Life Lessons to Learn From Makeup Guru Larry Yeo

Many may know Larry Yeo as simply a professional makeup artist who’s a wizard with his hands. His job as a freelance makeup artist may seem irrelevant to the majority of the common male population, but his livelihood aside, Yeo is a multifaceted being who many of us can learn from.

Yes, Yeo is a makeup artist. But how is this relevant to the rest of the Singaporean males who don’t wear makeup to work?

While many of us work in environments that have fixed routines, for example, the 9-5 office hours, Yeo’s background as a freelance, self-employed worker may seem especially irrelevant to the rest of us.

However, there is more to take away from Yeo than his occupation. His freelance schedule may, on the surface, seem like a carefree work life which is very much “own time own target”, but the talented artists is always hustling and bustling around town, ensuring the prettiness of his clientele.

In this short post, Yeo reveals his hectic work life and explains that it is not simply a bed of roses. Like the rest of us, Yeo’s life is filled with project meetings and work as well.

He stresses the importance of self-care and taking time off from work in this post, which I personally relate to very much.

Work will never be fully completed, and money earned will always never be enough. Leading by example, Yeo shares an image of himself reclining in a tranquil bathtub.

Despite Yeo’s job and work-life seeming to be vastly different from our typical 9-5 office life, we are much more similar than we are different. Many of us can and should model after Yeo’s prioritization of himself over work, and stepping back to take a breather whenever he feels overwhelmed.

Yeo is a straightforward character, which definitely shows in his social media profile.

An experienced user of both skincare and makeup, Yoe is no doubt very aware of the gimmicks and marketing tricks that go on behind the scenes to spur sales for the brand.

In his post, Yeo addresses the deceitful marketing behind the concept of "clean beauty", which has been on the rise ever since conversations about sustainability emerged.

He certainly lives up to his bio, "beauty educator"!

Deceptive marketing in skincare most probably doesn't seem relevant to us in our daily lives. How many of us would read his post and care that X brand is actively trying to deceive consumers?

However, there is definitely a takeaway to be had.

The main purpose of brand marketing is to eventually boost sales, which many of us buy into.

Yeo encourages consumers to be more discerning and not just take the brand or company's words at face value, convincing people to exercise consumer agency and not simply purchase a product because of its marketed claims.

Outside of simply buying and choosing the right products to purchase, we can apply this takeaway into our daily lives, and exercise a more critical eye in every situation we are caught in.

Finally, Yeo's pride in his work is evident from his Instagram account, which he updates not just with snippets of his daily life but also of his work.

His openness about the work he produces shows how he is proud of the work he creates because he has given his best to have borne the piece of work.

His Instagram also acts as a mini portfolio for him to showcase the highlights of his works, which allows potential clients to easily access his work.

Social media and a portfolio: so what?

We may find uploading our work onto social media extremely redundant -- why would an auditor upload the receipts he sees every day online?

But Yeo's utilization of social media to promote his work is extremely clever. Working with many big-name brands such as Laura Mercier who take to Instagram to share new campaigns, Yeo's Instagram-portfolio shows how he has adapted to the digital times and made himself more commercial and accessible for potential clients to engage with him.

Yeo's strategic use of social media to propel his brand and engage with potential clients shows his adaptability and flexibility, which is one major lesson many of us will find handy.

Find ways to thrive in the environment you are put in, and be rewarded.

Yeo's profile may seem especially unique and unrelatable to us as a celebrity makeup artist, but the things to learn from his Instagram profile alone are endless. Busy, successful and ever adaptable, Yeo has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with through the years, and he definitely doesn't seem to be stopping his success anytime soon.

Larry Yeo's Instagram: @larryyeo

Article written by Michelle

email: e190201@e.ntu.edu.sg