Man enough to beautify women

CONTRIBUTED - Maurice Forbes attends to a client.

AFTER SHORT stints at odd jobs, 21-year-old Maurice Forbes joined the Guardsman Security Company as a security guard in 2003, but deep down his love was to enhance the faces of women as a make-up artist.

"I have always loved seeing women looking beautiful, with flawless, cool skin," he said. The opportunity to realise his dream came about when he was posted at Grand Lido Negril.

"A lot of fashion shoots take place here (Grand Lido Negril) and the public relations manager, Mrs. Oxamendi, knows my interest in make-up and always introduces me to the make-up artist so that I can learn techniques and tips," he said.

By working with a number of international make-up artists, he decided it was time to pursue a
formal course in the field of his dreams.

For a period of three months, he took the bus from Westmoreland to Kingston to attend classes at the Face Place. His real test came when he was selected by Elima Hall, his teacher, to make up the face of Marsha Barnett, an entrant in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2004 Competition.

Marsha Barnett took home the crown and it was Maurice's face that she wore.

BRIDES: GREATEST CHALLENGE

Equipped with the proper skills and passion, he started working on the faces at Grand Lido Negril. New Year's Eve had him nearly inundated with beautiful women waiting to become picture-perfect by his brush strokes and application of colour.

The most challenging task to date is to make up brides: "It is not easy, they usually want their faces to be flawless and their make-up needs to complement their dress," he noted.

Young Forbes, who left school without graduating, dreams of joining an elite team in Hollywood and see the world through the eyes of fashion, colour and theatre.

"My real passion is make-up for theatre. There, I can use dramatic colours."

Maurice Forbes is also the make-up artist for Negril's first morning programme, 'Good Morning Negril'.

"I believe I can get to Hollywood and make a difference." He said he is certain that a Jamaican has already paved the way for him.

"So for me, I am going to study more and practise my craft as often as I can and then just maybe, people will say in a few years, I knew him back then," he quipped as he continued his beach patrol.

Forbes hails from Waterworks in Westmoreland and is from a family of 10.