BEAUTY BEGINS WITH THE SKIN…

Beauty, beauty, beauty is what seems to shout out to us from various websites, social media and very traditional magazines. Even if we close one of our eyes, the intended message won’t be different. Being attractive, fit, sleek are the qualities we are asked to aim for. Despite the fact that in each of these aspects we can find something good for us, this race for excellence is not necessarily something that has a positive influence on our mind and our self-confidence… After all, no one’s perfect!

I had been struggling with acne for years and even well in my thirties it made its visible presence. And even though I would go to the right doctors, whose task was to improve the state of my skin and my complexion, the only thing I could hear was: “ It’s your beauty!”. Is it really something we would like to hear from a specialist? Certainly… not. Despite the fact I finally managed to overcome this problem, it had a tremendous impact on my self-confidence and the way I perceived myself – and there’s nothing more beautiful in a woman than her self-confidence!

I’m truly pleased to introduce you to my today’s interviewee – Niwrka Pickard – a specialist, who is really passionate in the field of beauty and understanding how important it is to take a good care of our skin, to make everything we paint on it a real piece of art.

Passion Piece: Could you tell my readers a few words about yourself?

Niwrka: I have been a Licensed Esthetician since 2012; I’m a mother, a Content Creator, a Beauty Blogger, Photography Enthusiast, a Dancer, an RA Warrior, and much more.

Now let’s go way back:

I was born on the beautiful Island Dominican Republic. During my high school years, I studied the English Language formally, not knowing that one day the USA would be my home, and it has been since 2008; nothing in life is a coincidence.

I graduated from college with a business degree.

Throughout my time in the USA, my favorite state has been Virginia; because of the beautiful scenery and perfect weather, you can enjoy seasons that are not extreme.

Passion Piece: You’re a Licensed Esthetician specializing as a Skincare Professional and Make-Up Artist. What made you focus on the field of beauty?

Niwrka: It all started in high school and the Eyebrows; I had always done my eyebrows and my friend’s eyebrows at that time, and that’s how the love for practicing beauty started. Side joke: I went to a catholic school, and we were not allowed to wear makeup, but I remember we would sneak red lipstick in our pockets and wear it just for recess, we had 2 recess at school, I’m laughing so hard while telling you this…

I have always loved makeup; I consider it art I use to create and express myself. In my opinion, the face is a reusable canvas where you can create art and express your mood, style, and personality; I decided to take it further, which is why I studied skincare while residing in Florida. The more I learned about skin, the more I loved it, and suddenly I was invested in it; reading about ingredients and formulations has always fascinated me.

The composition of a cosmetic well formulated is like magic in a bottle that will create a transformation in due time.

Passion Piece: What makes women beautiful? Which aspects should they focus on to highlight their natural potential?

Niwrka: Everybody is beautiful; as they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Your natural potential should continuously be enhanced by confidence; feel good about who you are.

Be authentic, be yourself. Be Confident; nothing will make you more beautiful than Confidence.

There is no one like you; you are unique.

Passion Piece: Besides working in the beauty field, you also run your own website. What type of content does it offer?

Niwrka: My goal is to provide proper beauty information in an easy-to-understand way, to help others on the journey of improving their skin health, focusing more on enhancing natural beauty.

To care for the valuable people in your life, love yourself first.

Passion Piece: Could you please share some of your favorite tricks related to the daily skincare routine? Why do you focus on these particular aspects?

Niwrka: I consider my skincare routines a self-care ritual; my personal skincare routines are based on ingredients that benefit my skin; I have dry, sensitive-reactive skin, which means, in my case, I need to rotate and alternate ingredients.

My Tip: I love to start my skincare routine with a hydrating mist; at the moment, I use Glymed Recovery Mist and Aveeno Thermal Spring; the reason for this is because of the following active ingredients you apply will penetrate deeper into the epidermis.

Passion Piece: Wearing good make-up can certainly add confidence to each of us. What kind of make-up would you recommend for a busy workday and an evening out?

Niwrka: First, focus on a good skincare routine. That way, you won’t need as much makeup as you think.

But of course, we all want to feel pretty and extra special:

Focus on the areas of your face you would like to enhance; for an easy makeup look, use a tinted moisturizer with SPF, concealer, powder if you need to, mascara, brush or fill the tail of your eyebrows; these days, most, cream blushes can be applied on the lips and your eyelids for a wash of color, voilà! You are good to go. If you have combination or oily skin, I recommend a setting spray at the end.

To take this exact look to nighttime, you will refresh the face, add foundation and retouch concealer if needed; add your favorite eye shadows color and if you want to make it even more straightforward, apply one eye shadow color with your fingertip on the eyelids, add eyeliner if you want to take it up a notch. Voilà! You are set for the night!

Passion Piece: Which three common mistakes would you point at while thinking about your clients and how they put on their make-up?

Niwrka:

1. Often, I hear a client say that when they apply their makeup, it does not last long; the key to long-lasting makeup is the prep-work before application, and if you have oily skin, Oil Control Primer before foundation and Setting Spray at the end are a must.

2. The wrong shade of foundation is a common mistake. Learn how to determine your skin undertone, and if you still need help, go to places like Ulta or Sephora and get color matched with the best foundation for your skin tone and skin type.

3. Dirty Beauty Blender, you must wash your beauty blender or any reusable sponge every time you apply makeup because it can harbor bacteria and cause breakouts.

Passion Piece: How can self-care influence the quality of a woman’s life? Is it possible to lead a balanced lifestyle in such a busy world?

Niwrka: Self-care can improve a woman’s quality of life in so many ways; we tend to forget and neglect ourselves caring for others when we should be doing the opposite; you cannot pour from an empty cup; you need to love yourself first in other to love and care for the people you love.

The practice of self-care makes you more aware of yourself, even if it means five minutes of being present with yourself. Relaxing your mind has the benefit of calming your nervous system.

We live busy lives, but we need to make time for ourselves; you are the most important person in your life.

It is possible to lead a balanced life if we learn to prioritize where our attention is required the most.

Passion Piece: How do you maintain a balanced private and professional life? Do you always succeed?

Niwrka: I like to keep my private life private; I prefer quality to quantity, and for this reason, my circle of friends is small.

I’m human. I do not always succeed, but it is not about winning, it is about trying until we achieve it.

You must prioritize to achieve balance and dedicate time to what’s more important first.

The scale sometimes won’t be even, and we must be ok with that.

Don’t judge yourself too harshly. More times than not, We are our worst critics.

Passion Piece: What are your hobbies? What do you love doing in your free time?

Niwrka: I like to watch movies, go shopping, read, do yoga, listen to music, dance, and spend time with my son and my dog.

Passion Piece: Where do you see yourself in the nearest future? What challenges would you like to undertake?

Niwrka: I want to keep sharing knowledge; my goal is to help others to discover that caring for the largest organ in your body should be a priority and does not need to be complicated with the correct information.

I have other projects I’m working on for the future that others might find beneficial to apply in their daily lives. I’m just getting started.

Challenges are always there, but you need to have the mindset and prepare to overcome them.

I do not see them as challenges but as lessons; I’m a warrior and a fighter that was created to never quit.

Passion Piece: Which motto would you like to share with my readers?

Niwrka: The same one I practice, Don’t Give Up; I know it’s easier said than done, but if you dig a little deeper, you will find it in you to keep going; chances are you are better today than you were yesterday, breathe deeply and take the time to observe that.

Never give up, don’t quit! Keep fighting for what you want, don’t take the mishaps as a failure. Learn to change your mindset, to see them as lessons. Get up, straighten the crown and continue the journey; this time, go harder because now you have the lesson that taught you what not to do again.

Passion Piece: Thank you very much for this truly inspiring conversation and I wish you every success in your work!

See you around!

Yours,

Passion Piece

Photos by: Niwrka Pickard