Make Up Artist Essay

By Yeo Chia Hui

Imagine if your work involves playing with make-up － where instead of clocking in hours at the office, you’re spending time enhancing the facial features of someone; and rather than keyboards and computers, you use beauty products such as lipstick, eyeshadow and blusher as your tools.

For Shiyo Joo, he doesn’t need to dream up this scenario since it is exactly how a day in his job looks like. A freelance make-up artist, he has worked with many local celebrities, helped out in television productions, and is involved in various editorial photo shoots.

But while his social media platforms paint his occupation in a glitzy manner, the affable lad explained that there is more than meets the eye.

“Honestly, a make-up artist is a difficult job because we have a lot of work to do, hence it’s really tiring. For

Even then, it’s not easy to get brands to sponsor you. You need to prove it to them that your skills and social media presence are worth it. So, it’s again about putting in the hours and effort,” Joo elaborated.

With eight years of experience in this field, it actually took him a few twists and turns to reach where he currently is.

“I was studying Mass Communication, but I wasn’t interested so I decided to pursue make-up after I discussed it with my parents. Although my interest was fashion designing, the course was more expensive. Seeing as how I didn’t want to burden my parents financially, I chose make-up as it’s still somewhat related to the fashion industry.”

Upon his graduation from the make-up programme, Joo was then picked by the institution to become a trainer. His academic stint lasted for two years before he spread his wing into becoming a full-time make-up artist.

Even though the 26-year-old enjoyed teaching the ins and outs of make-up, the experience pales in comparison to the practical work that he is presently