I’m gonna tell you a Christmas story. It’s not only about Christmas, but what’s most important is to believe that wishes really come true if they are realistic and if you have enough energy to stay determined. Even when you think it’s not gonna happened to you. Well, I assure you it can!
Today’s story is about travelling. By travelling, Elodie Oliveira discovered a lot of parts of this beautiful world, she met interesting people and in the end she got the job of her dreams. She became a beauty trainer at one of the top’s cosmetic brands in the world, Académie Scientifique de Beauté, from her native Paris. In fact I met her when she was invited as a special guest at a beauty event in one of her visits to Romania.
How did it all started
”First time I kind’ve worked with Academie when I was 15. I was going to school and I was also working at a beauty salon which was colaborating with Academie. And when I did my first training as a beauty therapist at Academie that was the time when I said <Wow, one day I want to become a trainer here!>. Then I continued to study and I earned other two diplomas and the last one was with high qualification and permited me to become a teacher, a trainer.”
From Europe to Australia and Asia
”I travelled a lot, about nine years. If you want to be a trainer you need to be fluent in minimum two languages, like English and French. I lived two years in London, Great Britain, then one year in New Zeeland, two years in Australia, six months in Crete, Greece, and I travelled backpacking in Asia. When I wanted to discover a country I went there, then I was looking for a place to stay, then i found a job. First I lived two years in London. I started working as a bartender, because I didn’t speak any English and I had to start from somewhere. Plus, you can spell whiskey and Cola in any language. Then my English improved and six month later I was the manager of a beauty counter in a big store on Oxford Street. I was coordonating three girls and we did make up all day and we were giving advices about skin care. My advantage was that in 2001 I won a make-up artist contest in France, and it was mentioned in my resume. But because I had to stand all day on my feet I had serious back pain problems and I had to quit. Then I found another job for one year, as a real estate agent.”
I knoked at the door and I said ”I will fit very well in your company”
”I came back to France in 2013. That’s when I discovered that Academie was looking for a new trainer, so technically I found them. I knoked at the door and I said <listen, my resume is a bit unusual compared to other traditional beauty therapists, but I think I will fit very well in your company>, I was talking to the big boss. And he said that indeed my resume it’s unusual, but because I traveled so much – <and you should travel a lot as a beauty trainer>, he said, <and because your English is very good , yes, we should try with you>. An that’s how I joined the company as a trainer, in April 2013.”
”My best Christmas time ever was in New York”
I love Christmas. This year I will spend this beautiful holiday in France, with my partner and the family and after that we’ll go for one week to a ski resort. But my best Christmas time ever was in New York. I was 23 and I went there with a friend of mine. At that time I was living in London and I had dinner with this friend and I told her that I dream to visit New York in the Christmas time. I wanted to see if what I heard about and seen in the american movies about the Christmas spirit was real. After we finnished dinner we actually checked the dates and we found some cheap plane tickets to go. Two weeks late we were in New York, for the first time, in December, just like I wanted. It was my best time ever. I was just crazy about everything. The people were ice skating at the Rockeffeler Center and there was also the big Christmas tree. The stores were beautiful and you could’ve hear singing ”Jingle Bells” everywhere. Since we landed, from the airport and then in the cab and in the city, everywhere you could’ve feel the Christmas spirit. Now I dream about going to New York with my partner and i’m pretty sure that this next dream it’s gonna come true also. (laughing)
5 QUESTIONS FOR ELODIE OLIVEIRA
What do you think about Romanian women?
I was very well surprised to see that Romanian women and very beautiful and educated. They were very well dressed, actually better then me sometimes. (laughing) And when I was walking in Bucharest I lost my way and random people from the street helped me to find my way again. I really enjoyed coming twice in Romania (in Bucharest and Timisoara) and I hope I’ll come back even on holiday to visit more.
What are the most important things you learned about beauty?
Reffering to skin, I must say that most important thing everybody should remember is that each person have it’s own particularities. The person’s life style is very important and the products must be choose in a perfect way, adapting the combinations to every person. Peeling products are very important because by doing a peeling, at least once a week, you remove the dead skin and stimulate the production of new cells of your skin.
What are your must-have beauty/makeup products we can always find in your kit?
Peeling it’s one of my favourite products, because your skin looks radiant and fresh after you use it, a very good nourishing cream because the air in the plane is very dry so it’s not good for skin. The stewardesses usually get more wrinkles then the regular persons because of the depresurisation and the dry air inside the plane. And as a makeup I always have: skin foundation, concealer, sun powder, blush, mascara and eye shadow. I like the natural look.
What was the most inspiring thing for you?
I think travelling, because is opening people’s mind. In France people think that a girl can’t travel all by herself and I DID IT! First you think is difficult, but when you actually start travelling by yourself you see how many people open to you, everywhere you go and they are willing to help. Even if they don’t have enough money, they share their food with you. It’s a great adventure and a great feeling.
What’s your program for the beginning of 2015?
In January I will go to Denmark, in February I will go to Malta and after that I will go to Island, of course as a beauty trainer.
If you want to find more interesting things about Elodie’s creative projects and a lot of beauty and makeup tips you can check her blog Blush Ooh La La www.blushoohlala.com.
Photo credit: personal archive.