Beauty miracles don't happen overnight

As appeared in Style
The Brunei Times - March 21, 2008

MAKEUP artists are wont to hear the helpless cry of "I've had a huge breakout" or "Help! My skin had an allergic reaction to my facial" accompanied by the doe-eyed look and pleading words: "Can you make me look beautiful?" This is especially important to a woman who has a special event lined up her wedding, for instance. Or a reunion with schoolmates she's never seen for 20 years but needs to impress (we've all been there).
Hoping for a miracle is a normal human experience but don't set expectations too high, especially if you have not put the work in, says lifestyle consultant Syahira Bahrain. "Miracles don't happen overnight," the 34-year-old former catwalk model and professional dancer says, "yet this is what most women expect."
Stressing that many women don't want to invest in themselves, Syahira says this makes the job of a makeup artist more difficult. "I've had to work with women whose skin are patchy because they haven't been taking care of their faces, and this means the makeup doesn't stay on as well as it would have.
"And having your makeup run and turn splotchy will ruin a girl's big day."
That's why Syahira insists on the importance of a lifestyle and attitude change -- what she terms investing in yourself -- for a woman who wants to look good on a certain occasion. She works with clients three or even six months in advance of that important date, looking at all the angles in what would make the woman the most envied person in the room.
These include weight management, hair and skin care, clothes and the all-important makeup. "On a girl's wedding day, she usually wants to look her best -- a radiant complexion, great hair, beautiful wedding attire and accessories.
"Sometimes this means a little weight loss, so I start with a discussion on exactly what the client wants, and how to go about achieving it."
Syahira says she has no qualms about playing the devil's advocate and telling the client what she should hear instead of what she wants to. If the client wants to lose some pounds, maybe to get to her ideal weight, the discussion will be about diet and exercise combined, not a quick-fix starvation regiment just to fit into that dress.
"We're looking at a whole lifestyle change," says Syahira, who works with an international lifestyle management programme which has proven successful. Saying that she's hands-on with clients to the point of performing exercises with them, Syahira admits that things get tough if a person doesn't have the commitment to change. "After the first few sessions, I keep tabs on my clients to see how they are progressing towards their goals.
"Some revert to bad habits or quit exercising but some stay with the programme. It all depends on willpower," says Syahira, herself trying to manage her weight after putting on the pounds during her two pregnancies. Currently at a comfortable 58kg, Syahira says she was one of those idealists who thought weight would never be an issue since she had always been slim. "I ballooned during my pregnancies, and it was a shock. But at least I know how hard it is work on losing those extra pounds, and I can advise my clients accordingly."
In her wedding package, Syahira says although she doesn't deal with the wedding attire or hairdressing herself, she has a vested interest in the matters as they become a backdrop to the most important part of her work -- a woman's face.
The advocate of colours -- she professes a love of playing with her makeup palette -- says some women don't realise the importance of looking good, especially during events like their wedding, and leave makeup decisions to others or have facials one day before the event, risking breakouts or allergic reactions. "For some people, the size of the wedding is the bigger concern. But you have to remember, the pictures of your wedding will be kept for a long time, maybe even handed down for generations, so it pays to look good."
She says an essential part of the makeup process is the trial, where she will work with the client on the desired look. "Some clients want the "natural look" and don't realise that it's not about just slapping on one layer of powder. Sometimes the natural look -- which is you but just better -- takes longer to achieve."
Clients can also be fixated on a certain look they want to emulate, even though it might not be suitable. "They point to a photograph in a magazine and say they want this and that. But colours look different on different skintones, and I don't want my clients to look like clowns on their important day."
Some people not used to wearing makeup can also be uncomfortable at the time and effort spent on their faces -- until she shows them the results, that is. "I take before and after pictures, so the client can see for themselves the radiance they can achieve for that special day.
"And if they follow the programme and reach their ideal weight, and then continue to manage their lifestyle in a healthier way, the radiance can go on beyond just the wedding day.
"A beautiful life will create a beautiful person, from the inside out, and that lasts longer than just one day."