IRIS BEILIN© IRIS BEILIN

Irishcel Beilin

After this stunning Afro-Latina decided to quit her job picking cherries on a farm, the universe guided her to land a beauty gig that would change her life


SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 11:30 AM EDT

Makeup artist Irishcel Beilin moved from Panama to the United States, not knowing she would become her own role model. The Afro-Latina realized as a young girl that she didn‘t fit the beauty standards society had imposed. Thinking that she wasn’t pretty enough, Beilin decided to work on her self-acceptance and started to trust her instincts and develop her style.

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But before establishing herself and having a successful career in the industry, Beilin worked picking cherries on a farm. “At that moment, I was like, I need to do something for my life because I don‘t see myself doing this,” she said in Latina to Latina. “My second job after that was Pizza Hut. Then Torrid. That was a store in the mall. Then Edible Arrangements, and then MAC Cosmetics. MAC Cosmetics is what really took me there,” she revealed.

According to the makeup artist, while working at Edible Arrangements, she made a quick stop at MAC Cosmetics because she forgot her pink lipstick at home. “[It was] Pink Nouveau by MAC. I never forget. I stopped there, and I used to know everybody from the MAC counter.” The beauty experts recall seeing new faces and not the people she used to know. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Who’s here?‘ And this lady looked at me, and she goes, ’Oh, what‘s your name?’ I look at her, and I‘m like, ’Why?‘ [and she said] ’Because I‘d never seen her before.’”

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Despite the ruff and awkward moment, Irishcel landed a job at the store. “I always wanted to become a MAC girl,“ she said. ”Even the people at the counter used to say to me, ‘Why don’t you apply?‘ I’m like, ‘No, I don’t think I‘m good enough.’ It‘s funny how when something is yours; God will just bring it. I was like, ’I would love to work here.‘ That’s how it started, working at MAC.“

Beilin quickly started learning all the tricks and the trades and started sharing her knowledge on Instagram. “I did it because I loved it. I wanted to inspire and be inspired by others, and that‘s what pushed me just to be better,” she said.

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Today, Beilin has over 735k followers on Instagram, and she shares anything from skincare to makeup videos and body positivity.