Linda Casillas is a second year, Art History Major at UCLA. Not only does she balance the course load that comes along with being a college student, but Linda is also a self-taught makeup artist. After looking through her Instagram page (I’ll admit it—I spent a long time looking at all the pics), it is clear that Linda has an amazing talent for all things makeup. I was so excited to talk to Linda about her passions for makeup and how she became such a great artist. Check out our interview below.
Her Campus: When did you first start doing makeup?
Linda Casillas: I began doing my makeup when I was in eighth grade. I would steal [my mother’s] makeup to practice on my own. I didn’t start feeling passionate about it, though, until I joined my high school’s dance company, and realized that makeup plays an important role in performance, and other aspects of life.
HC: How have you learned to become a MUA?
LC: I started watching tutorials on Youtube because I would watch my mom do that. My favorite channels include Nikkietutorials, Jaclyn Hill and MannyMua; they have taught me mostly everything that I know.
HC: What is your favorite part of what you do?
LC: My favorite part about being a MUA is being able to transform my friends. I love bringing out confidence in others, and making them feel beautiful! I like to think of makeup as art, and I love having friends that let me use their face as my canvas.
HC: What is the most challenging part?
LC: Being able to come up with completely unique and creative looks; it feels as though all ideas have already been taken at times. Having enough money to spend on makeup and equipment to take my pictures has also been a huge challenge. As of right now, I don’t have a nice camera to take pictures with or film videos, so I have to settle by using my iPhone 5s.
HC: What is your favorite look you have ever created?
LC: My favorite look that I have ever done is one where I used black glitter and very long, spidery lashes. It was a look I was super scared to try out at first, but I think it came out really cool and different.
HC: What do you think is the most important skill when wanting to become a MUA?
LC: The most important skills when wanting to become a MUA are to just be passionate and resilient. My mom would ban me from buying makeup because she didn’t understand that it was something I was truly passionate about. There will always be people who will be judgemental towards you and your interests, but it’s important to stay true to your passion and art. Be confident and rock that full coverage foundation, thick liner and dramatic eyelashes.
HC: What are your career goals?
LC: My dream career would be to work with MAC and possibly be a director of makeup artistry for the company, just like Gregory Arlt.
HC: Any advice for people who want to self-learn makeup?
LC: Makeup requires a lot of time (and money), so don’t get discouraged if you can’t get your winged eyeliner to look the way you wanted it to, or if you don’t have enough money to buy the best makeup brands at first. Everyone has to start off somewhere. Anyone can do makeup it’s just a matter of investing time, practice, and being truly passionate about your art.
Thanks Linda for opening my eyes to the world of self-taught makeup! If you want to stay updated with Linda’s new looks, follow her Instagram. Trust me, you’ll want to check out her work—it’s AMAZING!