Listen to the full story here:
TMU’s first-ever cosmetics and wellness club, BeautyTMU, is launching soon and students are queuing up to join.
The newly established student-run club focuses on a variety of cosmetic interests including makeup, skincare, hair and nails as well as working to promote self-care and mental health to students across campus. While the BeautyTMU executive team is currently all female, the goal is to widen their demographic as men, people of other genders, and students from a wide range of backgrounds have expressed an interest in joining, said club founder Muskaan Sehar.
“Cosmetics are not just for a certain gender or ethnic background. If you’re human, cosmetics are for you,” Sehar said.
Sehar first pitched the idea of a cosmetics-related club on her social media and received over 40 messages from students sharing excitement about the new club.
“I wanted to start this club because almost no university in Ontario had a club that promoted self-care,” said Sehar. “If you want to look good, you also have to feel good.”
Although the club is focused on makeup and skincare, the BeautyTMU executives will help students improve their beauty both inside and out.
Aside from being an interest group, BeautyTMU will also be helping students foster connections between like-minded individuals.
“We want to help bring people with similar interests together and help them form a strong network on campus, because that is something that TMU lacks as it’s a commuter school,” said the club’s vice-president of marketing, Niharika Sharma.
Sharma said she joined BeautyTMU after struggling to get involved with other interest groups on campus. Most were online, making it hard to connect with people.
The club will be accessible to all students as there are no restrictions on who can join.
“Cosmetics in general isn’t just for one specific type of person. Anyone can enjoy and explore it,” Sharma said. “We are really trying to cater to a wide audience.”
Jessica Tian, a web content associate for Deciem, the skincare brand behind the Abnormal Beauty Company and The Ordinary, said that a cosmetics-related club is great for the university.
“Any type of event where you’re exposed to services within this industry is helpful and it allows you to connect with people who have similar interests,” said Tian. “We as a skincare brand try to make sure that products are accessible to everyone as we try to target the ageless and male demographic.”
BeautyTMU will host a free midterm spa event at the end of February that will offer a relaxing environment and provide students with sheet masks, aromatherapy and snacks.
Along with in-person events, BeautyTMU executives say they plan to connect with members through their social media accounts. The club will share cosmetic-related information and product recommendations, although it does not currently have any licensed professionals on the team.
“All of the information will be coming directly from official brands, and not just random social media posts,” said Sehar. “We will be giving certified information that will not lead to misinformation.
Reporter, On the Record, winter 2024
