Source: Courtesy of Camara AUnique Helps / Courtesy of Camara Aunique Helps
Welcome to “Beneath The Brush,” where we explore the stories behind some of the most notable MUAs in the game. Each feature will highlight the “why” for each MUA and showcase their career trajectories, go-to products, and makeup tips.
One look at Camara AUnique Helps’ Instagram feed shows that she’s the true definition of a multifaceted entrepreneur. Aside from her More Than Just Makeup mentorship academy and podcast, she is a well-sought-after celebrity MUA, author, and creator of the faith-based beauty brand Camara AUnique Makeup. That said, the Brooklyn native credits her success to her devotion to God.
“I am not the boss; [God] is,” she exclusively tells HelloBeautiful about her faith, which gives her career more meaning. “It has taught me what true surrender is, but it has also helped me see my clients in his image and likeness so I am more intentional about how I make them feel. It has also made me partner with God and my clients so they know I am hearing them and seeing them.”
Most beauty mavens can recall falling in love with makeup as a child, watching their mothers and/or grandmothers’ beauty routines, flipping through magazines, or simply playing with products on their own . As for Camara, her makeup love story began with a life-changing encounter at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City.
Source: Courtesy of Camara AUnique Helps / Courtesy of Camara Aunique Helps
“A woman came to my counter to get a touch-up for a date. I didn’t know what I was doing, and the makeup counter I worked at had not-so-good organic makeup, but I made it work,” she says. “When I finished, she teared up and told me she felt confident and beautiful for her date. That’s when I realized how intentional makeup is, how it can help someone see their beauty in a way that builds confidence in themselves to go and be who they’re called to be.”
However, it wasn’t until a few years later, when awakening to Goaple’s “Closer” amid a NYC hurricane, that she felt it was time to switch up her clientele.
“I decided to freelance, and I called every person I knew and asked them to consider me for makeup jobs,” Helps says. “I built my clientele, and those women introduced me to their celeb friends.”
Over the years, she has expanded her client list to include Angela Bassett, Kim Whitley, Gail Bean , Naturi Naughton and more. Notably, these ladies have all donned variations of Camara’s soft-glam aesthetic, bringing out their natural beauty.
Source: Getty Images / Getty
Although Helps says that the “hustle of makeup” no longer excites her when thoughts of pivoting come to mind, her determination to share the purity of God’s love reigns supreme with her brand.
“I knew I was becoming a new woman, and I wanted to share that side of myself,” she says about God’s influence on Camara AUnique Beauty. “I have been talking about the Lord before he became what’s trending. My love to share was always pure, and I wanted a brand that spoke to who I was at the core; the women in the Bible and their stories have helped me to see that nothing is in vain. So I wanted to share with others how dope their lives were and how we can learn from their wisdom.”
Below, Camara gets candid about her definition of beauty, the inspiration behind the More Than Just Makeup mentorship academy, her go-to beauty products and more.
On how she defines beauty:
“Beauty is looking at every aspect of yourself, your life, the valleys, the mountains, the hindrances, the setbacks that make you most beautiful. It’s looking down and finally seeing that your ashes are truly beautiful, and God is using those same things to make you the person you are called to become. Beauty is understanding that you are made in the image and likeness of God. It’s doing the work to submit your character and allowing him to refine you and prune you so you can remove the things about yourself that no longer serve the person you’re called to become. Beauty is people seeing God before they see you and hearing his voice before they hear you; it’s being intentional in getting to know who you are at your core and fully embracing it. Beauty is More than just Makeup . It’s a way of being and becoming.”
On creating the More Than Just Makeup mentorship academy:
“I wanted to be who I needed when I started my career in makeup. It’s not easy trying to figure out how to break into the industry. I believe if more artists I came up with actually poured into the newbies, we would have less negative experiences. I also need the new artists to know that it is ok to have a coach and mentor. It’s ok to not know everything and ask for help. Many are charging way below rates, and it’s harming the shape of the industry. Some are not serving in excellence, and it’s causing us seasoned artists to unbreak the trauma the new artists have caused clients. I thought it would be a great way to bring change in a positive way.”
Three must-haves in Camara’s beauty kit:
1. “Camara AUnique Beauty Lashes in Ruth ($18, camaraauniquebeauty.com )”
2. “Camara AUnique Beauty Velvet lip liners ($18, camaraauniquebeauty.com ), which I use on the lips and eyes because they’re creamy, hydrating, and they stay on.”
3. “I love a good beauty blender.”
One makeup hack beauty mavens should avoid:
“Using a dry beauty blender! Use it damp to blend the product better. Remember, blending is your friend.”
Go-to makeup tip:
“Reach for a damp beauty blender and use creme blushes and contours.”
Follow Camara AUnique Helps’ beauty brand on Instagram here . For devotional material, check out Camara’s Love Letters to My Daughter bible plan here .
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The post Beneath The Brush: Celebrity MUA Camara AUnique Helps Talks God’s Influence On Her Brand, Mentorship And More appeared first on HelloBeautiful - Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Hair Care for Black Women .
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