By DIANA AL-JASSEM, LIFE.STYLE@ARABNEWS.COM Saudi makeup artist encourages minimum makeup for maximum beauty Manal Khayat, Saudi makeup artist and adopted makeup trainer by Makeup Studio Company in Holland, is an example to look up to. Her passion for makeup made her pursue it as a career even though the cosmetics profession is not acknowledged in the Kingdom. “Since the idea of working in cosmetics was not favored in Saudi society, I went to Beirut to study makeup at Rafic Younes Beauty Academy. This was the only way to show people here that being a makeup artist is indeed a profession. So, I got my degree and then came back to Saudi Arabia to establish my salon, which applies the artistic academic theory in the cosmetic field,” said Khayat. She believes that women, especially Arabs, have misconceptions about women makeup artists. “Many women prefer to have their makeup done by a male makeup artist because they believe men know how to make women look more beautiful. The opposite is true, however, since it is female makeup artists that know how to play up the features that women like the most,” she said. She confirmed that she hopes to boost the way for Saudi men as well to start working in the makeup field. That way, they could promote their style to other countries and travel to apply makeup on Arab actresses in Egypt and Syria. Khayat’s makeup style is basic: Minimize the makeup on the face and maximize on the women’s natural beauty. She uses refreshing color palettes without changing one’s natural beauty. “As a professional makeup artist and a working woman, I like simple makeup that is easy to apply and that reveals the Saudi woman’s character and beauty. I want to remove that old idea of having too much makeup on,” said Khayat. This is especially true when it comes to young girls. “Most Saudi girls start applying makeup at an early age, which is not healthy for their skin. They create the ‘smoky eye’ look to attract attention, but they are unaware which makeup is suitable for the right time. I advice the young women who are aged 16 to 25 to highlight their features instead of covering it up with layers of pale foundation, black eye shadow and false eyelashes,” said Khayat. In fact, the new Saudi makeup trend is highlighting a woman’s facial features rather than changing them with colorful makeup. “Our new trend is to avoid powders, use simple eyeliner and a minimal amount of cream blush. Such makeup foundation will make the woman look pretty as it blends into the woman’s skin to giving it a natural flush,” she explained. Khayat’s talent led her to become the first Saudi woman to be in charge of the World Academy Union of Cosmetology in Dubai. “Sadly we can say that Saudi makeup artists were not available on the artistic makeup map. Being in charge of WAUC gave me special opportunities to gather talented people from different Saudi regions. There are talented youth, but they were looking to receive training courses under the supervision of qualified experts,” she said. Because it is rare to have makeup artist shows in the Middle East, Khayat like other artists, contributed to several festivals and shows worldwide. “We presented shows in Cairo, Beirut and Dubai. They were thinking that Saudi makeup is only “smoky eyes” makeup, which is wrong. Even though “smoky eyes” did originate from Saudi Arabia as Saudi women were the first to do this kind of makeup, but it’s not the only style we have,” said Khayat. “It has been so exciting to work with the WAUC team. The experience is really great because they offer opportunities to meet professional experts from around the world. So, combined with my professional expertise, we plan for special makeup shows around the world,” stated Khayat. She participated in several film festivals and makeup shows in India, Holland, Cairo and Beirut. According to her, most European and Arab experts are getting amazed when they see the new makeup styles that she is showing. “The experts and audience welcomed all the shows that we presented. We ranked the first position in all the shows and competitions,” she said. Khayat calls for the importance of providing a bachelors degree in cosmetics in Saudi universities and institutions. “Learning the makeup art in specialized institutions and universities will help a lot in developing the field. Most Saudi girls are interested to study and work in the cosmetic field, but they end up learning from unknown salons and beauty centers.” With increasing festivals and TV shows taking place in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries, there are more and more opportunities to work in the makeup field. “As a makeup artist, I am looking to work with a lot of talented actresses, especially as some TV series are being shot here in the Kingdom,” she said. Her latest plan is to educate Saudi women on how to apply makeup, whether it’s simple makeup for going to university, work, or shopping or dramatic makeup for special occasions, parties and weddings.