HOUSE OF THE WEEK
Space abounds in this Tarmwe two-up
LOADS of space and enviable proximity to the downtown area are the upsides to this house in Tarmwe township....moreWord on the street
Volume 26, No. 505
A group of foreign tourists will explore Myanmar by hot air balloon this month. This picture shows them flying above Loikaw last January. Pic: SuppliedMake-up artist Khin San Win got her break in the make-up industry doing weddings. She is now one of the most influential make-up artists in Myanmar and also famous for designing wedding dresses. Timeout caught up with her last week to discuss her life as a make-up artist.
How did make-up styles in Myanmar change in 2009?
Nowadays, many women can apply make-up very well by themselves unlike in the past. They can learn from international TV channels so know about popular international styles.
What kind of make-up styles will we see in Myanmar this year?
Lately, many people are using eye shadow a lot and also lip gloss. In other countries, they are also using dark colours again such as red.
Why are most of the famous make-up artists men and not women?
We can concentrate more on the job than women because we are single. The girls can’t concentrate as much because they have to get married and care for their families. Also, we are braver in trying out new ideas; we don’t care as much whether we are wrong or right.
What are the common difficulties faced by a make-up?
Before we can breakthrough in the make-up industry we have to work hard to let people know our ability. That is the first problem that we face as an aspiring make-up artist. The second problem we must face is gaining people’s trust; maybe they trust us 30 percent but not 70 percent. After we have the customer’s trust we must still concentrate on improving our technical skill.
What make-up styles would you like to do more?
As I broke through into the make-up industry doing wedding make-up styles I normally do this. But wedding makeup is quite limited and we follow certain rules, so we cannot experiment much in that style. At the moment, I don’t want to think about colour theory or colour rules, I just want to follow my mind’s creativity. But I can only do this when models are having their photo taken for magazines of doing fashion shows.
Could you share some of your experiences as a make-up artist?
As a new make-up artist we have to find someone who wants to use us. When I first started doing make-up for actresses they did not trust me because they had already used many experienced make-up artists before me. So they only want to use us when they don’t have anyone else. As we are new we must always face such a response from customers. When I first started in the industry I always said to myself: ‘They do not accept me because I do not have sufficient ability yet, I will have to try harder’. That is my motto so whenever I got a response from my customers that they were not satisfied with me, I would always try harder and harder, and also try to be more patient until they were satisfied with my make-up. When they see that we are patient with them they come to like us and when they like us, it’s not such a big deal when we make small mistakes. It is very important to have a good relationship with customers.
At fashion shows we mostly see you wearing traditional Myanmar dress. Is this your favourite style of fashion?
No, it isn’t. My favourite style is more contemporary. But because of my body shape I can’t wear such fashions, I feel like it doesn’t suit me. Also, many people appreciate that I wear traditional Myanmar dress.
