I interviewed Yukiko Lim who is a makeup artist. What exactly does one do, and how can they help in beauty?

1) What do you do?

I am a makeup artist. My work involves enhancing a person’s looks for the day of her event, be it for photoshoot for corporate brochure, a special themed dinner and dance, creating different looks for her pre-wedding photos or making her feel beautiful in the most important day of her life.

I first trained and interned under a renowned makeup artist who have many years in the wedding industry, got a taste of the colourful and exciting world of makeup where each work day is never the same, and never looked back. I went on to fulfil my dream of studying makeup in Japan, further broadening my makeup scope and experience. My work stints have since brought me to overseas locations like Taipei, Bali, Busan, Seoul, Kyoto, Osaka, Matsumoto, Tokyo and Paris.

2) How did you get into what you are doing, and why do you do what you do?

I was originally in an accounting job for many years and stuck in a toxic relationship, where I felt unloved and unattractive, with a low self-esteem. Exposure to the world of makeup, skincare and fashion with my first mentor has healed and opened up my world, which I am truly thankful for.

Now, I feel an inexplicable sense of joy to make someone’s day, to have the person walk out with more confidence knowing that he or she is beautiful. That spurs me to do my best for him/her, giving makeup and hairstyles that truly enhances their features, as well as having them feel special and well taken care of, on their special day.

I love that there is no end to this glamourous world, there are new colours and styles coming up every season, it’s never boring or mundane. I can be as creative as I want and often work does not feel like work, with the day filled with laughter and satisfaction at end of the day.

And which girl is as lucky as me, to be able to buy all the makeup that I want, without feeling guilty?

3) What are common issues your clients have?

Usually most clients have skincare concerns which need to be addressed, often which can be easily solved with a lifestyle change, for eg the method they clean or apply their skincare, or by using the right skincare that targets the skincare concerns. Sometimes clients come to me when they encountered bad past experience from other service providers, which more often than not, I find that it’s a lack of effective communication, as beauty/makeup can be subjective, what looks good on one person may not look good on another. Thus good communication is vital.

4) What are your future plans?

I have been conducting personal makeup classes for the general public. I am looking at conducting more big scale group classes that are good and affordable in the near future, besides makeup and skincare, there would also be fashion styling for clothes and accessories, so more people can benefit and gain knowledge on beauty and how to take care of themselves better.

5) Any advice for other entrepreneurs

Every line has its ups and downs, with no exception to this. The irregular hours and income may be discouraging at first but after holding on tight and riding it through, one will find the most breath-taking view at some point of the journey, and then another wave awaits. Do what makes you feel alive, believe in yourself and never give up.

Visit the below links to find out more about Yukiko:

More of my work can be viewed at www.yukikolim.com and https://www.facebook.com/MakeupYukikoLim

Note: I have not vested interest or benefit from interviewing Yukiko. I am doing so in the pure intention to educate and help more people.