Sask. makeup artist trying to break barriers in the industry
Breanna Pijnenburg is a local makeup artist born with scoliosis, she's paralyzed from the waist down but she isn’t letting her disability hold her back from her goal.
“I loved makeup ever since I was 12. My cousin was the first person do ever do my makeup. I say professionally because I felt really good,” said Pijnenburg with a laugh.
Pijnenburg currently operates out of the Guild Studios after being certified as a makeup artist through MC College.
"My ultimate goal is to have my own makeup brand."
She said she learned a lot of what she knows from YouTube videos. Pijnenburg identifies as Cree.
“It’s important to have people that look like you in the industry,” said Pijnenburg. “I have never seen anybody in a wheelchair, like ever in the industry so I want to change that. I want to make this the new normal.”
Creating that change while in a wheelchair has come with difficulties.
“It’s tough because the world around you isn’t accessible so you kind of have to go with the flow and make your world accessible,” said Pijnenburg. “I make the changes I need to have, like a little short stool and like a little bigger room and have clients come to me.”
On Sunday Guilt Studios hosted a styled-makeup shoot to showcase Pijnenburg's makeup skills with models of diverse backgrounds.
“I feel like if you have like a difference about you, you can definitely make that your way to stand out. It doesn’t have to be a negative.”
Laura Jones is one of the models participating in the shoot who describes herself as a curvy model.
“The purpose of this shoot is to be able to really almost see diversity as normal,” said Jones. “Breanna is a friend of mine and an amazing makeup artist. She is showing that there no limits in terms of what you can do with your talent.”
Proving age can’t hold her back Lois Unger is another model participating in the shoot.
“I am overwhelmed by Breanna's enthusiasm and what she has done. She works from a chair, doing makeup, professional makeup and it looks amazing.”
Pijnenburg hopes the next stage of her career involves heading to Vancouver to work to attend the Blanche Macdonald Centre’s makeup school.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.