Makeup Artist Turns Passion For Beauty Into A Business
With a passion to make every client feel and look their best, celebrity makeup artist Pong Niu has turned her passion for beauty into her life mission.
“I started as a makeup artist back in 2008 after I resigned from Saudia Airlines. After eight years of being a flight attendant, I wanted to do something I’m passionate about and would not grow bored of,” said Pong.
Her fascination with female makeup artists while browsing thru magazines, while she was based in Jeddah as a cabin crew, made her think about a profession in the beauty industry.
“I initially wanted to start a salon, but my husband discouraged me. So, I prayed and pondered over some more on what I can do instead. I’ve always loved doing my own makeup, so I told him I wanted to study cosmetology, and he was fully supportive. God paved a path for my new career; from the choice of school to the place that I had to live in Singapore, and every opportunity I had. I am now in my 13th year as a makeup artist.”
With a lot of names under her makeup belt, including Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Jolina Magdangal-Escueta, Coleen Garcia-Crawford, Georgina Wilson, Megan Young, Solenn Heussaff, Sushmita Sen, Dayanara Torres, Cat Arambulo Antonio and Ching Cruz—Pong has proven her talent in the industry and continues to do so.
But Pong thought, “Why stop there?”
Rewind back to five years ago when Pong visited a beauty fair in Hong Kong and was struck with the idea of creating her own brand. This is how NiuYou was born.
The first product under the brand was the Hush Brush Cleaner. As a makeup artist, one has to be very particular with the brushes one uses for clients and Pong is no exception. After an unfortunate incident that destroyed her beloved tools, she decided to formulate her own formula (with the help of a friend) that truly cleanses, disinfects and most importantly, gentle on brushes.
Pong decided to add another product under her brand that would perfectly finish one’s look.
“I use lashes a lot but it’s hard to find affordable ones that are nice-- and that’s where Vavabloomlashes come in. My goal is to have individuals be able to enhance their eyes even without the help of a makeup artist. Especially now that everyone is either always on a video call or wears a mask when going out, your eyes are the first thing that people will notice about you. Lashes help you pull off a wide-awake look, even if you had only a few hours of sleep!” said Pong.
Finding the best lashes for your needs is not a one-size-fits-all instance. Apart from each individual being partial to a specific style, our eye shapes also play a huge factor in our choice.
One can’t go wrong with NiuYou’s Vavabloomlashes—with five different designs per tray, you have more options to choose from depending on your mood or the occasion: whether it’s for video call meetings, dining out with friends, weddings, or that much-awaited date night.
One of Pong’s celebrity clients, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, has tried and tested Vavabloomlashes, “There's really a big difference when you have the lashes on and if you don't. It adds drama, it just completes the look. Parang may kulang kasi pagwalang lashes,” said the beauty queen.
As of now, Vavabloomlashes has 10 trays you can choose from—six designs made up of (human hair) and four designs made of double strands (high quality synthetic fibers).Out of the ten styles, nine were named after clients-turned-friends who have supported her throughout her journey while one was named after Pong’s daughter Ylyna Niu: beauty queen and actress Kylie Vezosa; actress Coleen Garcia Crawford;actress Jolina Magdangal Escueta; beauty queen and actress Teresita Winwyn Marquez; businesswoman Katrina Ponce Enrile; entrepreneur Cat Arambulo Antonio, socialite Ching Cruz, businesswoman Joy Lao and Pong’s dear friend Brenda Shearer.
