Xeng Zulueta: The X-Factor
March 26, 2006 | 12:00am
Her mom once came home to a handful of completely stamped-out lipsticks. The reason: the young Frances "Xeng" Zulueta had another tantrum and unleashed her irritation on them. That time, she wanted to be more like her dad than her mom. "I originally wanted to be a Formula One race car driver because my dad used to race."
When she turned 27, things weren’t the same anymore. Now, she’s taking good care of the lipsticks – and all the cosmetics, for that matter, particularly Shu Uemura’s.
How was Xeng as a child? "I was a stylish kid. My mom had an excellent taste and dressed me well. When I was in Grade 4, I started my love affair with hair. I had my own hairdresser when I was a kid. I still have her to this day."
But the colorful road to beauty was not easy for the late bloomer Xeng especially when she had acne that prompted her classmates to tease her in school. The spots on her face have eventually faded, but Xeng admits she is still somewhat scarred from what she had been through.
God has His reasons. Those acne days paved the way for Xeng’s romance with fashion and beauty. In her determination to cover up her flaws, she became interested in makeup. "People would comment on my eyebrows, lipstick or blush and they would actually buy whatever product I suggested."
Having realized she was good in putting makeup, she honed her craft further by attending basic makeup courses in London. In 2002, Japanese cosmetics brand Shu Uemura hired Xeng and brand manager Tina Tinio to help launch the brand in the Philippines. In 2004, Xeng was one of the 19 makeup artists from different parts of the globe accredited by Shu Uemura himself for a training in Tokyo. Since then, she goes to Japan for a training year after year. In fact, Xeng is anticipating another accreditation this May.
After four years of proving her name as Shu Uemura chief makeup artist, she rose among her peers but insists that the obstacles are still there. "(You need to have) constant reinvention and offer the public something they can’t get from anything else."
Xeng, who obsesses over anything vintage and enjoys DVD marathons when not working, shares her take on the best and worst thing about being a makeup artist: "I feel gratified to have the power to make others feel good about themselves. The worst is when people start to depend on makeup to feel good."
She also shares her little piece of secret to her resounding success: "First, never be complacent no matter how successful you become. Second, be humble enough to admit you don’t know it all. And lastly, always acknowledge those who came before you." The student of life that she is, Xeng doesn’t want to stop learning. She also doesn’t want to rest on her laurels. "Only the strong shall survive!" she exclaims at the end of the interview. And she did. As a matter of fact, she’s so proud to be debt-free at 31!
When she turned 27, things weren’t the same anymore. Now, she’s taking good care of the lipsticks – and all the cosmetics, for that matter, particularly Shu Uemura’s.
How was Xeng as a child? "I was a stylish kid. My mom had an excellent taste and dressed me well. When I was in Grade 4, I started my love affair with hair. I had my own hairdresser when I was a kid. I still have her to this day."
But the colorful road to beauty was not easy for the late bloomer Xeng especially when she had acne that prompted her classmates to tease her in school. The spots on her face have eventually faded, but Xeng admits she is still somewhat scarred from what she had been through.
God has His reasons. Those acne days paved the way for Xeng’s romance with fashion and beauty. In her determination to cover up her flaws, she became interested in makeup. "People would comment on my eyebrows, lipstick or blush and they would actually buy whatever product I suggested."
Having realized she was good in putting makeup, she honed her craft further by attending basic makeup courses in London. In 2002, Japanese cosmetics brand Shu Uemura hired Xeng and brand manager Tina Tinio to help launch the brand in the Philippines. In 2004, Xeng was one of the 19 makeup artists from different parts of the globe accredited by Shu Uemura himself for a training in Tokyo. Since then, she goes to Japan for a training year after year. In fact, Xeng is anticipating another accreditation this May.
After four years of proving her name as Shu Uemura chief makeup artist, she rose among her peers but insists that the obstacles are still there. "(You need to have) constant reinvention and offer the public something they can’t get from anything else."
Xeng, who obsesses over anything vintage and enjoys DVD marathons when not working, shares her take on the best and worst thing about being a makeup artist: "I feel gratified to have the power to make others feel good about themselves. The worst is when people start to depend on makeup to feel good."
She also shares her little piece of secret to her resounding success: "First, never be complacent no matter how successful you become. Second, be humble enough to admit you don’t know it all. And lastly, always acknowledge those who came before you." The student of life that she is, Xeng doesn’t want to stop learning. She also doesn’t want to rest on her laurels. "Only the strong shall survive!" she exclaims at the end of the interview. And she did. As a matter of fact, she’s so proud to be debt-free at 31!
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