INTERVIEWER: ALIA FARAMAWI

I consider myself my own HR manager, which obligates me to be harsh on myself at times and to give myself little rewards for my good performance at other times…

Sally Rashid

About Sally Rashid:

At the age of 5 Sally wished to own all her mum’s make up, yet she grew up as the passionate well-recognized makeup artist with a bachelor In Business Administration. Sally decided on taking the plunge of entrepreneurship! She focused on her core talent and made it her career until in 2009 she became the founder of Make Me Up.

She got trained and certified by Dior, YSL’s and Giorgio Armani’s makeup artist “Adolfo Martini”. A couple of years later Sally proceeded and got certified by “Paramita Academy, Canada” for bridal and fashion makeup.

With a talent, a playful personality and a four years experience in the business whether it’s as dynamic as fashion or as special as bridal, she always manages to impress.

 THE INTERVIEW

1- HR Revolution Middle-East: As a Business Administration graduate, why did you choose to be a makeup artist as a profession rather than working in Human Resources, marketing or finance?

Sally Rashid: My approach to learning since childhood included innovation and creativity; I was never a fan of mathematical problems or memorizing paragraphs to write in exams. So when I got the chance to work with something that allowed me to use my creativity and keep my freedom as a person, I chose to freelance my passion.

2- HR Revolution Middle-East: You have completed a HR course at college. Did this course directly or indirectly help you in way in your work as a makeup artist?

Sally Rashid: As I am currently my own boss, I consider myself my own HR manager, which obligates me to be harsh on myself at times and to give myself little rewards for my good performance at other times.

It definitely enhanced my self-awareness, making me totally aware of my strengths and weaknesses. Hence, it has allowed me to work on reaching my full potential and on my flaws by expanding my knowledge in the field through makeup artistry courses.

3- HR Revolution Middle-East: If you were an HR recruiter, would you judge the performance of an interviewee from her makeup style? How can the makeup style reflect the personality and work abilities of a person?

Sally Rashid: Since an interview is all about reading between the lines and understanding the unsaid, a woman’s makeup shows exactly her personality along with her attitude. If she has bold overly-done makeup, she’s either depending on her looks to reach her objectives regardless of her work experience and knowledge, or has very low self-confidence that she is concealing with makeup. If she has “barely-there” corrective make up just to give a healthy glow, then she’s a moderate person who is stable, smart and knows how to act appropriately.

If she has no make up at all whilst having many obvious defects, I’d would assume she’s a nerd type of girl where her look comes last, and she’s solely focused on showing the knowledge and experience she’s got. I’d hire her then tell her a little makeup won’t hurt. (winks)

4- HR Revolution Middle-East: If makeup can actually reflect part of the personality of a woman, how can an HR recruiter judge a guy in an interview through his appearance? Does makeup in women have an alternative in men?

Sally Rashid: Well, of course there are little simple things that make the whole difference, the most important of which is “hygiene”, which identifies a man’s appearance. Clean hands, clipped nails, shaved beard, properly-groomed hair, preferably damp to show he’s just jumped out of the shower, along with a smart firm attitude. I’d definitely be glad to have his presence daily in the office.

Sometimes men rely on perfume to show that they care about their appearance, which is fine. Just make sure you choose a light fresh-day fragrance and not splash too much of it on. Remember no one wants morning drama; it’s exactly like wearing too much makeup.

5- HR Revolution Middle-East: Is there a difference between a manager’s makeup and any other employee’s makeup?

Sally Rashid: Not at all, makeup has two main purposes, to conceal defects and to highlight natural beauty. If any of the two is overly done then it has lost its essence and no makeup would definitely look better. At the end of the day regardless of your position, remember you just need to look fresh and healthy.

6- HR Revolution Middle-East: What kind of advice do you want to give to school or college graduates who want to shift their career path to become makeup artists?

Sally Rashid: I would say go for it. It’s nice to follow your passion and earn from what you love doing. Make sure you have a do-able plan for expanding your business to keep you busy when you’re hitting 50. If you don’t then I’d suggest you work in a well-established organization and keep makeup application as a hobby or a side job, which is still great since weekends are the time when people want to look pretty.

7- HR Revolution Middle-East: If you are willing to expand further instead of working solo, what would be the criteria in selecting your makeup employees?

Sally Rashid: I studied HR and I have also experienced being a vice president for human resources and talent management for 2 years with AIESEC (a student organization). This taught me a lot about leading others, having an impact on people and helping them reach their full potential. This makes me look forward to creating a skilled team. The first characteristic would be charisma, as our job relies on personal contact with clients then come creativity, problem-solving, accountability and stress management.

8- HR Revolution Middle-East: What is the difference between work makeup and evening makeup?

Sally Rashid: Work make up has to be kept minimal, low profile, you don’t want to be wearing red lips and distracting every person trying to approach you. They’ll end up looking at your lips the whole conversation, men and women! It’s just human nature and the color red! However evening make up sets you in the mood you desire, complements your outfit and completes the picture.

9- HR Revolution Middle-East: What aspect do you enjoy most about being a makeup artist?

Sally Rashid: I love the effect of make up on a girl’s self-esteem. It really has the power to lift her self-confidence and make her feel self-worthy. This is what I love the most “The spark in happy eyes”.

HR Revolution Middle-East: Thank you so much Sally for this out of the box interview and for your beautiful art.