Venezuelan makeup artist, 16, follows dream

Andrea Alexandra Aristimuno Moreno is only 16, but despite her youth, she is forging her future as a professional makeup artist.

Born in Tucupita, Delta Amacuro state, Venezuela, Moreno came to TT two years ago with her parents Jose Aristomuno and Zoriennys Moreno and her younger brothers Daniel and Leonardo.

Before she came to TT, she was in her fourth year of high school but since her arrival in this country she has not been able to enter the educational system.

In TT she participates in the educational and cultural activities of La Casita of Arima.

At 15, Aristimuno asked her parents and friends for makeup accessories that have been her dream since she was a child.

She began to watch tutorials online and make friends in other countries around the world and learn virtually everything related to makeup.

In October, she completed a virtual basic self-makeup course taught by certified professionals in her country.

"At the age of 14, seeing women with makeup began to attract my attention – the combination of colours and everything that surrounds the art of beautifying women a little more, that inspired me to recreate the makeup of some international artists that I follow online."

In TT, she was the makeup artist for dancers and singers at La Casita who took part in various national events, including Independence Day, among others.

Aristimuno specialises in artistic makeup, but wants to go further.

“I like to use cosmetic products to change the appearance or beautify the face or another part of the body.

"For Halloween I did several custom jobs for people who looked for me because they have seen my work online, and they especially liked several looks I applied on myself.”

She thought of medicine as a career, but makeup has been taking over her life.

Aristimuno uses various techniques, but she wants to learn new skills.

"I am already signed up to take a course of ten international makeup techniques to continue to progress."

"I'm working on perfecting the use of the colour black, which is very difficult to do."

She hopes to tour the world, be recognised internationally and be able to do makeup for top stars.

“I love makeup. When I do it I don't get tired, I feel like I want to go on and on without stopping. It's a way of expressing my art, my ideas.”

Aristimuno believes makeup is a tool to bring out the best in people and go out with the best attitude.

“All women want to look beautiful, and beyond the natural look there are ideas that can be implemented to give people who look at us something more than the physical.”