20-minute daily routine lays foundation for great look, writes Nontando Mposo
The cosmetics industry remains big business. Women around the world spend large amounts of money on beauty products, including make-up, to enhance their looks.
Kylie Jenner of Keeping up with the Kardashians fame is the latest celebrity to cash in on the booming industry. Her lip kits, various shades of lipsticks and lip glosses, are in high demand.
With a number of online make-up tutorials and step-by-step guides for applying the perfect face, there is no excuse for having a bad make-up day, says Rushana Isaacs of Rushana Isaacs Makeup Artistry (Rima).
The 22-year-old make-up artist and beauty and fashion blogger regularly shares make-up tips videos with her 21 000 Instagram followers.
Isaacs started playing with her older sisters’ make-up when she was at Bergvliet High School.
“I took their make-up to school for our Grade 11 fashion show where I was one of the models. I did my own make-up and all the other girls were impressed. I had on purple smoky eyes and fake eye lashes from Clicks, but they liked it so much that I had to do their make-up as well,” says Isaacs.
“From then on I received requests for matric dances, people asking me to do their make-up. I realised that I really enjoyed doing it… I was having so much fun. I started purchasing my own make-up and the news spread fast by word of mouth.”
“I have been working as a make-up artist since then. When I finished my matric in 2013 I studied at the The Make-Up Issue where I learned how to do different types of make-up styles such as beauty, TV, theatrical and special effects make-up and everything that had to do with make-up,” Isaacs said.
She soon landed her first job at Calvin Klein, working as their in-house make-up artist and as an events manager.
Now working for professional Italian make-up brand Flormar , Isaacs recently launched her own range – Rima Cosmetics 10-piece brush set. The gold and white brushes are R395 per set and can be used for buffing, contouring and applying eye shadow, among other things.
“A lot of my followers, the majority of them are in high school or are students, are always asking me where they can buy affordable and quality products. Brushes are expensive, I thought why don’t I just start my own brush line.
“They have been selling like crazy… it’s the only brushes that I use now.” she says.
“The next thing I am planning to do is to start an eyeshadow palette and liquid lipsticks range like Kylie Jenner. I am obsessed with her range.”
Isaacs’s services as a private make-up artist are so much in demand that she is fully booked until September.
Her everyday look takes about 20 minutes to create.
“I moisturise first which is like super important to me. Skin care is more important than make-up to me. I cleanse, tone and moisturise before I apply a primer, another key factor. I do my highlights with about five shades of foundation colour, then I do my contouring… there is never a day where I do my make-up without contouring because if I don’t, I look very flat,” she says.
Contouring, the art of enhancing and defining your features, is the hottest make-up trend at the moment. Understanding what and why you are contouring is key, says Isaacs.
“Contouring is not just to raise your cheekbones or to make your nose thinner, but it’s actually to add definition and dimension to your face. When you contour, you add highlights and dark shades to your face. Contouring makes a huge difference to your make-up and I will never skip it in my make-up routine,” she says.
Isaacs’s biggest make-up no-nos include applying products with your fingers.
“With your fingers you are actually using way more product, especially with foundation. Your fingers will soak up all the moisture, changing the colour of the foundation. And your make-up will separate faster.
“Also, with your fingers you are not going to get an even coverage. You will look quite blotchy. Using a brush your coverage is going to be more flawless and your make-up will stay on longer,” she says.
“I see a lot of women applying way too much blusher. To me blusher is outdated, I don’t wear it at all because if I have a fully made-up face and I add blusher I will look borderline drag queen. Rather use a bronzer to add a bit of flush on your cheeks,” says Isaacs.
* For more information on her brush set or to connect with Rushana Isaacs on Instagram: Rushana Issacs and Snapchat @rushanaisaacs.