When I was in Grade 4 my mom received  a phone call from my elementary school principal saying I had been putting dollar store makeup on my classmates at recess. I used to be mesmerised by the makeovers on Oprah (back in the 80’s/early 90’s, when she had giant hair and frosty blue eyeshadow) and wanted to be able to do the same for the people around me.

Fast forward to my 13th birthday, my mom knew I dreamed of jumping head first into a caboodle full of covergirl and wanted to be sure I was going to do it right. She said “We’re taking you for a lesson so you don't end up walking around looking like a Floozy.” She took me to a Merle Norman counter where a sales associate put some tasteful but very unprofessional looking makeup on me and taught me some techniques that I happily bragged to all my friends about at school the next day.

All through high school I ended up being the one who got everyone else ready, while I’d end up going to school dances and special events in 5 minute makeups I’d done in a compact mirror on the drive there. Truthfully, I didn't care how I looked as long as I had the chance to put makeup on someone else.

After I graduated I signed up for university because it’s what I thought I was supposed to do. But I was constantly distracted by the faces in my classes and dreamt of what I’d do to make over other women. It was then that my Ex-boyfriend pointed out that maybe I should drop out and go to school for makeup instead.

My mind was blown. You could do makeup as a JOB?! As a young lady living in the small city of Kelowna BC, I definitely had no idea. I did a quick google search and found a school called