Great people never sacrifice themselves to the weaknesses of their environment, but instead are fervent believers in their talents and abilities. As Caribbean people, one of our most understated abilities is the propensity we have to administer compassion. The Caribbean region is no stranger to adversity stemming from our colonial past. It was in those turbulent times that we developed bonds of kinship that ensured our spirit of empathy was carried on throughout the generations.
A truly compassionate heart can come in any shape or form, but rarely does it arrive in a more awe-inspiring form of beauty than Shadik Niomi Day. Shadik reflects classic Trinidadian beauty, characterized by her faultless dark skin and candid natural curls. These are a small part of the reason she is revered as a melanin goddess on Instagram. Shadik also practices as an esthetician and owns her own company, Wisp Aesthetics, where she offers microblading, micro shading, lash extensions and skin therapy for women in Trinidad & Tobago. Both her work as a registered nurse and as a esthetician stem from the fact beneath all her modeling social media clout, Shadik’s core acknowledgement of her purpose is to help and nurture others.
Shadik Day shared with us the heartwarming story that made her realize she wanted to be a nurse and that she loved helping people: “I remember growing up, we had this community baby-sitter, Auntie Charmaine. She would keep us while our parents were still at work and we had just left school. I was one of the older girls and at this time, I was around 10 years old. One afternoon, one of the younger girls ran outside to me saying, ‘Shadik! Shadik! Come! Auntie Charmaine is not moving!’ I ran inside and realized that Auntie Charmaine had a stroke. She had a crying baby in her hand , but she was passed out, slumped over the baby and the child was suffocating. I grabbed the baby and then ran to the neighbors to alert them of the situation. The help I got ended up saving Auntie Charmaine’s life. I wasn’t only able to show empathy and help the situation out, but it taught me how to think on my feet. I also realized that I loved the adrenaline rush of emergency situations.“
Shadik was very transparent about the source of her compassionate heart and told us: “I would credit my empathy to my granny and my mom; more so my granny, because I grew up with her. I think that my mom is a natural overthinker and she cared so much that it made her nervous and anxious about everything. My granny helped me to find that balance where I could think of others, but not too excessively to the point where I forget self. I also think me studying abroad helped to come into my own path as an empath. Stepping away from the Caribbean setting and all the societal constructs I knew, really helped me to come into myself as well.”
Evidently, family is very important to Shadik and even in her journey as a creative entrepreneur, it was her sister who supported her initial interest in esthetics. She recalled: “I went to Forever Lash, where they do Novalash, and I convinced my sister to come so we could do the course together. When I invest in my self, I always try to invest in things on a international level so that I can move where I want and still execute the craft. I really loved that Forever Lash had an internationally accredited course. We liked the style of lash when it’s short, thick and wispy. We wanted to play off that so that’s how we came up with ‘Wisp Aesthetics’ because it was a shortened version of ‘wispy‘.
Shadik knew she wanted to incorporate all she had learned from her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at the University of South Florida , into her newfound love for lashes. That’s why Wisp Aesthetics evolved into more than just a lash extension brand. She stated, “It never really stayed as eyelashes and I knew that because I had my nursing certification, I could do micro-needling and offer more diverse services than many other lash companies here.”
Shadik’s love for esthetics is equally reflected in her work at Wisp Aesthetics, as it is in her breathtaking modelling portfolio. Just like every other meaningful decision she has made in her life and career, it was once again the influence of family that got Shadik into modelling at a young age. She recalled that: “Both my mom and my step-dad worked in advertising agencies, so I would get casted for radio advertisements and photoshoots from I was young. My step-dad would do photography and had a small studio set up in his house so I was always around it.” Shadik explained to us how she had to overcome a lot of insecurities before she could consider modelling as a viable income stream. “I never really took interest in it because I always thought I was ugly. People don’t realize, but we live in such a colorist society in the Caribbean so I never felt as pretty as my lighter-colored friends. I also used to feel very self-conscious about my hair, and I just never felt like I matched the epitome of what ‘pretty’ was.“
In closing, Day actually praises Instagram for helping to widen the appreciation for different types of beauty in the Caribbean. Many persons are critical of the platform for the supposed insecurities it creates in young girls, but Day thinks the contrary. “When I was growing up, we were not really in the social media age! I couldn’t go on Instagram and see pages like ‘Black Is Beautiful’ or ‘World Of Curls’ that promote my type of beauty. If I had seen those references of beauty growing up, my self-esteem would have been so much higher. Obviously I’ve made a full 180 and I’m more self-aware now having gone through all the phases I have, but I see it. Just being able to post pictures with my hair left naturally curly … I’m like ‘Ooooooh , I feel accepted!”
