“When I was a kid, I pulled out all my eyebrows and all my eyelashes. From age 8 to 16, I drew each and every hair with an eyebrow pencil; each and every single day. I had tons and tons of different brands (Tom Ford was my go-to at the time), but I could never find any product that would draw a fine enough line to make my eyebrows look real. I always told my mom I wanted to invent a product to help people like me. I wanted to find a way to help people feel comfortable and confident in their skin.” Danii’s early experiences with makeup led her deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. Eventually landing her in a world of glam and beauty.
Once that Tom Ford eyebrow pencil had her hooked, it was off to the races and “add to cart” for Danii; a few years later, Danii is in NYC, living her dream as a professional makeup artist. “My original experience with eyebrow pencils led me to try other makeup products, kinda to shy away from the fact there was no hair on my face by enhancing other features. I slowly learned to do my makeup and had so much fun, so I began experimenting with friends and family. I created my makeup Instagram, and my business was born from there! I would have girls over to have their makeup done every day after school my entire grade 11 and 12 years.” But the makeup world has changed a lot since the days of lip kits and cut creases.
Danii’s style has thoroughly changed and developed over time, coming to solidify itself based on an idea of what’s complementary rather than what can camouflage. “I never want to mask or completely alter this face; just bring out the natural qualities that the client wants to shine.”
Matte foundation? Rookie mistake, says Danii. “It doesn’t matter how much acne you have. I recommend layering products and covering whatever it is rather than slapping on a thick mask of foundation. Makeup is defined by its buildability.”
Although Danii’s developed both in style and skill, some things will never change. Trends come and go, but some products are for life. “My desert island makeup bag would have to have an Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz in the shade dark brown. You can use it as a lip liner, eyeliner and for the brows. Three birds, one stone. I would also need a cream blush, specifically the one from Saie in the shade chill. Then probably to finish it off, I would say my must-have is the Chanel cream contour and Patrick Ta’s She’s So LA for the lips. I use it on every client, never fails.”
To Danii, the makeup artist is our generation’s Renaissance woman. “You’ve kinda got to have it all,” says Danii. First is the glam, but then there is social media, communication, collaboration and, of course, conversation. “Although it’s my art, the canvas is somebody else . You need to understand their needs and consider them first; it’s all about them. If somebody doesn’t like the look, I know it’s not personal. You have to take the situation with resilience and make the necessary changes. A lot of it is also just in terms of personality. Conversating, communicating, feeling comfortable and understanding each other.” The artist, the client, the outfit, and the hair all need to click. “I usually like to see the outfit for the event beforehand. That way, I know exactly what products to use to complement and work with the outfit. The same goes for hair. I usually converse with the hair artist to create a cohesive look. If this hair is going to be super bold, maybe we will hold back in some of the other elements.”
It’s easy to become disoriented amongst the glitz and the glamour and getting that perfect picture for the gram. But Danii is truly rooted in her love of makeup, that stems from her love of people. Giving compliments on the street, chatting on the subway or the Starbucks line, “I just never shut up,” says Danii. “Doing somebody’s makeup is an intimate process. Then, of course, it’s rewarding to know that you have done your job and made the client feel beautiful. But, it’s that end moment, when they finally look in the mirror and smile back, that ALWAYS gets me,” Whilst Danii has yet to invent her perfect eyebrow pencil or beautify her dream client (none other than miss Taylor Swift), her work days spent grinding, styling, advising, concealing, bronzing and blushing her clients— make each client feel like a million bucks.
For more from Danii, follow @facesbydanii on Instagram.
