Note from BW of Brazil: One of the great things about writing a blog about black Brazilian women is that, in covering so many talented people, you never know where a post may take you. Over the years, we’ve brought you many singers, models, actresses, students and even doctors, judges and businesswomen. Today, we bring you yet another black woman who is carving out her own special little niche. Meet makeup artist Daniela Da Mata!
Da Mata, the ‘Afrocruela’ makeup artist that is winning over Brazil
Idealizer of the Project Negras do Brasil tells Preticess how she entered the world of “makeup”
By Midi Noelle
When I arrived to interview Daniele Da Mata at the hotel in which she was staying, I found her very amusing. I looked at that person and thought: wow, how small and delicate she is, and at the same time, such a giant and strong person. Yes, my people! The creative makeup artist of Projeto Negras do Brasil is great! In beauty, speech, education and knowledge. It was 30 minutes of talk to find out that Liniker’s sweetheart, a very short time ago (six years ago), she was like the young women who are her fans today and follows her in social media. A black girl, dreamy, who didn’t feel beautiful, but “one day she decided to change.”
At the age of 26, Da Mata has worked since the age of 15. That is, more than ten years on the run. “I started in a cosmetics factory when I was an intern. I did the same production. I was very young and it was a very new and very laborious process. In the end I was a blush production leader and I worked in the quality sector.” There, the beauty met a man named Levi – unfortunately no longer with us – the person who taught her everything about makeup production. “He was like a father. He taught me a lot. He was mais preto (blacker) than me. I began to have contact with him because we observed that the production was all done by white people and it was only us blacks.”
As a teenager until her 20s, Da Mata never bothered with makeup, only with the ballet she did at her mother’s request and basketball, her favorite sport. When she finished her internship, she didn’t know what to do. When they asked what she knew and what she would like to work with, there was no other: makeup. But since she didn’t want to study chemistry in order to create cosmetics, she decided to take a makeup artist’s course. In the meantime, her capillary transition occurred when she saw herself as a black woman for the first time. “Your whole life you’ve been preta (black), but society doesn’t say that to you. They kept asking me why I didn’t put in a straight weave.” And it was at that moment that she found herself, even having an empowered mother, “truly the bomb,” as she says.
Afrocruela
After the suggestion of a friend, Bruno, Da Mata understood that she needed an image that impacted people and that everyone could recognize her. Then came the style “afrocruela”. But what her image has of empowerment and beauty, is an affront and annoys prejudiced people. “After I did my hair I started to be more attacked, more discriminated against. I hate shopping in a supermarket. These are places where I’m exposed. It comes from everything. They have already said that I was the work of the devil. It was horrible! No one is obliged to like it, but they are obliged to respect.” And for that, Da Mata, for you, our utmost respect.
Source: Correio 24 Horas
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