For many college students, looking good is a top priority—whether that refers to face, hair, body or outfits, appearances are often constantly critiqued.
Everyone is at different levels of experience styling themselves, doing their makeup or taking care of their skin, which can turn a hobby for some into an insecurity for others.
Isabella Arellano, a sophomore marketing major, noticed the lack of community at Seton Hall around beauty. So, she took matters into her own hands and created Hall of Beauty, the first beauty and makeup-focused club on campus.
This endeavor started back in high school, Arellano said, and she knew the effects would be even greater on a university campus.
Gathering a group of friends, Arellano, as president, created the executive board for The Hall of Beauty.
“There weren’t any applications,” Arellano said. “I just brought my friends on board, and now we’re a super tight-knit group in charge.”
When Arellano approached Jaslyn Sanchez, a sophomore biology major, to be her secretary, she had already been thinking about a club centered around makeup on her own. It was a perfect match.
Sanchez said she remembers watching her mom get ready in front of the mirror, Barbie makeup tutorials and drag queens when she was younger, which all inspired her passion.
“Makeup has been there since I came out [of] the womb, really,” Sanchez said. “I remember watching these men in makeup and wigs look so beautiful and I wanted to look as beautiful as them.”
Liani Gusman, a junior social behavioral science major, is the event coordinator for Hall of Beauty and she has also used makeup since she was a kid.
Now that she is older and her younger sister is looking to get more into makeup, she was inspired to join Hall of Beauty.
“As an older sister, feeling more confident in myself through my makeup helps me help my sister feel more confident too,” Gusman said. “For me, being part of the club was all about sharing tips and tricks with others.”
But not everyone had a strong history with makeup. Leah Cabrera, a sophomore political science major and public relations chair, said she grew up with brothers and was not introduced to makeup until a later age.
“I feel like that was one of my insecurities growing up—not knowing how to do eyeliner or mascara—but I found this club and it felt like a safe place to learn and grow,” Cabrera said.
This emulates the mission Hall of Beauty hopes to spread throughout the SHU community.
As an e-board of all women of color, Sanchez said they know what it is like to not feel like you belong. The Hall of Beauty is not a place that will ever happen.
“We are doing it for the campus because it could benefit anyone of interest, whether it be through makeup or body positivity,” Sanchez said. “This is a club that is not limited to anyone. Everyone can wear makeup, everyone can do skincare, everyone can go to our events.”
Beginning in the Fall 2025 semester, Arellano said the startup was difficult, from spreading the word about the club to getting details on how to get funding and tabling events going.
“At first, it was a lot of familiar faces, but now girls who I have never seen before on campus will come and that makes it feel worth it,” Arellano said.
This aspect is one of Cabrera’s points of interest.
“Makeup brings people together, even if it’s as simple as mixing ingredients for lip gloss and listening to music for a night,” Cabrera said.
Right now, Arellano said events are more geared towards community building and “connecting with people,” but in the future, they plan to host events that focus on advice and tutorials.
“A lot of people are asking us to do makeup classes, or DIY videos, or recommendations on what works well for different types of people, so we want to focus on that in addition to our regular events that let us connect with people,” Arellano said.
Christina Tashji and Natalie Bazurto, two sophomore psychology majors, stopped by one of the tablings despite not attending any events prior to this.
The cute, pink table and poster board attracted them, and the friendly attitude and freebies kept them intrigued.
“I was already interested and looking at the stuff they had, but once they said it was free, it was a yes for me,” Bazurto said.
Bazurto said she was shocked that SHU has a club focused on beauty, but thinks it is a great way to give a space to people wanting to express themselves or learn more about makeup.
“I do makeup but don’t have a full routine, so connecting with people who do know more about it would give the opportunity to grow their looks,” Bazurto said.
Putting on makeup, Bazurto said, helps her feel more confident and allows her to express herself more, especially when she has a bigger day ahead of her.
“Playing around with it adds onto how I dress myself and how I feel for that day,” Bazurto said.
To this day, Tashji said she never experimented with makeup, but the focus on self-care as well gave her a good impression of the club.
“Beauty isn’t always makeup, it’s also your skincare and how you do your hair and accessorize, so I appreciate that aspect of the club as well,” Tashji said.
Olivia Howard, a sophomore public relations major, and Chantel Martinez, a freshman business and law major, were friends with members of the executive board when Hall of Beauty first started, and they have been supporters since inception.
Something that stood out to Howard was their mission to build a community where people can seek out others to improve themselves and their skills.
“As someone who just got into beauty in college, it was nice to see there is a club that can help lay the foundation for me because it’s a huge thing and I don’t know anything,” Howard said.
Hall of Beauty fills a niche in the SHU community, Howard said, as other clubs focus on hair and fashion but not on makeup or beauty.
Martinez said she was always into makeup and beauty, so she saw the club as a great opportunity to make friends with shared passions.
“Beauty is a way of expressing myself, whether it be makeup or my outfits, so the club is a fun way to do that alongside others,” Martinez said.
Howard also said that makeup and beauty bring people together.
“It’s a great uniter, like food is, that can bring everyone together,” Howard said.
At their events, there are always prizes or freebies for people to get, so it isn’t just people teaching you. It’s interactive at the same time.
“It’s fun! I always go with my best friend, and it feels like we’re actually doing something and not just attending a meeting,” Martinez said.
Solomon Lee is the advertising manager for The Setonian. He can be reached at solomon.lee@student.shu.edu.
