Make up artiste Jermaine Palmer - A man with a passion for beauty

"This is my love, this is my passion," 32 year-old Jermaine Palmer said as he talked about his profession as a beautician and make-up artist.

Palmer, who teaches make-up artistry, works with Bryan's photo studio and freelances, has been in the industry for five years. After leaving high school, he started out in the corporate world, but soon realised that it was not for him.

"After working in customer service for a while, I got bored doing the same thing everyday. I always knew I wanted to work for myself. I wanted my own brand," Palmer said.

After spending time meditating and internalising advice from church leaders who encouraged him to use his God-given talents, Palmer had a breakthrough.

"One day I went online and saw a make-up tutorial. I just said this is what I want to do after seeing the client's transformation," Palmer recalled.

From there, Palmer sought to get himself accredited in make-up artistry and skincare at the Face Place in Kingston. Shortly after, he enrolled in an advanced class taught by international beauty guru, Buntricia Bastian. He then studied in Las Vegas, where he became internationally certified.

Initially, Palmer was concerned that he would be stereotyped for working in a female-dominated industry, however, that fear has subsided.

"I feel like I'm the King," Palmer joked. "I find that once a female sees a male doing something that a woman is supposed to dominate, they are more drawn to the males."

Palmer's zeal to continue his profession is fueled by the joy of his clients.

"I love when I get a client who has never worn make-up before. I remember once I got a client who cried and gave me a big hug after seeing her transformation," he recalled.

Currently, Palmer is having discussions with his mentor about launching his own make-up line next year, which is designed specifically for women in the tropics. He plans to call it 'Jpal'.

Palmer's advice for make-up artist hopefuls is, "Go for it! But you have to have the drive, the passion and the heart. If you don't have this, it is going to frustrate you."