The Art of Beauty through the Eyes of Frances Zulueta

She was an ugly duckling who almost gave up on ridding her face of acne. Today, she is the makeup expert in Manila of world-renowned cosmetics company Shu Uemura which is finally coming to Manila.

Shu Uemura is considered the Rolls Royce of the cosmetics industry by fashionistas, makeup artists, stylists and jet-setting socialites, who go to great lengths to purchase the brand. It boasts top-of-the-line cosmetic and skin care products highly in-demand for their quality, special ingredients and wide variety.

Coming to Manila wasn’t that easy. Shu Uemura needed someone to lead the brand in the market. Frances Zulueta was tediously handpicked from a pool of highly qualified applicants. Her ambition, passion, creativity and background in retail convinced Tina Tinio, brand manager of Shu Uemura in Manila, to give her the position as the brand’s makeup expert. "We found someone who had big dreams, who knows and loves the brand. Someone willing to do a full-time job, six days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day," says Tinio.

Frances has always had a passion for beauty since her early years. Haunted by acne and constant teasing by peers, her obsession and pursuit for good skin made her dream of becoming a dermatologist or ending up somewhere in the field of cosmetics. It wasn’t until the latter part of her high school years, by some miracle, that her acne vanished and motivated her to believe in herself and inspired her to always look good.

Xeng, as close friends and people fondly call her in the business, is no newcomer in the fashion world. In her early days in the industry, she started as a fashion consultant for international retail giants such as DKNY, Emporio Armani. She became the boutique manager for Manolo Blahnik in Manila. Her experience with these companies honed her skills and produced a competitive background in high-end fashion retailing. After three years in the retail business, jumping from brand to brand became easy and less challenging. It was time to make a change.

Lured by the glitz and glam of fashion and constant persuasion from clients and industry people who found her personal makeup good, it was only in 1998 Xeng decided to pursue her passion for makeup seriously. Her door-to-door approach in publications didn’t leave her talent unnoticed by magazine editors. "Her work is very clean, crisp and it exudes youth and freshness," says Philippine STAR columnist and Youngstar editor-in-chief Ginggay Joven. Pierra Calasanz, Meg’s editor-in-chief adds, "She always gets the clean, ‘no makeup’ look just right. I like her natural style the best." Through constant practice, Xeng’s eye for beauty developed a personal style. Candy magazine beauty editor Ria Francisco notes, "She knows how to make your best features stand out and her makeup never looks heavy."

Xeng’s expertise is not only founded on her talent and experience; she also had extensive training on creative makeup at the London Academy of Beauty and Makeup, Airbrush Makeup at the DINAIR Airbrush Systems and Master Hair Class at the On Set Motion Picture Hair Academy (both in the US) tucked under her belt. On top of that, she was recently sent to the Shu Uemura Head Office in Japan where she underwent rigid training under the tutelage of the International and Atelier team (the team trained by Shu Uemura himself). This makes her the first and only Filipino to be trained and endorsed by the international brand. With her creativity in makeup and backed up by her expertise in retail, Shu Uemura experts believe Xeng has "the potential to work for the brand on an international level in the future."

Xeng’s constant pursuit of excellence in the art of beauty is never ending. "A professional artist who is scientific with makeup and knowledgeable about a product’s history or background" is how Mega associate beauty editor Vicky Tensuan fondly describes Xeng. Xeng keeps abreast with the latest developments, trends and discoveries related to beauty. According to Preview beauty editor Agoo Bengson, "She is a passionate artist who knows the latest innovation in beauty products and puts her heart and soul in what she does."

"Things are always changing, there is always something new to learn," Xeng says. But as much as she is a professional in her craft, what makes her a rare find is the bond she creates with the people she works with. Good friend and Chalk editor-in-chief Romina Urra says, "She is someone who listens and who you can communicate with. She is easy to work with and constantly improves her work."

Making people look great and beautiful through makeup is Xeng’s mission in life. Xeng has finally arrived and found her place under the sun.