Author: Wanjiku N. M | Editor and Founder of TDS | Twitter: @WanjikuNM
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Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the year is nearly over. When did we get to November? In any event, we are quite excited about what this month has to bring and in particular the voices we will be sharing. A fashion industry involves not just the fashion designers but also includes photographers, stylists, PR agencies, event organizers, models and make-up artists to name a few.
This month, we are all about the make up artist.
There is a rise of make-up artists in Kenya with more and more people appreciating and paying for that service. Perhaps there are few who still believe that a make-up artist is simply playing with make-up: how hard can it be and why must I pay for it? This month, we go deeper into the world of make-up artists to demonstrate the art, the skill and the level of work behind it.
The art of applying make-up goes back at least 6000 years from the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt who used make-up to enhance their image and make them appear god-like. A make-up artist skillfully uses your body or face as a blank canvas utilizing color, contouring, and a range of products to achieve a desired appearance. Some go so far as to create their own beauty products or even provide beauty tips for magazines and other publications. Others have their own studios, create a fully-fledged company with teams of make-up artists and the flexibility to work on the move; where the job takes them.
A make-up artist is a professional artist that uses the body (not just limited to the face) to transform or enhance the appearance of a person for a specific reason and most of all to achieve a desired image. Like any artist, they are storytellers and communicate using make-up.
[bctt tweet=”Like any artist, they are storytellers and communicate using make-up. #MakeUp Artist #TDSvoices”]
So just like photography, there are different types of make-up artists or specializations used in film, television, theatre, magazine editorials and other mediums. You can either specialize in high fashion, theatre, special effects (fantasy), prosthetics, light bending, high definition, airbrushing or even bridal. In each specialization, like photography, there are different tools needed and expertise to give the desired effect.
There is so much more to learn about being a make-up artist and we have chosen a few to tell us the journey, the job and the future of it in Kenya. There are many more talented make-up artists so the list we chose is certainly not a limited one. From the voices of make-up artists in Kenya, we delve into the world of beauty, cosmetics and transformation in this month’s Make-up Artist Series.
Have a great transformed and beautiful November!