Beauty lovers in the Bay Area held their collective breath, awaiting the release of the much-anticipated 2022 Beauty Magazine by Soeleish San Francisco. One of the fastest-growing magazines in the Bay Area, Soeleish is the Bible for beauty in the Bay Area.
March’s list of artists was carefully chosen with consideration of multiple factors, including client reviews. Of thousands of local beauty experts, only 30 were selected for the best-of list.
Number one on the list was Roi Santos, a rising star in the beauty industry.
Recently featured on CNN Philippines, Roi has been blowing up Filipino news outlets for years; for example, in May 2022, Roi was featured on “Dapat Alam Mo”, a national television show in the Philippines hosted by Kuya Kim Atienza, and in July 2022 he was featured on the TeleRadyo show “Saktong Kwentuhan” hosted by Miss Amy Perez. He has also been featured in the Philippine Star Newspaper, one of the more prominent Filipino newspapers.
Now Roi is being recognized in the US. In 2021, he graced the cover of MaxHealth Magazine as a celebrity makeup artist, and that same month, he and his partner were featured on the cover of the gay pride edition of Outré Magazine. With an ever-growing list of celebrity clients, Roi is bringing beauty to the Bay Area – and everywhere else he goes.
Telling a Story Without Saying a Word
As with many self-made success stories, Roi’s starts with humble beginnings. He was born in the Philippines, and his family moved to a modest neighborhood in San Mateo, California, when he was young.
Roi found a love for beauty products at a young age when he was ruthlessly bullied for cystic acne in high school. While his skin condition passed as he reached adulthood, his love for cosmetics endured because he had learned a valuable truth: beauty products don’t have to cover your true self. They can release your inner spirit and let you shine from within. Thus his career was born.
Roi, a licensed cosmetologist in California, worked for three years at Barberia Salon in Foster City and was responsible for creating the MYA (Make Yourself Amazing) brand for the salon and magazine. While working as a Service Coordinator at Sephora in Burlingame, Roi met and dazzled actress Rufa Mae Quinto, who has starred in multiple top-grossing films in the Philippines. Rufa, impressed by Roi’s incredible talent, introduced him to her core group of Filipino celebrities residing in America, and that helped to build Roi’s celebrity clientele.
Other celebrities who have sported Roi’s gorgeous looks include Filipina socialite Jinkee Pacquiao and actresses and beauty pageant stars Lj Moreno Alapag, Donita Rose, Rabiya Mateo, Cherie Gill, Carla Madz Humprees, Maria Isabel Lopez, among others. Roi is currently one of the endorsers of Abby Skin Care Clinic in the Bay Area.
His signature style embodies a natural glow with a contemporary twist, which reflects his core beliefs about makeup. His polished, modern looks enhance a client’s natural beauty. He believes that makeup should tell a story without saying a word. His Instagram account is a perfect way to showcase his growing portfolio of work, as well as feature his many accomplishments, such as his work on celebrities and his many article mentions and magazine covers.
Wearing Makeup Like Armor
As a freelance makeup artist who lives and breathes makeup, Roi caters to clients attending weddings, graduations, and one-on-one photoshoots. A majority of his clients are Filipino celebrities living in California, who utilize Roi’s services for television commercials and magazine features. Many high-profile clients are reaching out to Roi through Instagram, and fans of those celebrities also connect with Roi on the popular social media platform, wanting to replicate the looks of their favorite celebrities.
Post-pandemic, Roi has begun traveling as a freelance makeup artist to provide services for high-profile clients. He offers on-location makeup touch-ups and special effects for all types of photoshoots and magazine spreads. He does bridal makeup, high-fashion looks, and makeup for editorial pieces, celebrity headshots, and even boudoir and family photoshoots. His passion is to one day offer his own line of cosmetics.
“My core inspiration,” Roi says, “comes from all of my life experiences, whether it be makeup related or not. Everything I have overcome has made me the stronger, professional man that I am today.”
Roi is an incredibly versatile artist who believes that confidence, humility, kindness, and fully understanding and accepting who you truly are, embracing all your flaws and imperfections, wearing it like armor, and rocking it loud and proud define beauty.
Professional site:
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/roithemakeupartist
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