Shelley Shelke
“I started selling makeup online and quickly realized that makeup tutorials for low-vision and blind girls are seriously lacking!…I created a series called “Mirrorless Makeup”, which consists of specific tutorials using verbal description and demonstration. It has been so rewarding getting feedback from my ladies and watching them feel beautiful! ”
My name is Shelley Shelke and I am a 42 year old mom, wife and legally-blind makeup artist. My husband and I have been married for almost 21 years and have been together since we were 17. We have three adult children; Mitch age 23, Gabe age 20, and Jordyn age 18. I spent the first 20 years of our married life running a dayhome and being a stay-at-home mom in Red Deer Alberta. We made a big move to Calgary Alberta 1.5 years ago and now I teach/sell makeup online and work part time at The Good Will retail store. And I love both!
I was born with optic nerve atrophy. It is a genetic disorder which basically means that my optic nerve cannot properly send messages to my brain. My father and three out of his four siblings have it and apparently both of my grandparents had it too. With optic atrophy you can still see everything, just not clearly. The closer something is the easier it will be to see but some things might just be too small. I was able to get through most of my life without too much help. I wasn’t able to drive, but I took the bus, had part time jobs, and if I couldn’t see something I’d figure out little hacks to get me through. Once I became a mother and dayhome provider I was always in my own environment at home so my vision was never a hinderence, and if it was, my ears were more than happy to compensate.
Side note: yes my ears and nose work way better than the average person!
After our move to Calgary I decided to venture into new territory. I started selling makeup online and quickly realized that makeup tutorials for low-vision and blind girls are seriously lacking! I had always struggled with makeup due to my vision but fell in love with the simplicity of Seint Beauty. Now I have inspired other blind women to use makeup who never have before! I created a series called “Mirrorless Makeup”, which consists of specific tutorials using verbal description and demonstration. It has been so rewarding getting feedback from my ladies and watching them feel beautiful!
For the first time ever I’m also working in retail and throughly enjoy it. It was hard to get a job in general, and I never knew whether to disclose my disability or not. After some time searching I tried The Good Will, who are known for their work with disabled people and now I have worked there for 9 months. I can’t do everything that a sighted person can, but I have loved meeting so many new people. It has been so interesting watching how my eyes and brain work together to acclimate me to my new surroundings and help me to get the job done, even if it looks different.
Being born with vision loss was an advantage in a way. I never had to go through the trauma of sudden vision loss. My hardest years were as a teen, never wanting to tell others about my eyes, even including some teachers, and being too embarrassed to share my struggles. On the other hand, I got creative and found my own way of doing things. To this day I still have my own hacks that help get me through life, but I’ve learned that it is also liberating to share my story, and most people are so willing to help. The first time I talked about my eyes was when I started selling makeup, and people who had known me for years had no idea. But, being able to just simply be me and show people that I can do a lot of the same things as them, albeit in a different way, has been a blessing to others and myself.
To those who are going through vision loss now, remember you are not alone. There are so many supportive people out there with great advice and tips who will listen to you vent and be sympathetic, as they know what you are going through.
I love to try new things, meet people, and have crazy experiences, and life has definitely given me that! I’m so blessed with amazing people in my life and look forward to what lies ahead!
You can connect with Shelley and follow her pages below:
