A beautician in central China has gone viral on social media for helping rural women in their 40s transform their looks through makeup.
Zhou Wenjuan, a native of Yongzhou, Hunan province studied makeup in Beijing a few years ago before returning to her home city to practice her skills.
After setting up her own beauty salon, however, Zhou found out that many women in her village — especially those in their 40s — have never really worn makeup.
While the women have always had an interest in makeup, they simply never tried to put some on themselves.
In February, Zhou accomplished her first makeover: her grandmother.
With COVID-19 forcing them to stay at home, the 32-year-old had plenty of time to transform her grandmother’s appearance.
It did not take long before the new looks of Zhou’s grandmother made waves all over town.
Soon enough, many female villagers expressed their interest in wearing makeup.
Since then, Zhou has been determined to help “left-behind” middle-aged women transform their looks — all for free.
“Many middle-aged women in the countryside are usually engaged in housework all the day and hardly have time to take care of themselves, therefore all efforts are worthy as long as they can appreciate the beauty of change,” Zhou said, according to China Daily.
But it’s not all just makeup. Zhou learned that many of these women pay little attention to skincare — even her own grandmother showed signs of dehydration.
“Though makeup subjects are different, this is the most meaningful thing I’ve done,” Zhou said, according to Xiaoxiang Morning Post. “After I put on makeup on them, they felt that they had never been so beautiful their entire lives.”
Rendering free services has been time-consuming for Zhou, however. She revealed that it takes about an hour and a half to complete the entire process from hairstyle to makeup.
After putting on makeup, Zhou would let the women choose their most decent clothing for photos and videos. Despite the tedious work, she says it’s all worth it in the end.
Needless to say, showcasing her work online also boosts her reputation as a beautician. It is understood that she charges all other customers to keep her business going.
Feature Images via China Daily (1,2) and Xiaoxiang Morning Post (3,4)
