Biography

    

        Growing up in a family surrounded by women is something that I am very blessed and grateful for. It is where I found not only the love of a family but it is also where my love for my craft is drawn from. Having these women around me all the time; watching them being transformed by the magic of every colors applied on their faces; witnessing how they look like before and after gave me such thrill of excitement. Firing the immeasurable imagination in me.

My very first makeup sketch

         
Since the time beginning, media played a vital role in providing us the “real” definition of beauty. It is where different different faces, personalities, icons were being showed. These icons have, for the most part, shaped our definition of beauty. And having been fascinated with beauty ever since, media could have played a very important role on how I define beauty (especially growing up during the years where supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford,  Kate Moss, etc. were very popular.) It could have been one of them but in my case, I found the definition of beauty in the person of my mom. She has always been and will always be my icon of beauty. She is my hero. She played a very important role on how I fell in love with my craft. I always find it intriguing on how make up, specifically the eyebrows pencil, gives such character to my mom’s face, a magical ability to transform her from a plain housewife to a sophisticated woman. For as long as I remember I’ve been obsessed with eyebrows from that first hand experience all the way to today, and since then makeup has always held a little magic for me. I can even still remember my first hand experience with make up when I held an eyebrow pencil as I watch her as if playing with those colors. It’s like an electricity running in my blood, just like an experience every little girl has when they had their first experience on make up, being reminded of their coming of age as a woman(but in my case no make up being put on; and I ain't a little girl. :P Just the feeling. :)). I knew right there and then that I wanted to become a make up artist.

my mom, Alicia Quero Fernandez Posadas

my Beloved Sisters

 I grew up and so did my fascination with make up. I remember how I try to sneak up on my sister’s magazine collection; going home right after my class just to make sure I will be able to watch fashion shows and other telenovelas like Marimar and Rosalinda. All these, because of my fascination with the magic of makeup; how it beautifies women; how it transforms and gives personality and character to a woman even if it’s not hers. But just like any other child fascinated with something, watching or seeing these women isn’t just enough, I know I need to have a hands on experience. And that is when I started volunteering doing make up every time our theatre and dance club held a show/event. Being able to put my visions into reality and doing it with my bare hands is something that gave me the obsession and at the same time compulsion of wanting to do more and explore further. When I entered college I was afraid that I have to sacrifice a bit for my craft and focus more on my studies, little did I know it is the other way around. I realized my inclination to make up is a passion rooted so deeply to the extent of me not being able to get a way out of it. 

On my 2^nd year in college, I took advantage of the salon that was owned by a good friend of mine. I started watching the make up artist do his work of art and then later on I found myself doing the make up myself for their client without any formal training; all based on my amateur yet vision-full experience. Then during my last year in college where I was too busy for my hospital internship, I remember how I always make my co-interns look like as if they are attending some sort of gathering but reality wise they are just inside the laboratory handling the dirtiest possible specimen you can imagine.(It’s like my hands cant afford to be idle, not being able to do what it really wants, and it just finds its way) I should have been focusing on applying my knowledge about bacteria, virus, parasites, etc. but instead I was rather focused on applying eyeshadow, blush on and lipstick. Seeing me enjoying  my craft made my mom concerned  that I might not be able to finish my studies and afraid that I might not be able to pursue her long time dream of me becoming a doctor. Bur I proved her wrong, I was able to finish my bachelor’s degree and I even entered school of medicine. 

Me and my colleagues 

On my 1^st year in medicine, while my parents dreamed of seeing me wearing those white robes with stethoscope on my neck, I dreamt of women wearing beautiful make up, glowing with those sparkling skin and glossy red lips. For me, just like any other profession, make up artistry is something that comes within you, it’s a passion that eventually become a hobby, a hobby that makes you happy and satisfied at the end of your work, something that makes you feel say, “This is what I want to do, and I will do whatever it takes for me to achieve it.” And after years of battling with what I want to do and what I should do, I finally had the courage to confront my mom that I cant see myself handling patients but rather I see myself making women beautiful. I quit medicine and everything just seem to be perfect since then (and until now). I followed my heart and took the risks, I wasn’t armed with any special training, all I have is a great passion, vision and dedication in making beautiful women. And God never failed to make me feel I was doing the right thing. He made way for my biggest break when my friend (who owns the salon where I worked at) won in a prestigious hair competition here in Manila. I was the one who did the make up and fortunately one of the judges who is a known make up artist noticed not only the hairstyle but also the make up worn by the model. He then invited me to be part of his team which I didn’t even think twice to grab. It opened a bigger avenue for me to work and at the same time learn so much about the make up under his team. But just like any student-teacher relationship; there will come a time that the student will have to move on, to allow himself to learn and experience greater things or even someday become a teacher himself, sharing the learnings gotten from his teacher and from his own personal experiences. I quit the team and once again God made me feel that I was doing the right thing. I was offered to become the senior make up artist of Toni and Guy salon together with my friend who has been working there as the creative director. Funny it my seem that years ago, I was just a volunteer makeup artist at his small salon in our hometown but now, here we are, savoring the outcome of our hardship and seeing ourselves one step closer to the dreams that we’ve long been working for. And indeed all hardship, risks and sacrifices are finally being paid off.
 

my Toni & Guy Family

During my stay with Toni and Guy salon, I had the opportunity to be trained and develop my skills but there is one thing that I can say something that I did enjoy the most--TEACHING. Primarily because I share the same love for make up with my students; and every time I see their enthusiasm in learning, it made me more humble as I look back and remember how I started as a make up artist “wanna be” in a small town in Pangasinan. I had 4 colorful and satisfying years working as an artist and at the same time as a teacher in the salon before I decided to work as a freelance make up artist. I realized I had a fair share on being a student and a teacher to others and its about time to finally venture more on make up artistry business, but this time, I will be venturing on my own. I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way.  Fashion, advertising, wedding, personal clients, name it, I was always there behind the scene with my “several” make up luggage's. I  know I have to work even harder this time around because I’m on my own and it is where I get to learn, earn, grow, and build a credibility and a name for my chosen profession. One great benefit I got from working as a freelance make up artist is that I had the pleasure to work with different people. From editors, creative directors, models, showbiz actors/actresses, photographers, fashion stylist down to wedding coordinators, videographers, designers, florist and so on. All of them shared a great contribution on how I flourish as a make up artist(and it is something I will always be GRATEFUL for). I was able to gather experience and have an ideal training as I work with these people. I kept my eyes wide open as I work and observe on how they work with the model/woman to make a good photo(execute their job well) and at the same time I kept my heart open to criticisms that made me who I am right now.

Being in the industry for 12 years, I know I have more to learn and so much more to experience. Make up industry opened numerous avenues and opportunities for me not only to be able to survive but most importantly it is where I found my true love, my reason of happiness and satisfaction. I could have been one of the best doctor the country has today but I chose to be one of the best make up artist and I am very much happy and satisfied with it and will always be. As long as there are people who continually conform to the minority that consider themselves as beautiful; as long as there are people who have close hearts and minds and not able to appreciate beauty in all its forms; and as long as there are people who are weak  and too afraid to be true to themselves, disown their uniqueness and subjugate themselves to whatever current popular stereotypes there is; I will be the makeup artist who will exemplify that accepting individuality is the only way where we can find true happiness ad genuine definition of  “BEAUTY”. At the end of my work, the satisfaction primarily comes from the feeling that somehow I am able emulate confidence, contentment and satisfaction behind individual imperfection to everyone. It has and will always be the beauty the woman has that is to be appreciated first before the makeup itself. After all make up is just something that enhances, highlights, accentuates the beauty of the woman. And, anyway, make up is not something that is permanent. It can be erased at anytime, and all that is and will be left is the face that showcases the beauty that every woman INNATELY has, even without the application of makeup.

Divine Lee

While most people see me as one of the senior make up artist in the country today, I consider myself as the other way around. I will always see myself as a little kid trying to grow, develop and learn more. I have stayed and will always stay open to endless combinations and boundless possibilities. Coz I believe in the end, if I started to think I know it all and develop a rigid philosophy, I will stop growing and learning, hindering myself from being the make up artist I am today and most importantly hindering all the chance life has to offer for me to become the best possible make up artist I can be.