CS Beauty founder Christina Sikalias turns over $100K in 10 minutes

An Australian makeup artist has turned a whopping $100,000 in just 10 minutes after releasing a “shimmering” line of beauty products.

Christina Sikalias, 30, from Melbourne, taught herself makeup artistically after falling in love with the power of products to highlight a customer’s best features.

Already recognized in the industry at 24, her career took her to Milan and Los Angeles.

Her talent was quickly noticed and she gained international recognition as a jury member of the NYX Awards in 2016 and was nominated as Beauty Influencer of the Year in 2020.

In October 2021 she released the ‘Luce Del Sole’ collection – which includes eye palettes, lip gloss and highlighter powder.

At the time, she wasn’t sure what the outcome would be as Melbourne was in a harsh Covid lockdown – but after the first hour, the brand turned over $175,000.

“When launch day arrived (October 12, 2021 at 8pm) I was speechless at the response and support; I was absolutely overwhelmed and humiliated,” Christina told FEMAIL.

The talented founder and makeup artist said the success didn’t happen overnight, but was the result of a six-year journey.

‘I don’t just want the product to look good; I want every product in my range to perform exceptionally, feel good on the skin and be at the forefront of the beauty industry,” she said.

“It started for me with a dream to do more, to be more and to achieve more. I had the same dream planted in my heart since I started my career,” said Christina.

“I trusted the journey, which sometimes led to failures and challenges. I never thought of giving up because I knew perseverance is the key.”

While the beauty market was already saturated with endless products, Christina was determined to achieve her goal.

Customers can purchase the entire collection for $266, which includes all five products.

The $78 Multi-Glow set seems to be the most popular product online with 121 five-star reviews and comes with the Luce Del Sole Illuminating Powder and Lip Gloss.

The powder is designed to add ‘pearl-like strokes of shine and light’ to the high points of the face, while the lip gloss provides enhanced shine.

Christina said what took her name and brand to the next level was her makeup masterclasses, which she claims quickly gained momentum to become the “biggest makeup education event in Australia.”

“There were between 400 and 600 students per event,” she says, and the masterclasses take place twice a year.

While she wasn’t teaching the masterclasses or working, she would be in Milan creating her cosmetics line, which is 100 percent made in Italy.

“I started working on my cosmetics line in 2016 (where I would fly up and down from Milan), bringing my followers with me through social media,” she said.

“During the lockdown in 2020, I even took the initiative to get a work exemption to travel to Milan (this included two weeks of quarantine in Italy, of course, and two weeks after arriving – wasn’t easy).”

Earlier this year, the glamorous esthetician, who has done makeup for the likes of Paris Hilton and Eva Longoria, shared her best beauty advice — from her favorite eye cream to always using two shades when filling in brows.

INVEST IN A HIGH QUALITY EYE CREAM

A good eye cream is important because you never want your concealer to settle into fine lines; I like the Kiehls Avocado Eye Cream ($50).

You should always apply a very thick eye cream in the evening to de-air and keep everything hydrated, as the skin around our eyes is thinner, more delicate and retains less moisture at once, so you want the cream to stay there and soak in.

USE TWO COLORS FOR PERFECT EYEBROWS

Fill in the brows with two different shades of eyebrow pencil, one two shades lighter and one two shades darker.

Use the dark shade to fill in the outer brows, starting at the arch for a more lifted look and the lighter pencil to fill in the inner brows for a softer, more natural look.

PAUSE AFTER CONCEALER TO HIDE DARK CIRCLES

For the best coverage, the trick is to wait five minutes for the concealer to thicken and firm up and then blend it out.

If you blend it out too quickly, the concealer will show through too much.

PROTECT SCARS WITH TEXTURE

When it comes to covering up the texture, avoid using dewy, luminescent foundations and powders all over your face as these exaggerate scars and emphasize the texture of your skin.

You want the skin to look matte. Makeup products that create a matte finish will visually soften and smooth the texture of your skin.

LOCK YOUR LOOK WITH A MIST

I like to use a lightweight mist like the Chanel Hydra Beauty Essence Mist to help moisturize the face after applying makeup.

It also really helps the makeup sink into the skin, making it look less powdery, more vibrant and giving the skin a more natural finish.

MAKE LIPS FULLER WITH GLOSSY FLECKS

For a temporary boost in volume, the Christina Sikalias Luce Del Sole Lip Gloss ($39.95) is infused with ingredients like Jojoba wax and pomegranate flower extract.

These moisturize and increase lip volume, giving the lip area a naturally firmer and fuller appearance.

You will instantly get visibly fuller lips, as glosses with shimmery flecks make lips look fuller by capturing and reflecting natural light.