NEW YORK: Social media has revolutionized the beauty industry: Take Huda Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics or even Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty — without Instagram they would probably not exist. It has also meant that many traditional players have had to be open to change.
One professional who has been able to adapt while staying true to her own beauty philosophy is New York-based mother of two Wafaa Debs — better known as “Beauty Gypsy.” Her account has well over 50,000 followers and though Debs (who is of Lebanese descent) is based in the US, many Arab women look to her for advice.
Debs, a native of Texas, studied at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, and it was her love of fashion that ignited her passion for beauty. “I would do side work for extra money, dressing models backstage. I knew right away that I was more interested in watching make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin and hair stylist Oribe transform the models than I was in the clothes,” she tells Arab News.
Back home in Austin she opened her beauty concept store Beaux Visage — which closed in 2000 when Debs moved to Japan with her husband (closing the store was a “painful decision” she says). “But it was then that I discovered my success was due to my knowledge and the relationships I formed with my clients (rather than the store itself,” she says. She started a blog, which eventually evolved into an Instagram account. “I realized that women really wanted to hear what I had to say and the fact that I am here still doing it says it all,” Debs says. The name ‘Beauty Gypsy’ stems from the fact she loves to travel — “Beauty is never found in one place,” she explains. “It can be found anywhere and everywhere. She travels to the Middle East often (usually to Beirut or Dubai) and says her regional roots have been a guiding factor in her career.
“I appreciate how Lebanese women will wake up and wear makeup even if they are only going to the grocery store,” she says. “The effort is something I admire and relate to.”
One of the reasons for her loyal following, Debs believes, is her integrity. She is not all about sponsored posts, unlike many in her field. This means she can be very candid in her reviews.
“Women who follow me realize quickly I am not in this to make a quick sale or to kiss up to brands, and they admire and value that,” she says. She adds that she sticks to luxury brands, as she believes you get what you pay for. Japanese brands are very much her “go-to” — be it Decorte or Addiction. “I fell in love with Japanese products while I was living there for nine years,” she says. “It is very advanced and the quality is impressive. I saw how my skin improved with their skin care products and foundations. The shades, however, can be very limited and pose a challenge for non-Asians to match. I can see that they are trying to expand their range to cater to the Western market, but they still have a way to go.”
Debs, 51, is not looking to appeal to Millennials either. “My audience is mature, educated and savvy. They want credibility, consistency and honesty and that is where I come in,” she says. “I hope that Middle Eastern women can progress and realize they do not need heavy makeup to look good.”
She says the secret behind her own glow is retinol (Vitamin A). “I have been using it religiously for over 30 years and it is the best anti-wrinkle, anti-ageing product I have ever used,” she says, adding that she has never injected any beauty product and does not like the fact that social media has glorified cosmetic surgery. “It makes me sad,” she says. “I believe that imperfections give you character. I hope that message eventually makes its way back to the young generation.”
Don’t be surprised if this Middle Eastern beauty follows Huda Kattan and Kylie Jenner by releasing her own product line soon. But you can rest assured that it will be based on her own unique and refreshing philosophy.
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