Nielah O. left the advertising industry and pursued her passion in makeup artistry. She earned her makeup artistry certificate from Columbia College, honed her skill with M.A.C. Cosmetics, and today her work is featured in film, videos and print. The eclectic artist also has a clothing line, Chocolate Sushi Couture.
Professionally speaking, Nielah O. says women should know that people judge a book by its cover in the workplace, and successful people take pride in their look.
“Women look at you, men look at you, so if you want to be successful, give them something nice to look at,” she tells rolling out. “It’s a harsh reality but it’s true, there’s no reason for you not to look up to par.”
Here, Nielah O. shares her basic tips for a flawless, 15-minute morning makeover; her model is Felicia Neustadter, owner of Nticing Ngredients.
1. Prep the skin and lips. “Wash and moisturize your skin before you put on any makeup product. If the skin doesn’t look healthy, whatever you put on top of that is only going to highlight what’s going on underneath. Hydrate your lips.”
2. Brighten the eyes. “Apply eye cream to hydrate under the eyes. The skin around your eye is different (thinner, and more sensitive) than the skin on your face; apply with your ring finger and tap, tap, tap. Depending on the level of darkness under your eye, you can use a regular concealer or a color-corrective concealer. If you have excessive darkness under your eyes, you can use something with an orange or peach base. Concealer will take 5 or 10 years off, it makes a huge difference.” Eyebrows must be well groomed.
