Romancing the Face

Canadian makeup artist and global brand ambassador of Cover FX, Derek Shelby, likes to keep his style fussfree and flawless. He talks about his illustrious journey in the fashion world in a chat with Samreen Samad

- Samreen Samad

First love

Derek Shelby’s romance with makeup began at a very young age. His earliest memory is that of doing makeup on his sisters’ dolls at the age of six. “I remember locking myself in the bathroom and experimenting with my mom’s makeup on myself. Luckily there were no hidden cameras.” His love affair with beauty has grown ever since. Even though Shelby did his graduation from a hairdressing school, he always knew his real passion was makeup. Since then, Shelby has worked with the most prominent faces and brands of the makeup industry for around 30 years.

Early days

Shelby’s initial days were not all rosy. At the age of 19, he approached the cosmetic department of a local pharmacy that sold mass and luxury cosmetics. But he was rejected for being a man. “So, I started working in the store as a stock boy and studied cosmetics on my own. I would strategically help customers and track my sales.” Shelby’s life took a pleasant turn after he got a chance to show his skills to a cosmetic coordinator who paid a visit to the store. “I showed her my sales tracking and convinced her that she would not regret giving me a chance.” And the rest is history.

Makeup mantra