Peter Styles — The Tyra Banks-approved Makeup Artist from Baguio
For a small artist dreaming to shine in the spotlight someday, a mere like or heart reaction from a stranger is an honor. But what if someone you idolize noticed your craft? That’s what happened to Peter Styles.
Hailing all the way from the City of Pines, Peter Paul Laguisma, a 28-year-old aspiring makeup artist, wishes to become big in the industry. But before she can achieve this dream, she will have to go through the tough climb of making it happen.
Discovering Peter’s makeup prowess
Of course, Peter had to discover first what made her like makeup in the first place. She was working as a fashion assistant in Baguio way back in October 2014 and had dreamt of becoming a fashion stylist someday.
“I first learned how to do my own makeup that same year, just casually playing with my roommate’s makeup. Then one time, we had a fashion show and the director of the show said they are lacking one more makeup artist. Although I was hesitant [because] I don’t have any proper tools, [I did] the makeup of the male models [as per the director].”
When she saw how versatile the industry is when it comes to creatives like her, she discovered an endless list of possibilities for her passion. She was then trained in doing hair and makeup which led her to pursue a career in this field, all while still being a fashion stylist.
Peter began practicing her makeup styles by recreating looks from other artists.
🌊The GREAT WAVE🌊
— Peter Styles (@thepeter_styles) May 20, 2021
-recreated this amzing artwork by @skullstress on IG. 💙I was really trying to do the neck and shoulder part but the details were so intricate to do and my butt is starting to hurt from seating for hours.🤣 pic.twitter.com/mkAkjQAh7e
“When I started doing creative makeup, I saw this post on [Instagram] and [wondered] to myself if I can recreate it. And from there, it started to [become] a habit for [me] to always get inspiration from other artists and [create] my own version of the look.”
Gaining celebrity recognition
Peter shared that there are several memorable makeups looks she did that made her celebrity idols notice her. Moreover, because of this, she was able to make it into the PR list of some makeup and beauty brands.
Several of the makeup looks that caught the attention of the iconic model and Top Model founder Tyra Banks are Peter’s recreations of ANTM photos.
I love this!
— Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) January 1, 2021
I love it! I took that shot. 😉
— Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) January 5, 2021
“First [of my memorable works] are these ones that I recreated from America’s Next Top Model Cycle 6 and 13 [after] Ms. Tyra Banks herself followed me on TikTok. I [then] made a series of makeup looks recreating their iconic shoots.”
Peter also recreated Tyra Banks’ look on her collaboration with Filipino makeup artist and YouTuber Patrick Starrr. Tyra then reposted Peter’s photo along with her own ones.
Aside from Tyra, several other celebrities, like Pia Wurtzbach and Liza Soberano, took notice of Peter’s talent and potential.
@looksbypeterstyless Thankful for all the recognition I got from these people. 😭I love u all! 🥰#viral #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #nadinelustre #tyrabanks #lizasoberano ♬ remix by officialsbubeats – itsbybrandon
As she gains recognition on social media, several local beauty brands reached out and did collaborations with her.
“Most of the brands I was able to collaborate with were very good and up until now I can see their support, so for me I love all my collaborations with these brands.”
Dreaming big
Now with more determination towards entering the beauty industry spotlight, Peter named the brands she dreams of collaborating with.
“It would be a dream come true for me to be able to work with the big makeup brands like MAC, ONESize Beauty, Rare Beauty, and also our local brands here in the Philippines.”
Formulating her next steps in her chosen career is an essential aspect of Peter’s dreams.
“The next step for me right now is to establish what I started and polish it further. And the one thing in my mind right now is to start my own makeup brand and see it all over the country or maybe the world. So, I am just here trusting the process and observing how I can start my own brand.”
For her, this journey is going to be a long haul. She sees herself forever immersed in her passion for beauty and makeup.
“I think from being a fashion stylist to a makeup content creator, I found my true calling and the fact that I keep inspiring a lot of people makes me [continue doing it], so I definitely see myself doing this for a long time.”
As Peter becomes a permanent part of the industry, she shares her thoughts on the beauty community here in our homeland.
“I think [the community] is thriving, evolving, and is being on par with the international standards when it comes to makeup and beauty. [I am] seeing a lot of local brands highlighting our culture as [Filipinos]. Also, the other makeup artists I met are very supportive of each other.”
Expressing gratitude and wisdom
Peter thanked all the people who supported her and continues to support her journey towards the limelight.
“I am so grateful for the love, efforts, and encouragement you are showing me. I owe [you] every small or big achievement I make and I am always honored to have you all. [Hoping that] you [will] keep [on] supporting me and [have] my back every step of the way.”
Of course, no one could ever understand the plight of aspiring makeup professionals other than Peter herself. She expressed words of encouragement to all her fellow artists.
“My message to all the aspiring makeup artists or anyone who wants to pursue their dream in fashion is that [you] always [have to] be true to who you are. No matter what happens, believe in yourself and your talents. You are there because people believed in you and your capabilities, so never ever doubt yourself.”
Peter Styles may still be far from the fame and fortune she dreams of and absolutely deserves, but she is a living testament of how one small spark of hope and a window of opportunity can solidify our passion and drive towards achieving our goals.
One step at a time, Peter will become the very person she dreams of. And we hope that this road she is taking may eventually lead her to it.
