Photo courtesy Dafine Neziri
The rise of Instagram and other short video platforms like TikTok have created a new breed of influencers that positively affect the daily lives of many. This has led to an explosion of a new generation of beauty stars that inspire their audience and trends through their work.
This space is cluttered, but rather a few have emerged from the margins and have created a niche for themselves. Not just have they made a name for themselves, but they have also built successful businesses that allow their name to be seen all over the world.
Back in 2009, an 18-year-old girl took a flight from Germany to the Balkan state of Kosovo to learn what she did best.
Armed with great zeal and enthusiasm to make the best of her means, Dafinë Neziri has proven her detractors wrong and has created a niche for herself.
While completing her studies at Rochester Institute of Technology for Management, Public Policy, and Media in Kosovo, Neziri simultaneously obtained her Makeup Designory (MUD) certification as a makeup artist.
Rising further, she later took a plunge into the world of entrepreneurship and incorporated her own company, Dafinë GmbH, which is based out of Germany.
Based in Germany, she has clients across the globe. Her workshops and makeup services are especially sought after in the region. Lauding her contributions, Neziri was awarded the 2022 Golden Mask for Makeup Art Award in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Neziri has worked with a slew of brands that include Huda Beauty, Sephora, Douglas, and Fenty, among others. In addition, she has also done makeup for big celebrities like American songwriter Bebe Rexha, actresses Catherine McBroom and Amanda Cerny.
Photo courtesy Dafine Neziri
In a previous outing, she had also worked with Iraqi-American makeup artist and beauty blogger Huda Kattan.
Her clients range from celebrities from Europe to Asia. Neziri has had her work featured in many international events, beauty campaigns, and music videos.
For a recent project, Neziri worked with Huda Beauty and actress Nadine Nassib Njeim in UAE’s Dubai and, later, collaborated on a photoshoot with Bebe Rexha and Amanda Cerny in Los Angeles, California. Her Masterclass organized by Universal World Conventions & Exhibitions Dubai held in Dubai on March 22 has turned out to be very successful, along with makeup artist Patrick Ta, which was set at Palazzo Versace Hotel.
But what makes her tick?
When it comes to her inspiration, Neziri said that her mission is to put a smile on people’s faces, adding it gives her immense joy to make people happy with the best version of themselves.
For Neziri, makeup is her passion, and she loves that the creative outlet allows her a chance to teach this art form to others.
While many are still trying to figure it all out, Neziri seems to have set her eyes on being a notable player in the skincare domain. She considers self-care a vital part of everyone’s life and sees this as a way of expressing her creativity.
In her own words, she says, “All of us are beautiful with or without makeup. But makeup gives us the power to bring out our best features and embrace them. Everyday, I have the chance to put a smile on people’s faces and that is what has been a guiding light for me telling me that this was the right path for my life.”
With this idea in mind, Dafinë began the Dafinë Makeup Academy back in 2016. The institute was the first makeup institute in the country to have been accredited by the National Qualification Authority and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Kosovo.
The institute has so far seen tremendous success and is one of the most recognizable names in the industry in the region.
In an interview, Neziri said that the platform allows her a chance to teach like-minded fellow makeup artists a creative and passionate form of art.
She teaches makeup techniques to more than 500 budding students every year. From methods to practice, she teaches it all at her academy and, as a result, plays host to students from all across the globe.
Her academy not only focuses on the theoretical aspect of makeup but the practicality of it as well. From the right tools to color combinations, Dafinë’s curriculum has it all.
In what has been a glaring example of her success, Dafinë has immense reach and popularity on social media platforms. Her Instagram account has 785K followers, while her TikTok account has over 1.2 Million followers. Cumulatively, her content has been liked by over 25.5 million people across the globe.
Her dream is to have even more students enrolling at her academy – from a plethora of nationalities and backgrounds. But, while fame has been a constant companion, she wants to be remembered as a hard worker who gave it all for the love of her job.
