A mortuary school is inviting the public to donate their pre-loved makeup, rather than discard it, to support aspiring students.
The Pacific Center for Advanced Studies (PCAS), an accredited mortuary school by the Department of Health, said that the donations will help its student morticians enhance their restorative art and cosmetology skills.
It added that the donation will help them “gain hands-on experience to ensure that our departed look their best.”
The school further said that it will help students “train their skills to sit the restorative art or cosmetology during their licensure exam.”
Aspiring embalmers in the country must pass a licensure examination to qualify for professional practice.
PCAS said that powdered makeup is preferred, but sturdy cream-based products are also welcome
Those interested can drop off their donations at Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapels and Crematory, located at 332 G. Araneta Avenue, Brgy. Doña Imelda, Quezon City.
“Give your old make-up a second life,” PCAS said in a Facebook post on February 27.
In another post, PCAS said it is looking for “old” and “expired makeup” which will be used by its aspiring morticians for training and practice.
“Hard to Let Go of Your Old, Expired Makeup? Give it a second chance through Heaven Palette — a more meaningful way to say goodbye to your old makeup,” it said on February 24.
“Turn your old beauty products into learning tools and help future professionals in the industry!” the school added.
Embalming slows down the natural process of decay in a deceased person’s body.
Applying makeup is the final step, where an embalmer uses cosmetics to make the deceased look presentable, as their face is the last image family and friends will see before burial.
According to Filipino embalmer Danielle Lei Yu, this stage, called “restoration,” is the most challenging part of embalming.
“You need to learn how to use make up wax or other tools that can help you achieve how the person used to look like. It would take a lot of time to finish up,” she said to SCOUT magazine before.
“This happens when the face is severely damaged or extremely wounded from an accident, fall, or deep wounds or stitches,” Yu added.
She also said the process of applying makeup “would be the same as how you apply makeup on yourself.”
“You start to moisturize, then you apply the first layer of the foundation, you can mix it with another tone so you get the desired color, then you proceed to the eyebrows and lips. It’s really pretty much how a living person would do it,” Yu shared.
