Des Monahan, an 84-year-old Irishman, took make-up lessons so he could do his wife’s make-up after she lost her sight. The couple have been married for 56 years.
“We’re just enjoying life,” Des said.
However, Mona has experienced some health problems. Along with shaky hands, Mona’s eyes are weakening.
“Her left eye is bad, really bad,” Des said in a BBC video. The couple expects Mona’s eyesight to deteriorate into total blindness over time.
Shortly after her eyesight began to deteriorate, the couple had a birthday party to attend. Mona wanted to look her best, but could no longer do her own make-up. The couple went to a department store to get her face professionally done. Soon after Rosie O’Driscoll, the artist doing Mona’s make-up that day, began, Des took the brush out of her hand and started doing it himself.
“If you just see the way he holds the brushes,” Rosie said. “He’s a natural.”
The couple continued going to see Rosie so Des could improve his skills. The three eventually became friends and even went to the theater together.
“They are such a lovely couple and Des loved learning to help Mona from the very beginning,” Rosie told the Daily Mail. “I know from being in the make-up industry that applying make-up each morning helps people with their confidence.”
Des continued practicing and took lessons for eight months at the department store. Eventually, a make-up artist for the Kardashian family heard about the couple and invited them to attend a master class in London. Des has since made a video tutorial demonstrating how he does Mona’s make-up.
“It’s very relaxing,” Mona said. “When he’s talking and I don’t have to say anything, and I just sit.”
Both are happy Des is able to help Mona feel her best, and that they share a similar philosophy when it comes to make-up.
“Mona and I both agree on one thing,” Des said. “And that is that less is more.”
“He thinks I’m lovely as I am,” Mona said.
