Based in Lebanon, Khouzami has built a multi-million-dollar brand and has a 2.2 million following on Instagram that is constantly growing.
It is no secret that people all over the globe have been creating massive waves for speaking out against the lack of diversity and representation in the beauty industry. After years of advocating for more representation, the outpouring number of people who are fighting against the unrealistic stereotypes have finally started to see the major changes they had been searching for.
Moving on from the out dated trends and harmful standards in the beauty community, people from all different backgrounds are now being recognized and embraced. The make-up industry is especially becoming more diverse. Whether diversity is being shown in advertisements or on the labels of products, make-up artists are a catalyst for pushing away stereotypes and progressively advancing with the times.
Samer Khouzami is a self-made, make-up artist with his own makeup line he founded in 2011. Based in Lebanon, Khouzami has built a multi-million-dollar brand and has a 2.2 million following on Instagram that is constantly growing. He’s become a force to be reckon with in the beauty community worldwide.
Khouzami sees himself as the key to reforming and renewing prior, traditional make-up practices and suggests keeping the essential traits of women’s features is what will help to gradually lose beauty standards. He said he would rather focus on some enhancement without losing the real character of each type of beauty.
“I encourage every woman to enhance her features and be very natural. By natural I mean the blend of her hair color, skin tone, the way she ties her hair or having long or short hair.”
Although the make-up community is increasingly featuring women of all shapes, sizes and skin tones, Khouzami still sees more room for change. Khouzami said he views beauty as special and wants to combat the unrealistic trends by fully embracing authentic beauty and getting rid of the trends that mask individuality.
“The change I would like to see in the Middle Eastern Beauty community is to cut off the trend that every girl goes through where they talk about makeup, hair color, styles, and nails, because I trust that every woman is charming and beautiful.”
Practicing what he preaches to his audience, Khouzami gives back to the community and teaches make-up workshops around the world. Previously distributing over 3860 certificates and traveling to 35 destinations, Khouzami teaches attendees at events that everyone should embrace their unique features. He said people today have more freedom with deciding their own beauty than ever before.
“Today beauty is all about taste and the freedom for people to choose what trends resonate with them.”
Khouzami’s requirements for finding more acceptance in the make-up industry go further than the aesthetically pleasing enhancements that are only to please the eyes of the public. He describes that change must happen at an induvial level where the focus is primarily on self-care. Khouzami said the impact of this change will not only transform minds and bodies but will ultimately make the world a kinder place.
“In order to participate in that change, I consider that beauty is to be happy, healthy and unique and that taking care of yourself is part of taking care of the world”
