The power of makeup is infinite, from creating bold looks and special effects to covering flaws and highlighting features, the possibilities are both endless and inspiring. For many people, makeup is a way to hide the things we would rather not show, but sometimes what we consider flaws or imperfections are actually what make us beautiful and unique.
Take Tiffany Taylor for example, this natural beauty only stopped wearing make up last year to cover her vitiligo. While letting her natural skin shine through, like most of us, Taylor still wants to highlight her features. Enter makeup artist Ronkeraji.
Ronkeraji, whose real name is Ronke, is a Nigerian makeup artist based in New York. Equipped with a wicked sense of creativity, Ronkeraji believes being unique is always best. Mixing her love of art and makeup, Ronke created ‘Inspiratorial’ videos for her YouTube channel, a clever combo of makeup tutorials and creative inspiration.
Models such as Winnie Harlow have opened up the conversation on vitiligo, a condition that causes pigment loss of portions of one’s skin. The skin condition affects around 1% of people globally doesn’t discriminate between age, gender, or race. It’s actually nothing new as it has been recorded as far back as 1200 BCE. In fact, the condition is mentioned in the ancient Egyptian medical text Ebers Papyrus, sacred Indian texts such as Atharvaveda, and East Asian Shinto prayers. The word vitiligo was first used by Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus, while the Greeks would often conflate the condition with leprosy.
Unfortunately, the variation of skin color can leave one feeling insecure about their looks due to the less-than-kind people out there. As there is no known definitive cause for the skin condition there is also no cure for it, although thanks to models such as Harlow and Amy Deanna, those affected by it are feeling more comfortable. Considering the condition is neither painful nor contagious, the only way someone would suffer is through the emotional distress inflicted on them by others.
Ronkeraji makes a point to not cover Taylor’s vitiligo during the makeover and instead lets her natural beauty shine through. The makeup artist uses a number of high-end beauty products to even out Taylor’s skin. A gorgeous golden smokey eye helps make Taylor’s smoldering dark eyes pop and a splash of deep red lipstick pulls it all together. While Taylor used to covering her face with a single colored concealer, Ronkeraji opted to use a light and a dark hue to match the different pigments of her skin. The result has Taylor absolutely glowing and reaffirms her natural beauty.
Watching makeovers is always a good time and can inspire you to try out new and bolder looks. However, it’s seeing the happiness and confidence of the model beam through after having their beauty revamped that really makes it amazing to watch. Thanks to artists like Ronkeraji and models like Taylor, mainstream media continues to be exposed to all different kinds of beauty. Loving the skin you’re in is by far the most important part of any makeup routine or beauty regime.
If you want to learn more about vitiligo there is plenty of information out there to be researched. Even better, you can follow Taylor’s journey to self-love on both her Instagram and YouTube page. The first step to any self-love journey is accepting who you are and what makes you unique. After all, the industry’s and society’s standards of beauty will only change if we all challenge it together. Having something that makes you different is most likely your best beauty secret and becoming secure in the way you look will always make you feel more at ease.
Along with demonstrating her make up skills, Ronkeraji and Taylor both challenge us to face our fears and uncover what we hide. Everyone has a part of them that they feel less than stellar about but videos like this remind us that there is nothing about our bodies to be ashamed of, we are all beautiful and should share our individuality with the world.
