Student volunteers bring joy and connection to Hamilton's seniors through monthly makeover sessions to combat senior isolation
GlamourGals McMaster is a student-run MSU club that combats senior isolation through monthly makeovers. GlamourGals McMaster is the first Canadian chapter of the GlamourGals Foundation, an American based organization. With over 300 interested volunteers this year, the program has demonstrated a strong dedication to addressing senior isolation.
Anjali Singh, one of the club's co-presidents, emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming environment for both seniors and volunteers. “All the interested volunteers have to be added to our GlamourGals portal. Once they're on there we have a mailing list set up, so we let them know when makeovers are happening,” said Singh.
GlamourGals McMaster works with Caroline Place Retirement Residence in downtown Hamilton. Available volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to the home. Another co-president of GlamourGals McMaster, Ridhi Gopalakrishnan, spoke to the lasting relationships the group has built with residents of the home.
“That's the only senior home and it's also been nice actually because we've been able to build up a really longitudinal relationship with them. I think it's been more than five years now,” said Gopalakrishnan.
These monthly makeup sessions typically last about an hour. Volunteers that are trained by the executives of the club paint and file the nails of the residents.
“In terms of the actual makeovers themselves, we're kind of limited, because there's health and safety concerns. For example, you can't cut the nails of some people because of issues with diabetes. So we are kind of limited to filing and nail polish,” said Serena Cavalier, the vice-president of GlamourGals.
“We're also super cognizant of the role that the seniors play in our community. So you know, trying our best to preserve their autonomy and making sure that they're always feeling comfortable at all of our events . . . Sometimes we go in and a certain senior doesn't want their nails done, so we'd respect that, but also encourage a volunteer to still sit down and chat with them, even if they're not doing their nails so they're still feeling engaged in some sort of way,” said Gopalakrishnan.
We're also super cognizant of the role that the seniors play in our community. So you know, trying our best to preserve their autonomy and making sure that they're always feeling comfortable at all of our events.
Ridhi Gopalakrishnan, Co-President
GlamourGals McMaster
The volunteers often experience personal growth as they interact with seniors. “People [volunteers] who might be a little bit more shy at the beginning often have one senior that they really connect with. And then every makeover, they end up sitting and talking with this one individual, ” said Gopalakrishnan.
Cavalier recalled a specific instance when she connected with a senior. They shared they were a labour and delivery nurse when Cavalier disclosed her interest in women's health. “She started giving me all these random tips for that field I was like, “oh, thank you.” It was so cute,” said Cavalier.
Singh mentioned that the volunteers ask the seniors how they define beauty and she noted that their answers changed overtime. “Also really inspiring to see that they've kind of come to realize that beauty is not just on the outside. And even when you get your nails done, it's about that sense of confidence and that self-esteem,” said Singh. The club documents these discussions in their oral history series.
Also really inspiring to see that they've kind of come to realize that beauty is not just on the outside. And even when you get your nails done, it's about that sense of confidence and that self-esteem.
Anjali Singh, Co-President
GlamourGals McMaster
Through the monthly events, the volunteers have witnessed profound changes in the seniors' self-perception. Gopalakrishnan noted that at the start of the year, many seniors were hesitant to have their photos taken, often due to ageist attitudes.
“But that's something I've personally seen evolve over the year, where, as they see the same volunteers again and again, they see their peers getting their nails done and posing for pictures [and] they're more inclined to as well,” said Gopalakrishnan.
The joy the seniors express during these sessions reinforces the value of the initiative. “That's some feedback we've gotten from the staff time and time again . . . Our makeovers are a very highly anticipated social event, they put us on the calendar and then when we walk in, most of the time, the seniors are already there waiting for us. They know what colours they want for their nails,” shared Gopalakrishnan.
“I think we really focus on intergenerational bonding. That's kind of where we shine. I think that's a really integral part of being a part of GlamourGals,” said Singh.
To stay updated on their inspiring journey and see the joy they bring to Hamilton's seniors, you can follow GlamourGals McMaster on Instagram.
Fourth-year student Abi Oladesu is beautifying clients through her business Desu Beauty
Abi Oladesu has been doing makeup for most of her life. She started having fun with her mother’s makeup from the age of 10 and decided a few years later to challenge herself to increase her skills. She did someone else’s makeup for the first time when she was about 16.
During her second year at McMaster University, the biochemistry student started thinking about taking makeup more seriously. However, it wasn’t until she was quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic that she decided to take the leap and start her business, Desu Beauty on Oct. 30, 2020.
There are three components to Oladesu’s business. As she has received many requests for makeup tutorials and enjoys teaching, she decided that she would post makeup tutorials on Instagram and offer beginner and intermediate lessons.
The second part of her business involves posting her own makeup looks in order to improve her skills and show clients what she can do. Lastly, she does makeup for clients’ weddings, photoshoots, proms, graduations and other events.
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It is important to Oladesu that when she does clients’ makeup, she isn’t turning them into a different person but highlighting the best parts of them. This goal stems in part from her own experience with makeup. When Oladesu was a preteen and early teenager, she used makeup as a way of hiding her face. Now she uses makeup to accentuate her features and seeks to do the same for her clients.
“Obviously nobody wants that for themselves, but I don't think there's anything necessarily bad about [being self-conscious] in the sense that we all feel self-conscious once in a while. We're in a society where the beauty standards are very high and they change all the time, but it's important to remember . . . you're the one that at the end of the day determines your worth to other people,” said Oladesu.
"We're in a society where the beauty standards are very high and they change all the time, but it's important to remember . . . you're the one that at the end of the day determines your worth to other people," said Oladesu.
This mission is embedded in the name of Oladesu’s business. While she originally called it Desu Beauty as a reference to the last four letters of her last name, she realized upon reflection that it had a deeper meaning for her.
“I'm a very large fan of anime and so desu . . . basically means “to be” . . . I am [also] Christian [and] in the Bible, it's like “we are beautifully and wonderfully made” . . . So to be that beautifully and wonderfully creative person, you have to love yourself in every aspect, whether that's with wearing your natural face out and being super proud of it or getting the skills to do your makeup really well so that every time you look in the mirror . . . you’re like, “wow, I feel beautiful, I know I'm beautiful.” . . . I want you to be the best version of yourself or at least to look at yourself and be like "wow, I feel like that beautifully and wonderfully made person,"” explained Oladesu.
Since she started, Oladesu has received positive reception and a lot of support from family and friends. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has decreased the number of events for which people would get their makeup done. At the same time, Oladesu credits the pandemic with giving her the time to start her business.
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Oladesu also sees online classes as a blessing for her since she started her business. Instead of spending all day on campus and then doing makeup appointments, she can better make her own schedule by doing makeup during the day and watching recorded lectures afterwards. Managing the business alongside her demanding degree and other commitments has also encouraged her to better prioritize her time.
Oladesu looks forward to continuing to grow her following and reach more people through her business. As she will be graduating soon, she is considering how she might integrate her love of makeup into her career.
“I'm definitely a cautious person so . . . right now, I definitely am going to finish my biochemistry degree and I'm going to see if I could get a job with that. But working with makeup has gotten me interested in cosmetics in general so [maybe] I can mix my biochemistry major with cosmetics and then possibly go into formulation or something along those lines,” said Oladesu.
"I definitely am going to finish my biochemistry degree and I'm going to see if I could get a job with that. But working with makeup has gotten me interested in cosmetics in general."
To other students with a skill they are considering turning into a business, Oladesu says to just start. She recalls that she felt the need to have high-quality foundations in every colour before she began her business. However, since she started, all her clients have used colours that she had already had.
“There's nothing wrong with humble beginnings. You don't have to have everything, you don't have to have the best of everything," Oladesu said. "It's better to just start because honestly, I feel like people appreciate watching you grow and watching you improve.”
