“As many of you know, I am a practicing speech and language pathologist. So—what would be the next logical step for someone like myself, you ask? Well obviously becoming a practicing makeup artist… As many of you know, I have done my friends’ makeup and that of their teenagers for years and now will be doing it ‘officially.’ My office will now function not only as home to speech and language therapy but as a makeup studio as well—which makes perfect sense to me!”
That is an excerpt from the email that I sent out to several of my friends last February. Yes, it definitely sounds like a complete makeover, but not truly. For the past 20 years, I have loved working with children and teens to help them on their personal journeys to enhance speech and language skills that will serve them for a lifetime. As a speech and language pathologist I have felt, and continue to feel, fulfilled. I have a rewarding wonderful job and a strong private practice. Adding to my fulfillment is the special sense of nachat that I get from my work. Meeting my former clients, years after I have helped them, and listening to how they have enjoyed successful academic high school and collegiate experiences and are now working or starting families of their own, always fills me with a special sense of pride and joy. As a therapist you develop an incredible bond with your clients and their families, helping them navigate through their challenges to success. This is often a years-long process.
However, I also wanted to deliver joy and happiness to my clients in an hour! I wanted to have women walk out of my office feeling beautiful with a beaming smile that appears immediately after they look in the mirror. I wanted to deliver the same feeling of supreme confidence to these women that took years to provide to my speech clients—in my mind, it was a perfect fit.
But for months I waivered. I was afraid to make a move. I was stuck wondering how I would be perceived: a master’s in speech-language pathology and makeup? After much thought as to how my dual career would be publicly received, and after months of hesitating to pursue this dream, I made my move. I decided that you only live once and that it’s truly okay to pursue varying interests and hone distinctly separate skills. I also wanted my children to see that you can try to be great at more than one thing. The pursuit of excellence is almost as valuable (and sometimes even more) than the achievement of excellence, and that is a lesson I wanted to convey.
As a make-up artist, I threw myself into a completely different world. After I finished school and opened my business, named Glitter and Gloss, I continued taking courses to learn various trends and techniques that I knew would be useful for my clientele. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about different looks and finding the ones that resonate with me. I get excited when I find new products and brands that I know will be perfect for my clients. I love utilizing techniques to allow skin to glow, and to look radiant and beautiful. My goal is to have my clients look like the best version of their natural, beautiful selves.
With all my “thinking and planning” I never realized how rewarding this line of work would be. Now, months later, I am a makeup school graduate, and have completed several classes dedicated to learning specialized makeup techniques. I met new people from different walks of life. I have learned new things, not just about applying makeup, but about myself, and have thoroughly enjoyed the process on every level! The experience I have had in helping women and teens feel confident and beautiful has been incredibly wonderful and empowering. In fact, it’s very similar to the feelings I get when my speech clients achieve new skills.
The age-old adage that “in life, with hard work, anything ispossible” is certainly true. Just come make an appointment for makeup or speech therapy (or both). Learning new things at different stages of life is both exciting and scary. The greatest life lesson of all is not letting fear hold you back from following a dream.
Yonina Haber lives in Bergen County and is available to provide makeup applications for any event, big or small, in her home studio or at your choice location. Airbrushing applications, organic and paraben-free makeup options are also available.
For more information on Glitter and Gloss or to collaborate for events, please visit her website at www.glitterandglossbyyonina.com or follow her on Instagram at @glitterandglossbyyonina.
By Yonina Haber
