Keilidh Cashell: As women, we have this ticking time bomb in society that men don't have

Make-up artist and influencer

Sat, 11 Jun, 2022 - 02:50

Nicole Glennon

I grew up in a tiny town in Monaghan — I always joke that it was the backarse of nowhere. I'm a real country bumpkin. I was very much a tomboy growing up, I was always outside playing and looking for trouble, which I think is a big contrast to what I am like now in my glam life! I still feel a big connection with the outdoors, it’s like an escape for me. I am the eldest of five— so I feel like I’ve had kids four times over. There are three girls and two boys. Between my siblings and my cousins, there was never really a quiet moment growing up.

One of my earliest memories is doing a photoshoot with my sister and squeezing the life out of her trying to make her laugh. I used to always carry this crayon around with me and the photographer was giving out because he wanted me to get rid of the crayon but I refused. I used to go around drawing all over the walls with it... instead of walls, I draw on faces now.

I think I was put on this earth to create, I think that's what my calling is. I get a lot of satisfaction from things that I create. I know people think makeup can be such a surface level thing, that it's just a mask that you're wearing, but it's so much deeper than that. It's your way of self-expression. I love creating tutorials and helping people to do their makeup and making them feel confident and beautiful.

The greatest challenge I've faced? The past two years. I think the pandemic has completely changed our whole world and we're all still adjusting to it. It‘s affected people socially so much. And for me, it brought on a whole bunch of worries that I never had before. I feel like I was robbed of my early 20s almost. I went into the pandemic 23, and I am coming out 26. Even though I set up my own brand in that time, I do kind of look back and think where did those years go and scary. I feel as women, we have this ticking time bomb in society that men don't have. So, there's an extra pressure there too.

The person I turn to most in my life is my boyfriend Darren. We've been together since we were babies, it will be 12 years this year. We grew up together essentially. He knows me more than anybody else. He probably knows me more than I know myself at times.

My proudest achievement is my own brand, KASH beauty. It's the end goal for any makeup artist to create their own products. The fact that it's become a reality for me and so early on is crazy. I am involved in absolutely every single process, from the creative side to the actual making of the products. I think it's very evident when someone is just slapping their name on [a product], compared to somebody who is putting everything in to it. People see through inauthenticity, they detect bulllshit. That's not how you create a sustainable brand and it wouldn't be a brand I would be proud of.

My greatest quality? I don't know how to answer that... I think as Irish people we don’t like to bring ourselves up. It’s embedded in us. My boyfriend says how open-minded I am. No matter how educated I am on a topic, I always try to hear the other side of the story. And I am very caring.

The life lesson I would like to pass on is don't let anyone stop you from being who you want to be. We get one life and living it based on the opinions of others is such a waste.

I wouldn't change anything from my past. I think everything happens for a reason, to teach us a lesson that will prepare us for later in life. That's the way I like to look at it anyway. If something bad is happening, I am thinking 'what is this trying to teach me?' Of course, there are some situations where it seems there's no lesson at all but for me to be able to deal with things, I try to find a reason or a lesson.

What surprises me in life is how many things I've manifested that have come true. It shouldn't surprise me, because I really believe that if you put positive energy out into the world you will receive positivity back, but it does surprise me ... there was one specific thing that I will never get over. I was on stage at one of my Masterclass shows a few years ago and someone asked me what brand would I love to collaborate with. I remember saying; 'Well, Morphe obviously but that's never going to happen.' A year later I got an email from Morphe saying they want to collaborate on a palette with me. Me! Keilidh from Monahan! It's crazy.

Keilidh Cashell with the KASH Beauty truck Picture: @keilidhmua / instagram

What scares me most in life is having regrets. The idea of not getting to do the things I've always wanted to do freaks me out. I was in Rome recently and I was walking around, enjoying it so much and this thought just came to my head... my grandparents have never been to Rome before and they probably never well. It kind of scared me a bit. I hope I won't leave this earth not having done the things I want to do. I'd like to be remembered as someone who lived life to the fullest.

If I had taken a different fork in the road, I think I still would have ended up in a creative field. When I was doing my Leaving Cert, I had a few different options, I wanted to do makeup or be a tattoo artist. If I had listened to everyone who told me makeup wasn't a real job, I think I would have found my way here regardless. I think we're all put on this earth for a reason — and I've found mine.