Make-up artist gains international acclaim

At only 17 years old, Albany’s Dominic Porras is already becoming an international online phenomenon.

The make-up artist has gained more than 120,000 online followers and has been featured by BuzzFeed as one of the top three male make-up artists to follow.

He has also teamed up with internationally known brand Anastasia Beverley Hills, which invited him to Los Angeles to work with it in October.

Now, Dominic wants to inspire men like him to pursue a career in the beauty industry.

His unlikely journey began two years ago when he shared home-made make-up tutorials on YouTube to show off skills he had developed studying other online experts.

But Dominic said he was never a stranger to the make-up world, having been introduced to it at a very young age.

“I grew up with make-up because a lot of my cousins and family friends were in the drag scene in the Philippines,” he said.

“That’s where I got my inspiration from and where I found the courage to start doing make-up on myself.”

In the beginning of his career, however, he said he was not sure if he should post his tutorials online.

“When I first moved to Albany 10 years ago all I wanted to do was to fit in,” he said. “And Albany is a small town, so once everyone knew that I did make-up on myself, people at school often mocked me for it.”

But Dominic said he learnt to use the bullying as a motivation.

“I know some people can be closed-minded, so I learnt to block the noise,” he said.

“I now just go out on the street with my make-up on without really caring who’s staring at me.”

The teenager is now using his online presence to inspire other young men who want to have a career in make-up.

“I got where I am now without any certain kind of make-up qualifications — and I’m still young,” he said. “As long as they have the passion to try it, then I believe anyone can make it.”

Dominic, who works part-time at Sweetheart’s Beauty salon in Albany, has been invited back to LA in June for the international Beautycon Festival.