Despite the cool fog settling over Boston’s South End, the air inside the small production studio is warm. Yusra Idow, a twenty-year-old makeup artist based in Portland, Maine, and founder of Beat by Yusra, is at home in her element, skillfully applying makeup to the model sitting in her chair. After a careful application of lip gloss and a final dusting of powder, she steps back to take in the finished look. The model turns toward the lighted vanity mirror and immediately smiles, her eyes lighting up as she takes in her reflection. Yusra smiles too, evidently happy her work was well-received, and offers to take pictures on the girl’s phone. There’s a quiet certainty about her as she snaps the photos and then begins the cleanup of her station. This girl joins the other three models, all with equally stunning makeup looks. The same light is in all of their eyes. 

This is part of what Yusra has mastered over the past five years as a professional makeup artist and business owner. Those who come to sit in her chair, whether they want a natural look or a full glam makeover, all get up with the same light in their eyes and self-assured confidence that Yusra has coaxed out of them. Each look is not just a testament to her talent as a makeup artist, but also her dedication to making each client’s experience special. She achieves this by creating a safe, comfortable, and uplifting environment where blushes, glosses, and eyeshadows are her tools to bring out her clients' inner radiance. 

But for Yusra, this journey started long before any clients walked into her studio. When she was a child, her initial love of makeup came from those around her, especially her mom. “My mom loves to dress up. She’s very feminine and loves to embrace her femininity. And when I was younger, she wouldn’t leave the house without matching her look to her outfit. I just loved it so much. I couldn’t wait until I was grown up and could express myself in that way.” 

However, along with this admiration, she also noticed the lack of representation in the makeup industry for people in her community as a Black, Muslim woman. “When we were younger, my mom would go to parties and weddings and stuff, and she would either do her own makeup or go to MAC or Sephora. And it was, obviously, mainly white people working there, and they didn’t know how to color-match her correctly. And I was so young, but I knew it didn’t look right. So as I got older, my mom would have me do her makeup.”

Along with this struggle, there was also the problem of privacy for Muslim women, as most chain-store makeup artists worked in open malls and spaces. “A lot of Muslim women really enjoy doing their makeup because their face is like the main thing that you're going to see. People would suggest going to Sephora or Ulta, but they'd be like, ‘I don't want to be in the middle of the mall with my scarf halfway on so that I can get my makeup done.’” Observing these tensions, Yusra was inspired to take action herself. 

At sixteen, Yusra launched her business, Beat By Yusra, after months of independent research and juggling school and another job at Marshall’s. And despite protests from those around her and funding the business out of pocket, she was determined to succeed. “I just started with just so much confidence in myself. Like I just knew I could do this and nobody could tell me otherwise.” And after just a week of launching her business's social media, she had her first client. 

“My first ever client was someone I didn’t know at all. They found me on Instagram. And my first client is still a loyal client to this day. I've done their bridal makeup. I've done their baby shower makeup. I've done their siblings, their mom. It's like a big family.” This kind of community extends to the rest of her clientele as well. “All my clients,” she says, “when I see them, it's like I'm seeing my cousin I haven't seen in like four years.”

Client comfort is essential to Yusra, and she has made it a top priority since starting her business. “When I do makeup, whether I’m doing it in the person’s house or they are coming to my studio, it’s a closed area that’s just for women. [...] I try to make my room very cozy; it's very comforting. It’s pink, there’s flowers everywhere. When people walk in, they know, like, this is a comfortable space where I could just be myself and feel safe.” Yusra also brings this sense of calm with her wherever she goes, especially when doing makeup.

Throughout her life, makeup has acted as a kind of therapy. “When I was going through something that was very hard on me, I would just go into my room, and I would literally do my makeup. [...] And it was like, my brain didn't feel like it was moving one hundred miles per hour. Like I just felt calm. I could just sit here and do it so freely without even having to think about what I'm doing.” Now, this therapy is also given to her clients, allowing them to relax as she engages in her craft. Sometimes, this means clients discussing their problems or sharing life updates; at other times, it means simply sitting in silence. Either way, Yusra is happy to be there for them.

As for the actual makeup process, Yusra describes herself as flexible. Whether a client comes in with an inspirational photo, an outfit they’re wearing, or no idea at all, she uses her skill and years of experience to craft the perfect look. It’s often in these “freestyle” moments where her talent really shines. She says, “Most of the time, I can just look at them. And I'm like, ‘Yep, I know exactly what I want to do for you.’ [...] I think I literally can imagine it. Like, I just will look at them. And I'll be like, okay, that's exactly the type of eyeshadow look that I want to do. And then boom, and then it’s just the process of doing it.”

It only takes a quick scroll on Beat By Yusra’s Instagram to see that she’s an artist. Every person she helps, regardless of the occasion, age, or skin tone, leaves with a tailored makeup look and a subtle glint of self-confidence in their eyes. Even if it might not last past walking out of her studio, it was there for a moment, an important moment. One that Yusra helped create. 

In 2025, Yusra thinks the makeup industry will grow rapidly. However, there are still areas that require a lot of growth. “We need more representation. We need to see people that look like us on these windows and on these products. Nobody wants to go spend money on these products that don't cater to their needs as a black person. I think just expanding the representation and looking at the needs of everyone, and not just the ideal white woman. [...] Representation and beauty, to me, means seeing someone who looks like me being able to express themselves, and just freely wear their hijab with their makeup done. It means being able to be yourself.” 

“I always tell my clients, I make sure that they know ‘You look beautiful when you walk in here, and you look beautiful when you're leaving.’ Like, makeup is not what's making you beautiful. It's just enhancing your beauty. Most brands advertise, ‘Oh, if you use this product, your pores will go away.’ I think just embracing those things–embracing your discoloration, embracing your acne, embracing your pores–it's a part of you. And you can do your makeup, and you can show these things. [...] And you shouldn't feel like you have to cover it just because society tells you so.” 

Yusra has come a long way from starting her business at sixteen with just $36. She has tried many different things, including briefly selling her own affordable fake eyelashes, and has steadily grown her clientele. But all the while, she has carried that quiet confidence within herself. That self-assuredness that she would make this work. This attitude now spreads to her clients, allowing them to feel cared for and beautiful in their own skin when she works with them. Yusra does more than just create a network of clients; she makes a community. A family tied together through the love of makeup, and the tiny yet crucial moments of self-confidence she helps construct. From Portland, Maine, to a small production studio in Boston, Yusra creates a sense of belonging through her passion. And though the makeup industry continues to race from trend to trend, for Yusra, one thing is certain. Five years in, Beat By Yusra is just getting started.