COVER - Ummah: ‘I have passion for makeup artistry, not criminology’

Ummah Sulaiman, a young makeup artist residing in Abuja has established herself in the makeup world. The 35 year-old mother of five and trained criminologist speaks on balancing the art and staying ahead in the competition.

How did you switch from criminology to makeup artistry? I didn't really switch from criminology per say; makeup and style is just something I've always loved doing. Criminology is what I read but makeup artistry is something I've always been passionate about. How do you carve a niche to stay at the top in it? It is indeed a challenging industry; I try not to think less of me and what I'm capable of doing or delivering. Most importantly I always tell myself in my head to "keep it original ", while hoping that in time people will get to appreciate what I do and why I do it. How do you cope, combining business with the home front? Wow, it's never easy juggling work and family but I believe it comes with the territory of being a woman. It gets easier as the kids grow and you start to feel a sense of fulfilment. What in your view are the trends of the art in Nigeria today? Makeup artistry and fashion/style are definitely topping that list today with photography, music, and movies are not too far behind. People are very conscious of how they look these days, a person may not be a music or movie lover but will really make an effort to make a fashion statement of some sort no matter how awkward it may seem either with the makeup they apply or the style they wear. How do you define the craft of makeup artistry? Makeup artistry is the ability of the artist to enhance, modify or alter certain features to suit an occasion, mood, or theatrical situation, depending on what the case may be.

Are good quality makeup materials quite accessible in Nigeria? Makeup materials, products and brands are quite accessible in Nigeria, though in some they are either overpriced or adulterated. So most artists would rather buy their goods when they travel abroad or order for them, but the gradual growth in Nigerian brands has brought about a certain degree of relief to this problem. What are the different dimensions of makeup artistry? There are different dimensions that have evolved through the course of time. But the most popular ones are; daily makeup (basic makeup), bridal makeup, special effects makeup, theatrical makeup, fashion makeup. These can either be categorized under freelance or professional make up. How do you enrich your clientele base in the trending industry? One considers globalization as a blessing, especially when you are into a business like mine. It generates and promotes interdependence of economic activities; the social media/channels do over 70 - 80 percent of awareness. But a lot of physical hard work, energy and effort still go into enriching my clientele list. On taking request from my clients, I actually enjoy taking all kinds of makeup requests because as long as there are brushes, blenders, and colours, I'm a happy makeup artist. What challenges do makeup artists face in the industry? I think different makeup artist face different challenges but one common challenge is the inability to have access to good products. I also manufacture my own brands, and I think most of us do. Does makeup have a place for the male folk? Makeup does affect the male folk, but it's just not as elaborate as for the females. In most cases, men's makeup only arise in situations like, when getting a certain look while on movie screen, in fashion (modelling) or when presenting a show.

Colour balancing poses challenge to most ladies, could you give a clue to this? Most women have uneven skin tone but my first tip is, they should always go for a foundation colour that is same as their neck tone, not the face tone. More so, people should stop over tweezing, plucking, shaving or waxing their brows. It makes them look way older than their age. You should know that most of the stars we so much want to copy don't pluck their brows to those scary arch points. When shading your brows you should always lightly shade within your natural brow shape to fill in the space. DAILY TRUST WEEKEND