SECOND CHANCES MAY 11,2008

Creating a Beautiful Chain of Hope and Inspiration

I believe there are no rules for makeup," Maybelline New York’s official makeup artist for the Philippines (and the first Asian to be accorded that honor) Barbi Chan says.  Looking at her work and her credentials, you’d never suspect that she only began doing makeup four years ago, let alone that she is one of the pioneers of airbrush makeup in the Philippines. Trained at the Los Angeles School of Makeup, the Dinair Airbrush Institute, the Pamela Taylor Makeup Academy, and in advanced airbrush techniques at the Powder Group New York, one would think that Barbi has nothing left to prove. Wrong. Barbi wants to do so much more. Perhaps it’s because she has been "through so much; I’ve been through hell and back again and back." Left with nothing after a painful separation, Barbi decided she would choose to live her life. "But of course there are consequences when you choose to be free." It was a struggle she calls the "dark night of the soul," but Barbi found that beautifying herself gave her back what she needed: a sense of control. "I started taking care of myself again; I might feel bad inside but at least my spirit was lifted when I realized only I could make myself feel better, and I started taking care of myself again." That’s why she believes makeovers are significant. "I feel women tend to forget about themselves when they go through so much heartbreak. When you get a makeover, you focus on yourself again; you look at yourself in a different light . You realize, ‘I can look like this,’ and you want to improve yourself. It’s empowering; you realize, ‘I can look good, I can feel good, I don’t need anyone to make me feel good’ I believe makeovers are aspirational and inspirational at the same time. Barbi says, "I want to do these makeovers because they can be something that will impact someone’s life." She hopes that in the next 2 years those she has made over will be able to make a difference to their own lives because of that one simple gift: showing a woman her best face and helping her cope with a society that is, sadly, superficial. "Beauty does matter; no matter what we say about beauty being skin deep, society is superficial. We are judged based on our looks. A makeover helps a woman face the world, literally, and allows them to be more confident; they are equipped to deal with the kind of world we live in. Women have it harder in a society like ours; you get judged if you’re sloppy or fat. It’s all about image, and a makeover helps a woman create an image, one from which she can draw the confidence to face the world." In the end, Barbi says, "You have to ask yourself, were you able to make a difference in someone else’s life?" And what better way than to help someone take her first steps in the direction of making a difference to her life first, so that she is better equipped to help herself, so that later on, she can help others? Hence "Second Chances" is Barbi’s way of paying tribute to the women who deal with the real world, with all its roller-coaster situations that stretch their emotions to the limit…and yet makes them the beautiful beings they are. It is her hope that women will band together, spreading a chain of hope and inspiration that will eventually reach every beautiful woman in the world.