Inside her small salon, Lubna Al-Omair was preparing a smoky eye make-up set for her first expat client.
“I am excited,” she said. “It’s the first time I have received an American client who wants to have a new look with Arabian eyes make-up,”
Lubna is one example of many Saudi women who haven’t given up when facing a scarcity of jobs for women in the country. Instead, she has turned her passion, along with her art background, into a successful venture.
For the past four years, this art school graduate has been working as a professional make-up artist, treating up to six clients a day. She has been so successful that she is planning to move out of her cramped salon and establish her own beauty center — which will include space to exhibit her art — in three months. “If you are passionate about something, you are more likely to be successful because work will not feel like work,” she said. “Painting is something I have always enjoyed.”
As a kid she took art lessons and enrolled at community centers before she finished her BFA at King Saud University in 2003. Her make-up career started when many of her friends and family came around her house to make them up.
“Fine art and make-up are similar,” she said. “They share the same rules and both depend on light and shadows.”
The money started to roll in as more women started to knock her door for make-up services.
“This made me think that I could really do it instead of applying for jobs that may not interest me,” she said.
Unlike most women art graduates, Lubna had no plans to become a teacher because she didn’t like the restrictions on art syllabus at public schools. For instance, a Saudi public school art teacher is prohibited from teaching students from painting the human form. Luban believes that setting limit on student’s artwork blocks their creativity.
“The sad truth is that Saudis have little knowledge or interest in art,” said Lubna. “That prevents Saudi artists from trying to make a living from their artistic talents.”
Since there are no make-up schools available in the Kingdom to train make-up artists, Lubna traveled to Milan and Beirut for courses and train herself with famous beauty specialists, such as Patricia Riga and Bassam Fattouh. Along the way she gained a diploma from a make-up artist school in Milan.
“Being a Saudi and doing high-quality make-up is not enough for many women to trust me. But after my training abroad their views changed.” She added that her husband is very supportive. “He respects my job and accompanies me during my trips abroad because he knows this helps improve my skills,” Lubna said.
Talking about her lines of make-up, Lubna said she doesn’t do masks for women, but she does anything that helps bring out the beauty areas of their faces and disguises any imperfection. Her clients mainly come to try her Arabian eyes make-up, an Arab specialty. It is known for its dramatic emphasis on eyes and lips. This particular make-up style consists of dark and dramatic eyes, and bronzer and bold lip colors.
Lubna said that while many individuals believe that the goal of wearing make-up is to subtly emphasize your features, Arabian make-up takes a much bolder approach. She pointed out that she sometimes comes under pressure, particularly from her clients.
“Some women don’t accept my advice and insist on the kind of make-up they see Arab celebrities wear. They even bring the pictures with them,” she said, adding that she tries to balance between her view and theirs, “otherwise I just refuse because this will damage my integrity.”
(For more information log on to: www: lubnaart.com or email Lubna on: [email protected])
