Montclair State alum Sadiq Trusty is a makeup artist who majored in fashion studies. Photo courtesy of Sadiq Trusty
Montclair State University alum and talented makeup artist Sadiq Trusty is destined to make a positive difference in the world.
“My favorite part about doing makeup is seeing the transformation,” said Trusty, who currently works as a freelance makeup artist and Clinique Consultant at a department store counter.
The Class of 2016 graduate, who majored in fashion studies and received his certification from the Bobbi Brown Makeup Artistry Program, learned the ins and outs of the industry.
Thanking Professor Ricki Gurtman from the Bobbi Brown Studio, Trusty said, “My makeup artistry certificate courses helped me understand what the artistry of makeup is really all about.”
Declaring a major can be challenging. However, Trusty knew that fashion studies was the perfect fit for him. “I saw the fashion industry as a way for me to use my creativity and my gift to change people’s lives,” he said.
The skilled 22-year-old has always loved the beauty side of fashion. He explained, “As a little boy I would always stay in the beauty aisles of the drug store just looking at all the ads and products that one person can choose from. I also knew I was creative as well, but I had tried many outlets for my creativity such as singing, drawing, painting and things of that nature, but nothing made me feel as excited as when I played with makeup and beauty products.”
While Trusty didn’t start doing makeup until his sophomore year of college, one would think he’s been doing it his entire life. He began by emulating YouTube videos and fashion magazines, but Trusty said that the Bobbi Brown Makeup Artistry Program in Montclair “shared some of the industry secrets as well as the staples of beauty application and makeup alike.”
“The more times I applied makeup the better I got, and I started to form my own technique and my own look that I wanted to go for and possibly call my own,” he said.
Apart from these programs, Trusty lent his talents to Montclair State fashion shows and was the beauty director of a Montclair State fashion magazine.
A photo of Montclair State student Lashell Bunion from one of the many photo shoots Trusty has done. Photo courtesy of Sadiq Trusty
While Trusty has already accomplished so much in so little time, he said one of his favorite experiences in the makeup industry was working for makeup artist Jessica Romano. As a Glam Fairy on the hit show on The Style Network, Romano decided after the show ended to start her own makeup company called Glamour Dolls Makeup.
“Jessica is a ball of fun and a boss that everyone wishes to be and wishes to have. I am so lucky to not only say I got to work with her, but [that] she is still a friend of mine and we keep in touch from time to time,” Trusty said. “Interning at her company gave me an inside eye on what it takes to start your own company and shape your own brand. She is an amazing role model.”
Whether it’s a fashion show or photo shoot, Trusty said every opportunity he gets to do makeup holds a special place in his heart. “The makeup looks different for each event because simply, in essence, each event is different,” he said. “[For] fashion shows, you have to make sure you don’t clash the makeup with the fashion; you have to find the harmony between the two.”
Trusty explained, for events like sweet sixteens, he keeps in mind that each person wants something different and they all want to feel and look beautiful. “Making sure they are glowing and glamorous is a must for me,” said Trusty.
He also explained how he enjoys editorial photo shoots because he feels as though he can be the most creative in those settings. This is especially the case when he is the one coming up with the looks.
Trusty acknowledged that the artistry of fashion and beauty has impacted his life greatly and has shaped who he is. “It gave me the opportunity to push my boundaries as far as my comfort zone and it gave me the opportunity to use a gift that I have to put smiles on people’s faces,” he said.
“I know that being a makeup artist is my calling because people gravitated toward me when I became the makeup artist that people know me as today — not like I am a big shot or anything like that,” Trusty laughed.
He believes fashion and beauty are integral components to every individual’s life, explaining that “it gives people some kind of way to express themselves—whether it’s through the clothes that they wear, how they style their hair and even how they like to have their makeup done. I think that without the fashion and beauty industry the world would be dreadfully boring.”
With fashion and beauty running through his veins, Trusty plans on launching a YouTube channel, a cosmetics and skincare line for men and women and a charity that gives underprivileged men and women the opportunity to have their makeup done.
“In a nutshell I want to make people feel as beautiful as they look,” Trusty said. “I also see myself as a cosmetics brand in-house artist and traveling all over the world teaching people the artistry of makeup.”
“My fashion tip for Montclair State students is to continue to wear whatever makes you happy,” Trusty said. “We have the freedom as a people to express ourselves through the clothes we wear.”
