Casandra Smith Scott, the chief executive officer and artist at MakeupbyCas, is all about matching confidence from the foundation through the ‘less is more’ technique. Having spent over a decade in the field of cosmetology, her ultimate vision is to not only provide professional make-up services, but to teach classes that will empower women to love the skin they are in as well.
“I am all about seeing how we can uplift each other as women. That’s the whole reason why I got into make-up in the first place. My speciality is beauty and bridal makeup. And in 2022, I started going heavy into teaching make-up classes with MakeupbyCas Beauty Academy,” the predominantly self-taught make-up artist told Flair. She went to HEART Academy and attended P Louis Makeup Academy online for certification. She also went to makeup artist Sam Fine’s master classes.
Her reason for taking the academic approach and imparting her wisdom in beauty stems from her desire to emancipate women from the constraints of laying it on ‘thick’. Smith Scott’s main focus is on finding cost-effective foundations that will give the right coverage. Another issue in the beauty world is that women aren’t aligning the types of make-up that work well with the various skin types.
“For my oily skin queens, powder is a must; translucent powder, powder foundations, and loose powders are really good. Using a good primer is ideal to control the oil under the make-up, as well as a good setting spray and paying attention to labels. If the foundation says radiant, it’s not for your oily skin.” For ladies with dry skin, she recommends a good emollient moisturiser; it cannot do you wrong. Hydrating masks are amazing.
She has discovered in her line of work that women are using too many products. “Less is more,” she simply stated.
Growing up, I was self-conscious, I was chubby, and I had bad acne,” she explained. Frequenting her aunt’s beauty supply store for her skincare assistance, she always found herself wandering to the make-up counter. It was there that she developed a natural love for beauty. She found it fascinating and wanted to learn more.
Here is a look at Smith Scott’s client before her make-up look. 
Her client’s final look. Smith Scott is a firm believer of the ‘less is more’ technique to really capture beauty in natural light.
Managing the store during the summer holidays, it was transformational to see how lipstick could elevate someone’s mood. It wasn’t just about looks; the store visits involved conversations as well. And the beautiful thing about make-up is that it does not discriminate. “I might not be able to find clothes that fit me properly, but I am always able to find and connect with make-up. It’s empowering. I love to see the smiles on women’s faces; that makes me smile too. Education is very important. And when a woman knows how to apply her make-up, she holds her head a little higher; she’s a lot more confident.”
When she graduated from university, she was able to attain a job. Practising on the side, she earned money by doing others’ make-up to make ends meet.
The first half of her decade-long career was shaky, to say the least, with the creative artist walking away from her career on several occasions, due to family tragedies and new beginnings. But at the end of the day, she always returned to her first love.
The latter half saw a great improvement in her craft. Her clientele has grown tremendously, and she has become an authority on the topic of make-up through her beauty academy, created last year. “Make-up makes me feel good, and seeing the joy that it brought to my clients, I stuck with it. I found solace in make-up,” she added.
On Saturday, March 25, she will be hosting a ‘Makeup N Wine’ workshop, designed to bring wine lovers and make-up lovers all under one roof.
