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This is an excerpt from June 2025 Beauty Feature
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Only a few things in this world come close to tangible magic the way makeup artistry does. And the ones who wield it? Makeup artists. With just a flick of a wrist, a swipe of a brush, and a dip in the pan, a makeup artist can and will transform you into your highest physical self.
Beyond chasing virality or the merit of fame, MUAs hone their skills for years, mastering their craft, and finding their unique artist DNA. Many try their luck in the world of beauty, but only a few end up married to the art. In this issue, MEGA is paying homage and bringing three undeniable forces in the beauty industry front and center: Xeng Zulueta, Thazzia Falek and Janica Cleto,
Among the three of them, countless magazine covers and editorials, billboards, A-list clients, commercials, awards, and the respect of fellow makeup artists. But more than their exceptional skills, eye for beauty, and ability to ride the ebb and flow of trend cycles, one mark of greatness of a makeup artist that all three of them share is longevity. Combined, Xeng, Thazzia and Janica have been working in the industry for well over three decades, with Xeng being the most seasoned, clocking in at two decades and six years since she started her professional career.
Even though a lot of makeup artists already exalt Xeng, who now works as both a makeup artist and a product developer, as one of the people who has paved the way and elevated Filipino makeup artistry, decades later, she still actively makes an effort to uplift and give paying opportunities to those she sees potential in. “I share the work. Now that I’m in a more senior role as a makeup artist in the industry, I want to be able to give jobs to other makeup artists, especially those who are starting out. I really like to support the artistry of microinfluencers, people who don’t have that much following, but I’m blown away by their talent, those who are very artistic, very creative. Those are the ones I want to support.”
True to what Xeng says, being a makeup artist needs more than just being a source to satiate their thirst for creativity– for most MUAs, it’s what puts food on the table. Janica, who has a degree and has worked in the field of Architecture, candidly shares that she never imagined that makeup artistry would allow her to take care of her family, considering her roots. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible for me. Since I grew up in a traditional Chinese family, doing makeup artistry was not considered a ‘real job’. So I didn’t have plans for it. Life just happened to push me towards this path when I started it because of my frustration with my previous job.”
Even though it can provide a living, it’s a common sentiment within the community that working as a makeup artist can feel like an uphill battle, especially in the early years. Making a name for yourself, and oftentimes being the breadwinner, means willingly getting deep in the trenches and putting in so many hours on set, they turn into days. Janica recalls a particular shoot that made her work almost three days straight, “A bad experience of mine is being tapped for a two-day shoot just the day before and actually [ending up] working almost three days when they promised to do a hard stop on Day 2. But the shoot ended at 5AM the next day, essentially making us work over 48 hours on set. Then I had to go straight to a 5:30AM client right after because it was long booked before this shoot. So I didn’t have the time to sleep for three straight days.”
But even in seasons where the work feels neverending and fatigue sets in, the love and passion for their chosen art have always triumphed. When asked if at any point in her career she ever thought about quitting, Thazzia says that she believes it’s what she’s meant to do. “It looks glamorous, but I think it’s a common thing for makeup artists to say that it’s not a very glamorous job. It’s tiring. But it’s always been my dream to be a makeup artist since I was a child, so I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. I wouldn’t know what I would be if I weren’t a makeup artist. I mean, I love, love, love beauty. You can pour your passion, your heart, out into whatever you’re doing because it’s what you love doing, right? Every work that you do, you have to make it look as if it’s your last. I just know I’d always be creating, doing something related to beauty. I really have that much passion for it because it feels nice to make someone feel good.”
What does makeup artistry mean to you?
Xeng: Makeup artistry has always been second nature to me— part instinct, part obsession. It’s how I bring out what’s already there: a little edge, a little softness, a little something extra.
It’s not about hiding flaws or chasing trends. I live for the “Oh, wow!” moments, and the quiet confidence that kicks in when someone sees themselves in a new light. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that technique evolves— but the reason I do it hasn’t changed. I love the process. I love the people. And I still get a thrill every time the mirror moment hits just right.
Janica: [For me], makeup artistry is a form of art that expresses the artist’s vision through makeup. It doesn’t have rules and boundaries, and can be experimental.
Thazzia: Makeup artistry means the world to me. It’s everything, it’s my dream, my passion, my bread and butter. It’s everything I could ever ask for.
What’s your favorite compliment to get as a makeup artist?
Xeng: My favorite compliment is when they say, mukhang sosyal, mukhang expensive ‘yung gawa. That’s a compliment!
Janica: My favorite compliment is when photographers tell me that my work is clean and captures the vibe of the shoot through my interpretation. I just feel like they are the ones who get to observe the final output the longest, so they’re usually the ones to see the imperfections of the makeup in the photos.
Thazzia: Oh, it’s clean. Yeah, clean! [But it’s also], “Oh my gosh, I look so good!” Whenever I see that twinkle in their eyes or when they do that side eye in the mirror. BJ [Pascual] always does that. Or when they look at me, and then they’ll blink. It’s just whenever they see the start of the transformation, they give me the eye.
Read more about how Xeng Zulueta, Thazzia Falek, and Janica Cleto are chiselling their names on the face of beauty, one makeup look at a time in MEGA’s June 2025 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by JERICK SANCHEZ. Written by CHIN ANN OBIEDO. Styling ROKO ARCEO. Sittings Editor MARA GO. All pieces by PATTON STUDIO.
