On October 20th, I ventured into the blustery grey afternoon to attend my first meeting of Aesthevics at the Goldring Center. Aesthevics is Victoria College’s biggest beauty and makeup appreciation club. I had signed on as their newest makeup artist and addition to the executive team, and I was excited to see what the club was all about.
At my old school, finding people with as avid an interest in makeup like myself was far and in between. I spent a lot of time watching Michelle Phan and Gregory (now GiGi) Gorgeous in between reading bitingly honest reviews on makeup alley and lusting over new Benefit and TooFaced items on Sephora’s website. I still remember my best friends chipping in to buy me the famous “TooFaced Natural Eye Neutral Eyeshadow Palette” when it first came out because I would drag them to Sephora every time we hit the mall to swatch the colors and bemoan, “Isn’t it soo nice?” They didn’t really get spending $40 plus on a couple of eye shadows, but they recognized a good gift idea when they saw one and got me one of my favorite birthday presents to date.
Love love love!
The days of keeping my makeup obsession under wraps are long over, however, because Aesthevics is a club that encourages self-proclaimed makeup addicts like myself to let our freak foundation flag fly (as long as we color match, that is), and creates a wonderful space at the Goldring center where the makeup beginners and seasoned professionals sit side-by-side, learning new techniques and trying new products.
When I first walked into the meeting, this particular one focusing on face makeup and skin types, my eyes were immediately drawn to the table lined with all kinds of foundation, BB cream, pressed powder, mousse foundation, brushes, and more. “Beware of the brands that try to sell you tinted moisturizer packaged as BB cream,” makeup artist Charline Wan warns the group gathered around the table.
The discussion moved from the history of BB cream and how it became the darling of the makeup industry to its properties such as moisturizing, whitening, sun protection, and more. However, Wan takes a no-nonsense approach to these fantastical claims and tells us that many BB creams may be too light on coverage, due to their focus on skincare rather than covering up. Wan emphasizes the golden rule of makeup that what works for one person may not work for everybody, so one must always know their skin type and problem areas – even when buying a cult classic.
The rest of the meeting takes a very similar approach: informative, honest, and quick to call out beauty bullshit. “The beauty blender is basically a glorified sponge,” Wan says unflinchingly, regarding Sephora’s famous $26 dollar beauty blender that many makeup artists and Internet gurus swear by. It’s clear that while Aesthevics celebrates makeup and the beautiful products that Sephora pumps out by the week, the execs also want us to be informed buyers and know when to invest in something or when to say that it’s not for us.
Cult favorite or glorified sponge? Or both?
“Know what items you’re allergic to, actively track ingredients in the products you buy,” Wan advises. Wan is personally allergic to denatured alcohol and told us she always checks product labels to see if this ingredient is present before she buys. According to Wan, other ingredients that commonly cause skin irritations are coconut derivatives and mineral oil.
There is an almost scientific air as Wan and Tanzima Khan, the second makeup artist, describe the pros and cons of using silicone in makeup primers and the difference between the four most common skin types: normal, dry, oily, and combination. The table full of makeup and nail polishes complete with a group of girls sitting around it initially gave off the feeling of girlfriends at a sleepover, ready for makeovers and manicures. It was immediately clear upon sitting down, however, that Wan meant business and the girls (myself included) went in a circle and shared our skin type while Wan and Khan created personalized skin routines for us based on our problem areas.
One of the guinea pigs was club president, SarahLi Forouzanfar who has combination skin. This means she typically gets oily on her forehead and nose, an area known as the T-Zone while her cheeks and chin stay dry or normal. Wan suggested using a liquid foundation because it is the easiest to apply, with a primer on commonly oily areas such as the forehead and T-zone to make sure the foundation has something to grip on and will not slide around with the oil. Silicone fills in enlarged pores and is in most primers; it ensures a smooth surface to work with and can even flatten down fine hairs on the face.
After the explanatory portion of the meeting was done, we moved onto relaxing manicures complete with stencil designs by Wan. I took the time to conduct a quick interview with the executives, and here is what they had to say on the mission of Aesthevics, how it began, and what they hope to see for the club in the upcoming year.
Q: Tell me a bit about yourself?
Tanzima Khan: 3rd year, double major in Women and Gender studies and History with a minor in Political Science, Makeup Artist
Charline Wan: 3rd year, studying Education, VP and Head Makeup Artist
SaraLi Forouzanfar: 3rd year, physiology and Human Biology, President
What is the mission of Aesthevics and what do you do in each meeting?
SaraLi: This club was started so we could share our knowledge and passion for makeup and nail polish. People from beginners to experts can come and join us and share their knowledge, play with makeup, learn different things about it.
Who is the target audience for the club?
SaraLi: We want every type of person to come, this is a great opportunity for beginners to learn and for experts to come share their knowledge and experiences
Why did you decide to start the club?
SaraLi: I know a lot of people who have had different makeup experiences, from people who started by experimenting in their mom’s makeup drawer to people who are trying to get their first job and want to get a more professional look and have no idea where to start, to everything in between. Anybody can come and brush up on their makeup skills, learn a little about its history, it’s applications in real life, how makeup becomes a part of people’s lives and why they do it. I just wanted people to have an opportunity to talk about makeup, get together, and do nails as well.
Charline: There’s also the factor of confidence where makeup can help with your own self-confidence. We wanted to help people with outer beauty as well as inner beauty.
Tanzima: It’s also a place to meet new friends and share an interest because a lot of people have a growing interest in makeup but have nobody to talk about it with because maybe their friends aren’t that into makeup.
What was the club like last year, and what’s your vision for the club this year?
SaraLi: We started our club halfway through last year so we didn’t quite get the start we wanted. This year, we started from the beginning and we’re looking forward to having lots of learning, experimenting, and fun. We hope to see our numbers grow, along with our member’s makeup knowledge
Is this club open to Victoria College students or everybody?
SaraLi: Exec positions are only open to Victoria College students but we encourage members from any college across U of T to attend and enjoy meetings
What’s your message to any girl or guy out there who wants to join Aesthevics?
SaraLi: Makeup is for everyone, girl, guy, we don’t discriminate on any factor, so we encourage anybody with any interest in makeup to come and join us to learn, play, or just have some people to talk to.
How would people be able to get involved?
SaraLi: We have a Facebook group and we have our e-mail, you can also find us at Victoria College. Our meetings are Monday from 4pm-6pm in the Music Room of the Goldring center.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aesthevics/
I personally had a great time at the first meeting, Wan and Khan proved that makeup is not just rolling your face in pressed powder and calling it a day, but rather a specific science that calls for intricate tools and a wealth of knowledge. Future Aesthevics meetings will feature hot topics such as the no-makeup makeup look, Halloween face paint, winged and graphic liner, and how to master the Smokey eye. Like today’s meeting, they will begin with an information session and background on the techniques and products needed for each particular look. Then we will progress into a demonstration and experimentation with the products.
Makeup, makeup everywhere!
Here are some of the protips that I learned at the meeting on face makeup:
· Dry skin does not work well with powder because you’re essentially putting dry on dry, it will not stick. Make sure you begin with moisturizer.
· If you know you’re going to have a long day, use a setting spray after makeup or bring blotting papers
· Bring blotting papers with you regardless of if you wear face makeup or not – the skin naturally produces sebum during the day which contribute to a shiny look
· When buying makeup in a store, try to find a mirror near natural light because makeup colours will look different outside the harsh lighting of the store
· Your skin either has yellow, pink, or neutral undertones – look at your veins, if they are purple, you have a red undertone. If the veins appear blue or green, you have a yellow undertone
· Many high end makeup brands label their foundations with numbers – if the number ends with a 0, it is a yellow undertone. If the number ends with 0.5, it is a pink undertone eg. Laura Mercier does this
· If you want a lip tint instead of a lip stick for a daytime look, apply your bright lipstick and then use an oil blotting sheet to remove the first layer of colour – you’ll be left with a pretty tint and won’t have to purchase a separate product
So whether you’re still using the same lip gloss from grade eight or have all the palettes from Urban Decay’s Naked pallet, you’re welcome at Aesthevics! We look forward to seeing you next Monday at the Goldring Music room.
Photo sources:
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http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-128337017012708/beautyblender-34.jpg
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