JOHNSTOWN – Erin Royer is a labor employee relations major at The Pennsylvania State University, who is also an aspiring makeup artist. Although Royer is a full time student, her passion falls within the competitive makeup industry. Throughout the last 2½ years, her interest and knowledge about cosmetics have sky rocketed tremendously.
Royer enjoys sharing her love of makeup with the rest of the world. With hopes to make it big, she puts her thoughts and experiences out on the line.
How did you get interested in makeup?
It was through social media and YouTube, specifically. I stumbled upon a YouTube guru; her name is Jaclyn Hill and she has a YouTube page. I started watching her tutorials, and I really got interested in the way that you can create a vision, and change an entire look with the use of makeup. I began to love it more and more with every video I watched.
Does makeup make you feel different when you wear it?
Definitely, that’s one of the best things about it. It’s fun, it puts me in a good mood, and it’s relaxing whenever I’m putting it on. It’s kind of powerful. It makes me feel like I can take on the world.
Where do you buy your makeup?
I started off buying makeup at local drugstores stores from my small hometown of DuBois. However, within the past couple of years I’ve gotten into high-end makeup, so I have to go out of town for it. I have to either buy it online or travel to find it at Sephora, Ulta, or Macy’s, so that is a little bit of a challenge.
What’s your favorite makeup brand and why?
Right now one of my absolute favorite makeup brands is Kat Von D Cosmetics. Kat Von D is a tattoo artist; she developed her own makeup line and it is amazing! It has everything ranging from contour kits, to blushes, and liquid lipsticks, which are a big hit right now. I love that company!
Do you find it interesting to keep up with the latest beauty trends?
Yes, that’s one of the best parts about makeup because the trends keep growing and growing. It’s almost like there’s no wrong in the makeup industry. When someone discovers a new way to do something, or a better way to improve a technique, you find yourself learning something you never would have thought of on your own.
What is your favorite thing about makeup?
I love it because there are so many different things about it. You can do neutral colors, or maybe you want to do something very colorful, or maybe that day you really want to wear a dark lip. I think it’s so fun how you can bring your individuality to light. It’s not always about being perfect; it’s really about showing your feelings and what you want to present that day.
Would you say that you have an addiction for makeup?
Yes. I want to say it’s a healthy addiction, but perhaps it’s not. Makeup is very expensive, but at the same time I take a lot of pride in it. Like everyone else, I work hard for my money and makeup is mostly what I put it towards, so I enjoy seeing my collection grow.
Do people support your addiction?
Yes and no. Coming from a small town, a lot of people aren’t used to people wearing fake eyelashes and other things like that. So I do get judged, but at the same time there are people who appreciate me trying to complement my distinctive personality. But overall, I would say yes, people do support my addiction because I’m bringing something new to the table.
Do you plan on pursuing a job in the makeup industry?
I would love to. It’s very competitive, but that’s not stopping me. It’s something that I could see myself doing everyday. I could wake up every morning wanting to go to work whether it’s being a professional makeup artist doing makeup, or working on the floor in sales and helping people find products that they need.
Any tips for beginners learning to use makeup?
Just be mindful that there are no serious rules in makeup. You can have fun with it. Honestly, it washes off at the end of the day, it’s just makeup. So if you want to walk out with a bold, black lip, you walk out with bold, black lip. Always do you, and focus on yourself and your own uniqueness and bring that to life.
