As fashion and beauty continue to merge into one creative entity, it seems only logical that hotels, especially those that consider themselves cutting-edge or fashion forward, would want to partner with companies and people within those arenas.

W Hotels has always thought of itself as a trend-setting brand, so when they launched What She Said, the company’s global speaker series focusing on empowering women through inspirational stories, no one batted a faux-extended eyelash.

What She Said’s inaugural talk took place earlier this year at W London Leicester Square with fashion fixture Diane von Furstenberg as the first speaker. To help celebrate New York Fashion Week, What She Said’s second presenter was Nars International Lead Makeup Stylist, Uzo Ukaeje, who showed her flawless face at the W’s Union Square location September 10. There she shared stories about her life and career and treated 40-plus attendees to a makeup demonstration.

“During Fashion Week the W always tries to do something creative. Our core passion points are music, design, fashion and fuel. Anything within that realm we look to highlight,” said Tayna Decosta, Marketing Manager for the W Union Square. “We try to do a different take on fashion and design. Uzo has been with Nars for more than 15 years and has even contributed to picking out colors within their palette. That spoke to us about how women and beauty collide, and how the esthetics of how you look portrays how you feel.”

She went on to say how this series is about empowering women while highlighting and showcasing successful women within their respective industries. “These are networking opportunities for our guests who want to hear how these women got their start and gained success in their careers, and that success is obtainable.”

Uzo’s foray into makeup began at the Clinique counter. She then became a resident makeup artist at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills. Her artistry is well respected and known; over the years she has blushed, contoured and highlighted the faces of Naomi Campbell, Kim Kardashian, Alessandra Ambrosia, Ava DuVernay, Allison Brie and Edie Falco, among others.

“I was looking for a space to do a master class and the What She Said series seemed like a good place and opportunity for two modern brands to join forces,” she said. “I’ve developed with Nars to a point where I’ve become quite visible. The goal is to share my story of how I became a makeup artist with other blossoming makeup artists or those looking to change their career to something in the makeup industry.”

For W, they were interested in offering guests a “bird’s eye view as to what I do, and to learn about Nars as a brand,” she added. “If you use Nars it’s all about power, confidence, strength, sophistication and elegance in a modern world.”

Nars Cosmetics’ brand President, Barbara Calcagni, echoed the sentiment.

“The What She Said series is about empowerment. This sentiment marries beautifully with the philosophy of Founder and Creative Director, François Nars and with the heritage of the Nars brand,” said Barbara. “It was a great platform for Uzo to share her personal experiences in the beauty industry, as well as showcase her artistry with an engaged audience.”

It was Uzo’s father who steered her away from her first passion, architecture, and suggested she go into the medical industry, which she did. During medical school she realized she needed a break.

“I was so tired of being on call and studying, I took some time off and that turned into a second career,” she said. “I wanted to play with makeup and thought, ‘I’ll start with Clinique, they wear lab coats. But I didn’t have any experience so I sought advice from others and found mentors. I did a lot of research and learned the business.”

As Uzo applied makeup to a model and fielded questions from the audience, she mentioned how glad she was to know that bold lips are still having a moment and that season after season women are finally comfortable enough to wear the deeper colors François Nars, a true pioneer, has become known for.

“Beauty is state of mind,” she said. “It makes you feel good. And if you feel good, you’re empowered. And if you’re empowered, you can change the world around you. And as a makeup artist I get that chance to empower women to feel good,” she said.