Before becoming a makeup artist, Amanda Padilla had a brief stint as a copywriter at an advertising agency. “I did not enjoy it at all.” She shares. “It was here, however, where I realized being a makeup artist was an actual profession.” Soon after she quit her job and studied Makeup for Photography and High Fashion at Westmore Academy in Burbank, California. Her first makeup job right out of school was for Estee Lauder in San Francisco, where she worked as a beauty advisor.

Apart from honing her craft on the job, Amanda further enhanced her skills by taking the Westmore Academy Airbrush makeup course (2008). Other notable career highlights include her win in the Makeup Artist Category of Mega Fashion Crew, Season 1 (a Philippine reality TV show) in 2011, and signing on as a makeup artist with top beauty brands Estee Lauder Philippines (2010) and Maybelline Philippines (2012-2013). Due to her constant desire to educate herself and improve her technique, Amanda continues to invest in makeup courses abroad.

While she admits that it’s fun to go all out with face paint or bolder looks, her signature style is one of restraint. “I let a face tell me how much is really needed. It’s easy to pile on a lot of makeup—the art is in knowing when to stop.”