Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘I’ve been dealing with bipolar disorder, which hasn’t been the easiest because I had to overcome suicidal ideations.’

GERALDINE SMITH, ELMONT

“I started in makeup about five to 10 years ago. I was in high school, and I saw a friend of mine who was really fascinated with it. Because she was heavily into makeup, it motivated me. I thought it was cool the way she could transform a person’s features and enhance her beauty. So, from there, I started practicing on other people, family members and close friends.

“I had mental struggles from when I was 17. I’ve been dealing with bipolar disorder, which hasn’t been the easiest because I had to overcome suicidal ideations. It was hard even sometimes with being around close relatives. There was a lot of relationship issues going around within my life. I think that’s what affected me to the extent where I didn’t even want to be here anymore because I felt I was at a place where nobody was able to really be there for me or really treat me right.

I take my passion and my clientele seriously.

“My mental health struggles did affect me when it came to my business. A lot of the times I would be very depressed and stressed out. I would have to put on a face like I was OK around clientele. I think that’s what made it hard because a lot of the times I was not OK. I would just suck it up and tell myself, ‘Well, I have to be strong about it.’ In reality, I was breaking down.

“But over time, I told myself this is something that I have to accept. Ever since I started to accept it, I started to realize there’s nothing really wrong with me. It’s just a matter of diagnosis. It doesn’t define me. It doesn’t make me a bad person. I just had to be strong about it.

“So, right now, my business name is @finessedbygee. I do have my business registered. I want to get back into being in a space. My goal right now is to get out of my parents’ home pretty much and into my own apartment, which I’m working on. Once I do that, I can focus on bringing in clients, doing makeovers and seeing my business take off.

“Ultimately, my goal is to be full time with the makeup. I would say it’s a career choice. I take my passion and my clientele seriously. I want to be able to get as much exposure as possible, so that way I can really excel when it comes to having a thriving business.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

Copyright ©2021 Newsday. All rights reserved.

Faces of Long Island is produced by Newsday Consumer Marketing. This content does not involve the reporting and editing staff of Newsday’s Editorial Department.