The first make-up look Marcia Wilkes remembers mastering was winged eyeliner – doing so by admiring her auntie as she achieved the perfect flick.
“I always loved watching people do their make-up,” she said.
“My auntie used to do winged eyeliner and I was obsessed with it, she would give me the dregs of her make-up and I would practice.”
Marcia has come a long way from sitting on the floor looking up at this scene.
Now she sits in her own salon, Wyld Beauty, providing a platform for others to chase their dreams.
Finding her feet
Struggling to figure out how to slot her creative side into academia at school, the rise of Instagram and YouTube tutorials unveiled to Marcia a world she felt she belonged in.
Now 36, she said: “I was introduced to a lot of artists that way and I started to think it was something I could actually do as a job.
“Say 10 years ago, there were only a few people who did it professionally and took it seriously, now there are so many.”
Marcia decided to take her passion for make-up further by heading south from her hometown of Aberdeen to the Academy of Make-Up in Glasgow in 2016.
Upon returning to the Granite City, she rented a space at The Brow Houz, building up clientele as well as expending her skills into HD brows, henna brows, brow lamination and lash lifts.
She then moved to Chez Dean, but soon realised she would need different facilities to offer her full repertoire of skills.
“I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to have my own salon, so when we went into lockdown that kind of gave me the push I needed,” said Marcia.
“I loved where I was working but I wanted to offer microblading and it didn’t have the facilities, so in 2021 I opened Wyld.”
Wyld Beauty Aberdeen
Wyld Beauty sits on Aberdeen’s Holburn Street. The team offers everything from nail art and waxing to dermaplaning and occasion make-up.
“We love to give people confidence, that’s a big reason for doing what we do,” said Marcia.
“Beauty very much is from within, but often if you look good you feel good too.”
While many might think of make-up as something that alters appearances, Marcia said trends are moving away from a heavy full face.
“I don’t even tend to wear a lot of make-up day-to-day, for me it’s a fun thing,” she said.
“I feel like I look okay without it but I feel like my best self when I wear it. I know some people disagree, but it should be whatever makes you happy.
“I don’t want to completely change how someone looks, my approach is more about enhancing what you already have.
“I think people are embracing their natural beauty more, rather than feeling like they need to change themselves.”
Building others up
As well as making sure clients leave happy, Marcia is keen to ensure Wyld will benefit and boost everyone who works there.
She said: “I really want to empower the girls that work here and help them on their journeys – create an opportunity for people to kickstart their careers.
“I’m starting to take a step back from the shop floor and pass clients over to them.
“It’s a difficult industry to break into and if you’re working from home you don’t have the support network to lean on and ask questions to.
“There’s enough room for everyone, just do what you love with passion.”
Passion is certainly something Marcia has by the bucket load.
“I love what I do, it’s the only thing I have ever been so obsessed with almost,” she said.
“Even for me, it’s always about learning, growing and developing, both as an artist and as a person.”
Tips for getting started
Marcia has a few tips for people who want to get into the make-up industry but don’t know where to start.
“Look locally or even a little further away, find artists whose style you like,” she said.
“It’s not all about just applying make-up, it’s customer service and how you run your business, the finance side, there’s a lot to take into consideration.
“See if you can get a one-to-one lesson or play around with someone else’s kit, because it’s so expensive to buy. Don’t buy everything you need all at once and make sure it’s really something you want to do before going headfirst into it.
“That being said it’s not all about money, it’s about your own creativity. You learn as you go, practice and develop your skills.
“Have patience as well. When you put your heart into it, you’ll get there.”
Find out more about Marcia Wilkes on her website, Facebook and Instagram.
Find out more about Wyld on its website, Facebook and Instagram.
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