It all started when…

Tenzin Palkyi, 22 years old, born in India (Mundgod), came to Toronto in 2005 and been here ever since.

What does being Tibetan mean to you?

Being Tibetan to me means being kind and compassionate. A lot of people that I meet, who are familiar with Tibetans, usually have nothing but the best things to say about Tibetan people. A man that I met while working once told me how Tibetans are the kindest and most down to earth people. Hearing that makes me really proud and it only makes me want to live up to that. 

Was there ever a moment in life where you felt lost/uncontrolled of things around you? 

A moment in life where I felt lost was when I was in the Nursing program. When I graduated high school, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do. When that’s the case, the one and only, infamous option is Nursing. Of course, I understand my dad only wanted me to have a stable future like every other parent. When I was in the Nursing program, there were many days where I asked myself why I’m doing this, as someone that was neither good or liked anything to do with science. I dreaded going to school every day, I got bad grades and most importantly, I had no interest in what I was learning day to day. A reason that I kept pushing was because I wanted to make my dad happy and proud. I soon realized that I was neglecting my own feelings and I finally decided to turn that around. I got the courage to drop out of Nursing and here I am in the beauty industry. 

What drew you to make up? Were you always interested in makeup?

I wasn’t always interested in makeup. In high school, I was known to be the tomboy. I never liked makeup, all I wanted to do was play sports and hit the gym then. After I graduated high school, the people around me were wearing makeup which then led me to putting makeup on. I slowly started becoming more interested in makeup. I would watch YouTube tutorials, I was always up to date with beauty launches and any time I had to go to a friend’s birthday party, I would get really excited just so I can get all glammed up. 

What do you want to pursue in your life? Current and future goals? 

My goal is to have my own successful business in the future, specifically in the beauty industry. I started a small business a year ago because I wanted to have the experience and just try it out. I’m really proud of myself for starting that business because it really taught me a lot. It made me realize that it’s not going to be easy and that I have so much more to learn. Experiences like this only motivates me to do better and continue to work for what I want. A current goal of mine is to finish the Cosmetic Management program that I am in. A future goal of mine is to go into another program related to this field. I hope to further my knowledge and become an intelligent entrepreneur. 

How has makeup changed your life? 

Makeup made me realize that I don’t need to have a career related to chemistry/biology. It made me become more confident in myself. It reminded me to take care of myself. It allowed me to have a positive hobby. It brought out creativity in me. It helped me de-stress on long days. It changed my view of school… Makeup changed my view of life. What I like about makeup is that there’s not really a right or wrong answer, it’s whatever you want it to be. 

What is beauty? 

These days if you ask someone what beauty is, they describe it to social media’s beauty standards. Tall & skinny, Slim & thick, etc. What about everyone else that’s around that? It doesn’t mean that they’re not beautiful. I think Beauty is how you treat yourself and how you treat others. Beauty is truly within. Like the infamous quote, there’s no point to a shiny apple when it’s rotten on the inside.

Who or what motivates you? Life lessons learned? 

The people that motivate me include my family & friends, people that came from nothing and made a name for themselves and people who don’t believe in me. An important life lesson that I learned is that negative things will only make you stronger if you’re in the right head space. It’s important to look at life through a positive way. 

Biggest obstacle you faced in your life; best and worst moment? 

The biggest obstacle that I faced in my life was my mom passing when I was very young. At the time, I didn’t know what losing a mom meant but over the years it has affected me greatly. Growing up, I didn’t get that nurturing mom love, I didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day the same way other kids did, I never got a mother-daughter bonding relationship. The worst part is that I never really got to say goodbye to her. I still continue to face this obstacle but I’m learning to accept that even though she’s not physically here, she’s always with me in my heart. 

Any advice you want to share for those aspiring to enter the world of makeup? 

It was definitely a hard decision to come into the makeup world. It’s not like the nursing program where you become a nurse with a good salary right after you graduate. It can take a long time to be at where you want to be but if you’re passionate and you work hard I believe anything is possible. Also, you don’t have to do what everybody else is doing. It’s okay to be different, do what you want to do. Don’t just go the safe route. I believe that failures will only make you stronger so embrace it and learn from it. I’m just starting this journey and I am excited for all the things to come.