People have been wearing makeup for centuries; to hide imperfections, to enhance their natural beauty or to make their selves feel beautiful. Although makeup products and application techniques have changed and evolved over time, one thing that has not changed is that wearing makeup makes us feel more like a lady. Commonly referred to as “War Paint,” sometimes the fact that we have makeup on can make us feel as though we can take over the world with one wink of our eye. This is not to say that you need makeup to feel like a lady rather, makeup is only one of many qualities and elements in a person’s life that make them feel beautiful.

Makeup artist Sara Ashouri has been helping women feel beautiful since she was a very young girl. At 17 years old she already launched her own makeup freelancing name and has been building both her technique and her name since then. Now, at age 19, she has become our favorite makeup artist not only because of her talent but because of her professionalism and passion for what she does. We recently caught up with Sara to gain some insight behind what she does and why she does it.

TZ: How old were you when you started doing your own makeup?

SA: I was around 12 or 13 years old when I first started experimenting with winged eyeliner, which has turned out to be one of my signature looks. I started really getting into full-face makeup and practicing new styles and colors when I was 15 years old.

TZ: What about when you started doing others’ makeup?

SA: I knew I wanted to be a makeup artist at around 15 years old so I took into consideration that I needed to begin practicing on other people around that time. I finally launched myself as an official freelance working makeup artist at 17 years old.

TZ: What is your favorite part about doing someone else’s makeup?

SA: I love that I have the ability to make someone feel beautiful or express their personality through their makeup, either with a natural application or through bright and bold colors. The feeling of satisfaction I get when someone looks in the mirror and gets super excited by the way they look (and sometimes with tears in their eyes!) is truly bliss to me. My favorite part overall is making somebody feel great about their self. I also love doing bridal because it’s seriously being a part of that person’s life forever. My art and my work live through those photos of the most special, happy, and important day of their lives.

TZ: What is your favorite beauty product of all time?

SA: Liquid liner! It always has been. I am a big fan of winged liner and feel incomplete without it! I also love bold lipsticks in colors like baby pink, bright red, dark plum, and orange.

TZ: What is your dream job?

SA: To be an esthetician, which I am currently in school and almost halfway done for! I love being able to pamper people with makeup application, but I also want to cater to their other needs, like the health of their skin. Proper and daily skin care can really have a beautiful result on your makeup… you want to enhance what you have, so what better way to start than with a clear canvas? I want to help people achieve that overall health of beauty!

TZ: If you could give a piece of advice to any ladies out there who are apprehensive about doing their own makeup, what would it be?

SA: It depends on what they are apprehensive about. It could be the fear of being judged by others or because they don’t know how to apply their makeup. If you are afraid of being judged, I say it is as simple as this: stop caring! That’s what I did to get myself where I am today. I was terrified of bold and bright lipsticks and after getting over that, it is one of my favorite things to wear. Wear it with confidence and remember…it is just makeup… you can wash it off! On the other hand, if someone does not know how to apply, I would suggest sitting in front of a mirror and practicing as often as you can to get your skill down. It can take some getting used to. Makeup should be fun and artistic! Do not over think it and just have fun with it!

To get more tips and tutorials from Sara, visit her blog!