Jeakita Bodenstein was a dramatic, creative child who longed to be an actress or a fashion designer. Her mother, on the other hand, felt Jeakita would make an exceptional makeup artist. And mommy dearest, of course, was absolutely spot on! Here Jeakita shares her story with Get It…
Jeakita’s parents raised her to follow her dreams. Initially this meant owning a gym and being a personal trainer. “I loved it, but something was lacking. I missed my creative side, so I decided to start doing makeup and hairstyling on weekends. My makeup career picked up so fast that I decided to make it my full time job.”
Mastering the art of areola tattooing
Jeakita specialises in lips, brows, liners, and areola tattoos. Asked about the areoIa tattooing, she explains, “I’ve always been artistic and a quick learner. I started doing areola tattoos in 2018 from watching others do it. But it wasn’t until 2019 when I did a course with Roberta Peixoto – the Brazilian queen of areola tattoos – that I was able to do much more detailed and specialised work.” Areola tattoos are done on a woman who has recovered from breast cancer or who has undergone a mastectomy and breast reconstruction. What Jeakita does is often the last step to a full recovery. “The patient needs to be fully recovered and free of cancer,” she says. “After this, she undergoes her reconstruction (if she wishes) and about a year later her doctor does a check-up and gives us the thumbs-up to go ahead with the process.”
Jeakita uses the same digital device for areola tattooing as she uses for lips, liner and powder/ombre brows, but the procedure involved is different. “I use different settings and work with different needles and pigments. I play around with sizes, configurations, hand speed and device settings to create different textures and effects – much like painting with a paintbrush.”
Areola tattooing holds a special place in Jeakita’s heart because she feels that she is part of a huge step in a cancer survivor’s journey. “I’m part of closing a chapter of pain and struggle and welcoming a new chapter. It’s rewarding on an emotional level, but it’s also creative and artistic, and it allows me to be more expressive, creating depths and tones for more realistic work.” Is this procedure more intimate than the other procedures she does? “It is intimate, and some women are more emotional than others. But, it’s so important to remember that these women are survivors and nothing can stop them now. They’re not scared of needles, nor are they scared of pain. They’ve been though much worse and being in my studio is exciting for them. It’s a celebration after a long and painful process.”
Never stop learning and growing
The golden thread that runs through Jeakita’s life is that she never rests on her laurels. “I feel you can never get comfortable. Always be open to learn and grow, and keep on sharpening your skills, whatever they are.” This innate desire to be the best in the business led Jeakita to being chosen by a German company, Amiea, to represent them as an ambassador in 2019. “This opened so many doors for me. I travelled to China where I was a speaker at a conference in Shanghai and I presented a lip tattoo masterclass for a large group of technicians.” Jeakita also travelled to Vietnam three times to work in a spa. “I was in Brazil where I attended one of the biggest permanent makeup congresses. I also attended a masterclass presented by one of my idols, Mariana Freitas. After this, I took part in an international competition and went on to compete in Berlin at the Permanent International Congress with the best in the business. It was such a great honour!” According to Jeakita, traveling for work was something she never thought would happen for her. “I will always cherish these experiences and opportunities.”
Whether it’s travelling abroad or sharing the journey of a cancer survivor, Jeakita continues to expand her horizons, and in doing so, helps others to grow.
