A finance student with 46,000 Instagram followers

Mathusha Thurairajasingam is the creator of BeautyByMathu makeup tutorials on Instagram and YouTube. Photos by Pamela Pagano.

Makeup artist Mathusha Thurairajasingam created her own beauty social media account, BeautyByMathu

“The pros of being a full-time student and having an active social media account is that I’m capable of working on both my passions at once,” said Mathusha Thurairajasingam, a second-year Concordia finance student who is better known as BeautyByMathu to her more than 46,000 Instagram followers.

Surprisingly, Mathusha used to hate makeup. “I was more into sportive activities, such as basketball, badminton and volleyball,” she said with a laugh. However, her perspective on makeup changed when she started college. Since she could no longer attend the gym on a regular basis, she discovered her “fashion senses.”

In 2014, Mathusha’s two sisters encouraged her to create an Instagram page after she began applying full face makeup for fun. “At the John Molson School of Business, I took a marketing class which changed my perception of social media,” she said. “I learned all the key components to be successful as a brand.”

That marketing course encouraged Mathusha to set goals for her Instagram page, such as posting good content and spreading positivity online. This resulted in BeautyByMathu getting reposted by famous cosmetic brands, like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Smashbox Studios and NYX Cosmetics. Mathusha was also featured in online magazines, like Elle and Infleur.

Mathusha said her Sri Lankan-Canadian ethnicity is part of what makes BeautyByMathu unique. Photos courtesy of Mathusha Thurairajasingam.

“People and brands are interested to view my work, since there aren’t many beauty bloggers of my Sri Lankan-Canadian ethnicity,” she said. “I use this platform to not only teach about makeup, but to make people believe in themselves.”

Mathusha’s goal is to start her own makeup brand. It’s why she chose to study finance. “I will need to understand the basis of how to manage my budgets, costs and future plans,” she explained.

Though Concordia’s finance program provides Mathusha with the education she needs to reach her goal, taking four classes and running her Instagram page can be stressful at times.

“It can be overwhelming when you know that your followers want to see more posts from you, but you can’t post because of exams or projects,” she said. “During exams, I feel like I have the need to post for my followers, but at the same time, I have the need to pass my courses with good grades.”

In order to balance school and her makeup tutorials, Mathusha dedicates one day per week to filming and creating content. She also separates a full makeup look into three posts: an eye tutorial, a face tutorial and one photo of the final result.

“[The three posts] give focus to the audience,” Mathusha said. “I want them to know how to do and attempt the look.”

She also posts tutorials on her BeautyByMathu YouTube account, although she prefers Instagram. “I still have some experimenting to do [with YouTube] which I am planning on expanding this year,” Mathusha said.

Ashley Luthawan, also a second-year Concordia finance student and one of Mathusha’s good friends, said she believes Mathusha is great at balancing school and social media. “I’m so proud to see how her content is growing successfully,” Luthawan said. “She’s very talented, and it shows through her videos.”

Some examples of one of Mathusha’s makeup looks. Photos courtesy of Mathusha Thurairajasingam.

According to Mathusha, striking a balance between her schoolwork and makeup tutorials actually helps her relieve stress. “Sometimes I just need a break from studying, so this helps me balance both,” she said. “It’s good to take a breather […] That motivates you to study later.”

Mathusha’s Instagram page, however, is about more than just exploring her passion and bringing balance to her academic life. It’s about educating and helping her followers accept themselves for who they are. “When you believe in yourself, you are capable of doing more than you expect,” she said. “Education is important […] but if you have a passion for something, you should always dedicate time for it because time is running, and you don’t want to waste it.”

During your study breaks, you can check out Mathusha’s weekly posts by following @BeautyByMathu on Instagram.

Feature photo by Pamela Pagano.

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