#writewhatmatters

Às vezes escrevo para não sumir.

Outras, escrevo para não gritar.

Tem dias em que minhas palavras são abrigo,

em outros, são só restos do que não consegui esquecer.

Guardo memórias como quem costura feridas:

com calma, com dor, com palavras.

E mesmo que ninguém leia —

a escrita me salva,

me reconstrói,

me lembra que existo.

 “Cashmeeraaa, there is an art festival named ‘Nesto’ which I am attending. Would you like to join in?”, asked my dear friend cum guitarist and sculptor, Abdul Wahab.  With a tinge of uncertainty, I replied, “Umm, hmm, yes.” Having finished giving my verdict, little did I know that my decision of joining the group of 3 would open my contracted mind to a world that I was oblivious to. Strolling my way with the chirping of my gang, I was lost in my own world till I came across a girl in her pink Barbie doll dress that suddenly caught my attention. Exchanging greetings by shaking hands, she handed me her business card. “SHAHAD ALBINKHALIL- KIDS MAKEUP ARTIST.” What made me ponder over her for a long time was, she was already something and had her way this easily without any hurdle, that is what I thought. As I continued my journey and had cups of green tea to appease my sore throat, the face of the little girl made it difficult for concentrating at that moment. Struggling to find my key in my handbag to unlock the door of my house, I mentally made a promise “She is going to be the HEROINE of my next story.”

‘Today, no tomorrow,’ ‘She must be busy’, ‘Must be sleeping’ etc. definitely did delay my approach, but with the growing eagerness to reach out to her, I finally made my way to know her more. As I settled down to listen out to what answers she had in store to my questions, her persona made me look up to her, for it instilled some amount of belief that lost its track down somewhere. “Who does not love make-up? I do, you do, and I am sure majority do enjoy dabbing different shades on their faces. The very sight of lipstick, concealer, and contour brush excited me when I was 5, and since then there has been no backward treading,” highlighted the 12-year-old makeup artist.  Starting off by doing makeup and makeovers for herself and her collection of Barbie dolls, it was only after enrolling in an exclusive swing trading community, ‘Young Traders’ did her career take off. With her eyes twinkling bright, she said “When I decided to follow my passion, I was very sure about my professional choices. It was only after joining ‘Young Trader’, did my prominence expand from the realms of my house to the outside world where my talents were being recognized as a makeup artist for kids.” Sealing the foundation of her dream, ‘Princess Makeup Party’ at the tender age of seven, with the passage of time, it was success and passion that chased Shahad. At an age, where people are busy committed to harboring dreams as a Doctor, Engineer or Professor, what was remarkable was her ability in striking a balance between her passion and her studies. Mature beyond her years, the position that she holds today is just few steps away from being the next sensation in the field of makeup. Having embraced the period of fasting since 2017, she credits the month of Ramadan for instilling patience and perseverance within her. Piling a set of books at a corner, and grabbing the makeup brush from the stand, she highlighted saying, “Balance. This word may find its meaning in a dictionary but, putting that into practice is difficult. Do I have a choice? Education is a must, and I strike a mature balance between my work and my school life lest it disturb my fixed schedule.  I normally have concerts after my school hours, and the best part is, most of them coincide with my official holidays,” added the grade 7 makeup artist.

When I started off as a journalist, most of my assignments required me to be outside for a longer duration. With constant worries about my safety, I realized how important parental support is. On being asked about her backbone of success, smiling as always, she expressed and said, “I am fortunate to receive tremendous financial, mental as well as moral support from my parents. Their never-ending advice and encouragement to serve the best make me provide the best to my customers.” While her father finances and provides all the possible supplies for her business, the contribution by her mother and the Young Traders organization cannot be neglected. The skin of the customers being her top priority, she gets hold of the makeup requirements from outside the Kingdom and then begins her propaganda for furthering her business. Immensely crediting her teachers and friends for their participation in her work, she praised the role of her close friend, Mary, who was present 24x7 with her on all her events. On being asked about the response she is garnering from her work, she beamed with positivity and said, “I derive immense passion from my work. I feel fortunate to garner positive responses within and outside the Kingdom. Since they are aware of the kind of work I do and the idea of makeup princesses and cartoon characters I create for children in concerts, I am invited to every ceremony to glow the look with the touch of makeup.”

Makeup artistry is a profession which many don’t aspire to embrace. We conceal our dark circles, contour our cheeks, but how many have ever thought about the work makeup artists perform tirelessly? Yet, makeup artistry is a profession that is not taken seriously among the masses. Bahrain ranking as the leading ground for cosmetic Industry, still makeup is a profession that is not supported wholeheartedly in the minds of several 21st-century products. Every parent knits a dream which would profit their kids financially in terms of profession. With Shahad’s career doing the rounds in a successful manner, the chest of the little girl’s mother swells with pride every second. She said, “I am very happy with the way her career is shaping. She wishes to continue in this line as she loves every bit about makeup.” Smiling at her daughter who is performing makeup on a kid, she added, “I am going to be present at every step with her. She wishes to develop this work in the future and deepen her expertise and establish her own salon. What I wish to stress over here is makeup is an art, and to excel one needs to develop it in a way that will unleash their beautiful talents.” Twinkling at her best self, she ended on a high note saying, “When perseverance and passion catch each other’s hands, professions which are not that asked about become the talk of the town!”