Why she chose the path of a make-up artist despite studying sociology
Faith Muthike Kamene is passionate about all things cosmetics. The make-up artist who was born and raised in Eastlands area in Nairobi graduated from Maseno University with a degree in Sociology, with IT. Joining university was a dream come true and it gave her an opportunity to pursue a course she enjoyed.
Soon after graduating from university, Kamene’s first job was as a project assistant with a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).
However, the project did not last long and soon ended. This was the beginning of Kamene’s journey as a make-up artist.
“This was not really planned for but after I became jobless, I had a lot of time in my hands,” says Kamene. “A friend of mine had done my make-up once and I loved it. So, I called her to ask if she could teach me how to do make-up,” she says.
Unfortunately, Kamene’s friend had relocated to a different city and could not be of much assistance. Not being one to give up easily, she opted for YouTube make-up tutorials and within no time she got her first client.
Her client loved her work and referred more people to Kamene. Soon her network of clients started growing and she realised she could make a living out of her new-found passion
Being an artistic professional came with its challenges as Kamene soon learned. “There are those clients who have no clue what they want and will make the task unnecessarily hard,” she says. “On the other end there are the ‘know-it-all’ customers who end up frustrating your efforts and causing unnecessary drama,” she notes.
However, she says it is not lost to her that her line of business like every other business comes with challenges, which she is determined to navigate and overcome.
“I would definitely not trade make-up artistry for any other business. I love it and I keep learning new things and techniques every day,” she said.
Make-up artists are artistic professionals who use cosmetics to modify their clients looks depending on the occasion for which the make-up is required. This artistic work is turning into a business which would necessitate adhering to specific business regulations, just like any other type of business.
Most make-up artists work alone, which makes it difficult for them to maintain a consistent income, unless they specialise in certain areas, such as doing make-up for commercial models or becoming movie make-up artists.
In either case, a make-up artist must be able to work in as many areas as possible in order to generate a steady stream of money.
Becoming a makeup artist involves a significant amount of labour, devotion and above all, enthusiasm.
When she is not busy beautifying her clients faces, Kamene enjoys travelling. She hopes to start her own cosmetics line, which she will call, Qamenne Cosmetics.
