Reyaz Shahabudeen Baksh is a ‘Special Person’

Sep 20, 2020 News, Special Person

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Defying the odds to become a phenomenal make-up artist…

By Romario Blair

“It took a lot of bravery for me because it is challenging to go into the make-up business in this society,” said Reyaz Shahabudeen Baksh of his decision to embark on a career as a make-up artist.

This, he said, is owing to the fact that “we live in this judgmental society where people think doing make-up is only for girls.”
But this has not deterred Baksh one bit simply because “I find happiness in it and I love doing it.” For this reason, he continues to defy the odds as he steams ahead with his dream of becoming a phenomenal make-up artist.
The 18-year-old Baksh recently completed a Master Class in Make-up Artistry and has already been making a notable impact. Though he is now trying to gain a firm foothold in the business, he has already been working with a few models as he awaits the perfect breakthrough opportunity.
This young make-up artist hails from Lima, which is located within the Anna Regina Township on the Essequibo Coast. In fact, he is arguably the first male make-up artist within the Pomeroon/Supenaam area [Region Two].Baksh is the youngest of three children born to Nazurdeen and Shameeza Baksh. Speaking of his upbringing recently, he revealed, “I had a very nice childhood, everything I desired I had; my parents weren’t rich, but they provided and I was happy.”
It was since he was a young boy, Baksh said, he had a liking for make-up and was known to dabble in it, though experimentally.

He comically went on to say, “I used to practice all type of stuff on my second sister, sometimes I use to bring out some really ugly looks just for fun. I nevertheless always use to persuade her into allowing me to do something funny to her face. And I enjoyed doing that.”
In reflection mode, Baksh said, “I did realize that I was good at it because I was able to bring out various looks and I just became passionate about it from that moment onwards.”
He graduated from the Cotton Field Secondary School in 2018 and is presently working part-time at a supermarket in his home town. But this did not in any way diminish his passion for his art. In fact, he became all the more determined to sharpen his talent and as a result decided to start a make-up artistry course. The course, he disclosed, was being offered by a prominent make-up artist on the Essequibo Coast.

JUDGED BY SOCIETY
Some may no doubt share the opinion that make-up should be left to girls, but in a world where gender inclusivity is now incorporated into society, those opinions often shift. Baksh said that before signing up for the course, he was hesitant. His indecisiveness was based primarily on the thought of how he will be viewed by society. In explaining what it was like making the decision to delve into this arena, Baksh said, “I was at a cross-road; I had to decide whether I was going to please society, or reach out for the thing I love and enjoy doing.”
After signing up for the course, a photo of Baksh and the other participants was posted to the Glam by Trimacie Facebook page. Baksh was the only male participant and as expected this realization immediately sparked some criticisms. “Somebody messaged me and asked me, ‘do you know what you call a guy that does make up?’ The person went on to say make-up is a girls’ thing,” Baksh recounted.
But he was certainly getting enough support to keep him focused on his passion. Baksh spoke of idolizing local make-up artist, Trimacie Frederick, whose work he admired, and that made it especially easy for him to pursue the course. According to Baksh too, Trimacie was remarkably supportive throughout his course. “When I started, Trimacie, my make-up idol, said go ahead and start doing what you love to do, because no matter what you do, society will always judge. I have been using those words and those words have been moving mountains for me,” Baksh noted.
FAMILY SUPPORT
Apart from the support of his make-up idol, Baksh said that the support his family showed, and continues to show, has been immense. Although his mother passed away some five months ago, Baksh said that his father continues to be supportive. Other family members have also showed tremendous support, he related. “My family, including my aunts, they have been very supportive, both financially and morally. After the criticisms, three of my aunts called me that same night, and said ‘you have a far way to go, don’t let that bother you’. With all the moral support that I have been receiving, all the criticisms just died away. I have been hated by some of the people I least expected to hate me and I have been loved by some of the people I least expected to love me as well.”
Baksh said that following the criticisms he faced, he decided to keep his circle small. “I’m a very easy-going person; I don’t have many friends. I try to keep my circle small and try to avoid as much negativity as possible…By keeping my circle small, the negativity is less,” he asserted.
VERY AMBITOUS
Although Baksh is relatively young in the make-up business, his dream is to one day own his own studio. “I’m currently working on acquiring more utensils, eye shadow pallets and brushes. I want to have my personal studio with everything, and I want to do some more classes, and look at some more videos to improve my techniques,” said the ambitious Baksh.
When asked to describe the feeling when doing a client’s make-up, Baksh said, “The feeling is unexplainable, it’s like happiness to a new level when I’m working on someone and just working that brush.” He explained further, “There are different looks an artist can bring out when doing make-up, there’s a simple three-colour eye shadow, there’s cut breeze and half cut breeze, halo eyes and even the carnival look… with the cut breeze you just use your brush to get a neat cut… though it’s being done with a brush and concealer, it’s very technical because if you miss, you have to go again…it takes me about 45 minutes to one hour to complete a really elaborate look. A simple look could take about 20 minutes or a little longer,” he was eager to explain.
Our ‘Special Person’ is currently busy refining his talent by working with models. But he expects to soon be landing a number of clients because of his unique touch. Some of his outstanding work can be found on his Facebook page: Reyaz Shahabudeen Baksh.
When asked where he sees himself in the next few years, he quickly replied, “It’s not likely that I will let go of make-up, not in the near future at least. I am Reyaz Shahabudeen Baksh, and make-up is my cardio. I hold it very close to me, it’s something I cherish. And it’s not likely that I will give that away for anything in the world.”

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