In this day and age, having a nine to five job is great but running your own business can be more satisfying, even if it’s a side gig. Small businesses have been on the rise in Egypt lately, from Instagram fashion boutiques to homemade candles to makeup artists – more and more people are out to create a name for themselves. eniGma’s Nouran Deyab spoke to Nadeen Hamdy, a talented young makeup artist who decided to ditch the traditional career path and pursue her passion instead.
After graduating from The American University of Cairo with high honours in marketing and integrated marketing communications in 2017, Hamdy quickly jumped into a career at an advertising agency for a year and a half. She then worked at Vodafone for two years before realizing that she was missing something – namely her passion for makeup!
Growing up, Hamdy would always apply makeup to herself and friends for events and was always told that she should take makeup seriously since she was good at it. In 2020, it finally hit Hamdy that although she was successful in marketing and advertising, she needed to pursue what she loved most! At that point, she walked away from corporate life and enrolled in a makeup course with her idol, makeup artist Dina Ragheb. And although the Covid-19 lockdown was a downer for most, Hamdy managed to take advantage of the circumstances and spent time working on her skills.
At the end of 2020, Hamdy launched her Instagram page. “My family was supportive but were still curious as to why I would leave a career that I’m successful at, for a hobby. That leaves me thinking, whether I should do both at the same time,” she explains, adding that she doesn’t want to work for the sake of working and really does want to invest in something she loves.
In a competitive market like makeup, with trends that frequently change, being unique is key to standing out and building a name; and Hamdy is all about creativity and loves to experiment. “Besides soiree and bridal makeup, I also love working on editorial photo shoots because that’s when I can really play around and there is no limit to how creative one can get,” she exclaims.
Hamdy insists that it is crucial to pick the right package for your occasion. “Sometimes brides will book a soiree package since it’s cheaper than the bridal package, but that’s not the best thing to do. Bridal packages cost more because they include more products that will make your makeup last for hours on end. Of course, soiree makeup lasts for hours as well, but keep in mind that as a bride, you have makeup on all day and go through photoshoots and dancing. And, of course, a couple of tears here and there – so extra products to ensure that your makeup isn’t going anywhere is important,” she explains. When we asked her what her go-to foundation was, she simply replied, “I don’t like layering too much and love the natural and fresh look. Dior backstage is amazing! It’s lightweight but allows you to easily build-up coverage so you don’t get that cakey look – and it provides the perfect dewy look to keep you glowing.”
So what we can expect from Hamdy in the future? “I really want to create my own brand and become an international makeup artist. It’s my goal to work on runway looks for fashion week in NY and Milan.” We expect no less from this talented and determined makeup artist!