MY MAKEUP LOVE STORY

Growing up, my mum would buy around 5 makeup products a year, once a year, just before our summer holidays in Albania. It’s safe to say I have been colour matching since I was 10 years old, maybe even earlier. I remember thinking, ‘when I grow up, i’m going to buy everything in this shop’.

When I finished my GCSE’s, my mum gifted me the ‘Wake me up’ Rimmel foundation and the purple colossal lash by Maybelline followed by the classic Naked palette. This to me, this was a makeup collection. I was creating UGC content before it was a thing, taking pictures of the products in every angle, with plastic flowers to make the shot somewhat aesthetically pleasing. I thought I’d open an instagram account where I would post about my array of 3 products. I would even post a body moisturiser, nail polish or pretty much anything I could find around the house. This then led to me creating makeup looks in my spare time, and eventually started getting bookings during prom season, but never imagined that this would become my full time job.

As an immigrant child, the sacrifices my parents made to bring my brother and I to this country has been my driving force throughout my whole life. I wanted to make them proud and always envisioned this being in the form of a highly respected role, a lawyer or a journalist. Being the first girl in my family to graduate is still one of my greatest achievements, however after working in marketing for 3 years, I soon realised that the corporate life was not for someone like me. My creativity felt caged. I was limited to so many rules and guidelines and started to understand that I was truly unhappy. The role was made redundant as I was in the events industry which crumbled during covid. After the restrictions were lifted, there was an influx of bookings from people who were desperate to get married before anything else changed.

This is where I realised that being a part of peoples important events and having the ability to make them fall in love with themselves, feeling their absolute best, this was my calling.

Every brush stroke, every blend of color, is a reflection of the journey that started with a simple gift many years ago. And now, through Liri's Makeup Bag, I have the opportunity to help others look and feel their best, inspiring confidence and beauty in every client that sits in my chair.

I have thought about changing my social media handles a number of times, however I can’t seem to let go of Liri’s makeup bag. It’s become part of my identity and a huge part of my journey. It hold’s a sense of innocence from my teenage years, this makeup bag has now become a suitcase + a whole vanity filled with makeup but every time I hold a new product, the euphoria is still the same and I become my 15 year old self who kept the packaging of products for years!

It all began with an idea, a spark of creativity that has grown into something truly special. As I continue to share my story online, I hope to inspire others to follow their passions, chase their dreams, and create something that is uniquely their own. Because in a world filled with countless websites and businesses, it's our stories that set us apart and make us shine.