new way to work with every single face. You can never do the same work on two faces. I love the challenge of figuring out what works best on everyone,” she said, adding that her favourite part of the job is meeting new people. “They always have interesting stories to tell.”
She draws her inspiration based on what the full outfit looks like; once she’s had a look at the outfit, she picks out the colours and the finish that would complement the finished look. “I think I have multiple personalities, and I like conveying them through the way I dress as well as through my makeup.”
Dominique noted that she’s not a huge fan of trends. Even though there are so many new trends coming in and going out of fashion, she only adapts to a very few. “I have a signature style which comes across in my work. When people come to me, they already have an idea of what to expect. I don’t want to deviate much from it.”
Her speciality is natural, glowy looks, where the clients’ natural beauty is captured perfectly.
Styling amidst a pandemic
It’s the wedding season, but there’s also a pandemic looming over us. Dominique described how the pandemic affected her career as a makeup artist. “The pandemic has slowed down business by quite a lot. A lot of events that I was to cover keep getting cancelled or postponed. I recently did the makeup for a wedding party that went pretty well.”
Noting that she resides in Negombo, she said travelling, especially with a global pandemic going on, is a risk she still takes so that she can continue to do what she so adores.
Makeup is a very close-contact procedure. However, given the situation, in order to maintain the safety of her clients, she ensures to always wear a mask and sanitise her tools before she uses them. She also makes certain to not leave them lying around on neglected surfaces to prevent germs getting on them. “Even though my fingers don’t touch my clients’ face, I wash my hand first and foremost and lay my tools out on a clean towel.”
Makeup is a challenging field
Being a make up artist is certainly not a walk in the park, which is why, in Dominique’s opinion, perseverance is the most important quality any makeup artist should possess. “A lot of people think its an easy job, and it is. There are so many benefits to it. But at the same time, sometimes I have 12-hour work days where I’m on my feet constantly.”
She said that there are occasions where she doesnt catch a break even for food or water, where she spends that time running up and down, making sure everything is perfect for everyone. She experiences severe back aches and dead feet after an event, but no matter how hectic and exhausting it is, she wouldn’t give it up for the world.
Dominique hopes to get her name out there in 2021 as an established makeup artist in the industry. “I put a lot of effort into what I do, so it’s very rewarding to see how far I’ve come.”
Instagram: @niquesfaces
