SINGING IS NOT the only artistic quality Shadia Marshall has. While she used her dynamic showmanship and slightly husky vibrato to win the hearts of those in the audience of the 38th Richard Stoute Teen Talent competition in 2014 and took home the crown, she is now armed with a brush as she aspires to reign as queen of the local make-up industry.
The concept of beauty has created tension about wearing make-up. Some are of the view that wearing make-up speaks to a person’s self-image, while others argue that it only serves as an enhancer.
However, Shadia explained to EASY magazine that make-up increases one’s self esteem.
“Make-up boosts your confidence,” she said. “People cry it down but to me it is like a mask; you become a new person. It makes you feel like you are flawless and the best version of yourself.”
She is also known for her performances at hotels across the island, with a band, and she did her own make-up every night she performed on stage in the Teen Talent competition. After several people complimented her make-up she decided to start her own business.
She told EASY that bookings were going through the roof, and she took it as a sign to get into the profession.
“I was offering the service but I did not have an official business name. So when people told me they wanted me to do their make-up I took it more seriously.
“I was playing around with words like beat and slay but I see make-up as an art and I thought of painted and after I won Teen Talent I became more popular and people were asking, “Who did your make-up?” and I was, like, me; so I got more bookings as a result of the show,” she said, adding that she cannot live without her LA Girl Pro Concealer and her flat-top foundation brush.
The Harrison College alumna, who was using her vocals as a little girl growing up in church wanted to own a one-stop beauty establishment where ladies could purchase clothing, get a new hair style and their nails done in one place. Shadia was so determined to accomplish that dream that she quit her studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill campus.
“I wanted to be an air traffic controller but they said they were not hiring at the moment. I was really disappointed because I did not apply for sixth form since I just needed a certain amount of qualifications.
“So I ended up doing management at UWI and then one day before exams I did not feel that this was for me. I called my father and told him I did not want to work in an office and I cannot complete the course. He told me that if I felt it was the best decision he would stand by me.”
And so Shadia’s journey to open a “beauty bar” began. But she ran into a roadblock.
“Before I got into make-up I was deep into fashion and at this point I was not thinking of it career wise. Therefore, I was thinking of owning a beauty parlour and that is why the name of my salon is Gold Mine Beauty Bar. It was supposed to be somewhere women would go to and get their lashes and facials done and buy clothes, while being served wine; but for some reason when I realised that I was good at make-up artistry my focus shifted a bit.
“I was so passionate about doing make-up that I put that on hold. The salon has the room to look the way I envisioned from the get-go but I invested in make-up products to supply my other company. In time and with more savings I know I would be capable of having the beauty parlour.”
The 24-year-old said it is difficult performing her music at night and working during the day but her determination keeps her going. She said that success is not easy to achieve and maintain, but she is willing to go the extra mile.
“Honestly, it is hard; my feet hurt. I know that may sound bad but I worked extremely hard to get this far so I would rather my feet hurt and make money than to be broke and feel like a failure.
“Sometimes I have to leave work and do make-up for people going on cruises and I would get home after two in the morning or sometimes I have to wake up early on mornings to do make-up, and by the time I am finished I have to head straight to a hotel to sing.”
Reflecting on her choice to leave university, Shadia said that she made the right decision, adding that if she got the opportunity to do it all over again, she wouldn’t change a thing.
“I have no regrets at all. Sometimes I feel that God gave me a brain and I wasted it by not studying further, but then I think that I am a better businesswoman because I made the bold decision to own a business on my own.
“With the talent I have, I believe a waste would be the result of me making a living working at a desk job,” she said.
