A MAKE-UP artist who discovered her love for the craft when she was bed-bound with an illness has received an award in a prestigious national hair and beauty competition.
Daniella Jade Brown, 29, of West End Avenue, Royston, came second place in the Make-up Artist of the Year category at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards on March 26.
Clients encouraged Daniella to apply to enter the awards by tagging her in a Facebook post, which were judged by a number of high-profile celebrity make-up artists.
The awards were streamed via a live link due to Covid, with the thousands of nominees watching from their homes.
Daniella works from her home salon built in her garden, as an illness she was diagnosed with prevents her from working mobile.
At 22, Daniella was admitted to hospital after losing feeling in her arm, and was subsequently diagnosed with chiari malformation.
Daniella said her brain is too big for her skull, with the condition occurring when the lower part of the brain extends into spinal chord.
“It can put pressure on my spine and affect my nerves, which is why I can lose feeling in my arms and legs, the original reason I was in hospital,” she said.
“It was the first time I entered, and lots of the same artists enter every year, so to come second I was gobsmacked.”
Daniella was bed-bound for some time, and it was then that she taught herself how to do make-up.
She has 13,000 followers on Facebook, works as a personal make-up artist for Grimethorpe fashion model Apollonia Llewellyn, and works with the brand LookFantastic to give discounts on beauty products to her followers.
Daniella has pain medication to keep her condition under control, and is under the neurosurgery department at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.
Daniella hopes to open her own make-up school in Barnsley where she can hold accredited courses, and is currently studying her level four in education and training to do so.
She hopes to help other aspiring artists in their work.
“I can remember when I first hit 100 followers - I was just a little make-up artist making a world for myself and now I’ve got this little empire.
“To have this dream and to be making it a reality - there’s nothing I feel I can’t do now.”
