This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival or better known as Caribana in Toronto. It is a festival that celebrates Caribbean culture and traditions. It has one huge parade that attracts millions of people from the city and outside the city as well.
In the parade the most important people are the masqueraders. The masqueraders are the ones who dress in a traditional costume, have on extravagant makeup and dance until the sun goes down, along the music trucks. It’s almost like one big party that’s always moving.
Makeup is an important aspect to a masqueraders’ costume. It’s the time where you’re okay if your face looks like a rainbow because as a masquerader you want to look bright, colourful and eye catching.
I caught up with some local makeup artists, who did some masqueraders’ makeup. They are called POP. Two lovely ladies who love the carnival vibes and expressing it through people’s faces.
Tiffany Jimenez and Nadine Loken are the ladies behind POP. Jimenez took the time to sit down with VERONDRÉ about the POP journey.
What is the meaning behind the name POP?
POP means ‘precisely our passion’. It initially started as a joke between my best friend and I Nadine when we went to Trinidad because we would always bring a Carnival Virgin (someone who has never been to Carnival) with us and we would say we are going to POP your cherry, hence the logo of the mouth crushing the cherry.
A masquerader’s reaction to Tiffany’s makeup job.
How long have you been involved with the Festival?
I’ve been involved with carnival and mas[querade] since I was two years old, participating both here and in Trinidad. The makeup was always the last touch to complete the vision of the section leaders, so it became nestle to me to know that makeup was imperative for the costume.
An overview of some of the POP girls’ makeup.
How did you get into doing makeup?
I always used to have of my friend so my make up for Caribana and in 2009 I decided that I needed to learn this myself. So I took myself to youtube, watched and studied the MUAs (makeup artists) online, specifically ‘Queen of Blending’ I love her work, and I practice with my laptop, pausing and playing on my bathroom counter for the months leading up to the 2009 Caribana.
Tiffany applying false lashes to intensify the look.
Why did you start doing people’s makeup?
[At the 2009 Caribana] I did my thing and the countless compliments I got that year is what really made me get into the whole makeup thing.
A finished look.
How long have you been doing POP?
This is the 2nd Year of POP. The support for it this year was amazing.
I live to see the reaction of each person when they first see their makeup, said Tiffany Jimenez
For more information and booking inquiries for the POP ladies, shoot them a message on Instagram!
Tiffany- @jamishness
Nadine- @pun_kin81
VERONDRÉ 