The role of make-up is to enhance your look, not to change it

An International Relations degree holder, Suzie was trained by MAC Cosmetics and completed an intensive Media Make-up certificate course at the Award Studio Make-up School in Los Angeles. She worked in New York within the fashion and beauty industries from 2001 until 2007, when she returned to Kenya. She pursued her passion and created a beauty brand in early 2009 and officially launched it in December 2011. She is considered a top make-up artist, and was described by Forbes in 2017 as “Kenya’s most exceptional entrepreneur” and dubbed “The Face of African Beauty” by CNN.

What worried you most when you made the decision to begin your own make-up line, especially as a pioneer in Kenya?

Nothing worried me, interestingly enough. I actually knew many years before that I would one day have a product line (my mentor is Bobbi Brown and for a long time, have looked up to her journey and impact). My passion for beauty and Africa made it a very easy situation to dive into.

What convinced you that you could set up your own enterprise?

I was naïve enough to not realise that creating a beauty product line also meant creating a business and being an entrepreneur. The first bit fell into place quite quickly but the business end of things always remained an uncomfortable space for me. The creative bit where the product was concerned was where I belonged and loved throughout the journey. Fortunately, I have a good educational background thanks to my parents and a lot of work experience, so creating the business was not impossible. With my strong support system (husband, parents, friends), I managed to create SuzieBeauty.

Entrepreneurship is often offered to young graduates as the alternative to unemployment.

As a person who understands what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, do you see such advice as viable?

It is great advice which I wish I had when I was growing up, as a teen or a university student. Today, it is a lot easier to do business because there are many people to learn from and many new ideas to pioneer in.

What is your leadership style?

I am definitely the good cop. I do not like negative confrontation and only do it in when it is extremely necessarily. I respect everyone as an individual regardless of age or experience, and everybody deserves as much of a chance as possible. I only become tasty when people overstep boundaries and show disrespect. I guess I am a silent but strong leader.

There is a myth that being keen on makeup, especially for women, and being brainy, are mutually exclusive.

What are your thoughts on this stereotype?

I disagree. Statistics do show that women who wear make-up and groom well do get the raises and promotions. I think that in general, if you take care of how you look (and note that the face is what is seen most), it shows a higher level of responsibility.

What are the five key lessons you have learned, so far, as an entrepreneur?

Passion is everything, you cannot start a business in a subject or industry that you are not completely passionate about.

Patience and perseverance are very important, when you get kicked down you must be strong enough to keep going.

Choosing the right partners is a learning curve that you must learn from when mistakes are made. Mistakes are inevitable.

A strong support system is important.

Self-care and support from other entrepreneurs help the journey.

Who do you look up to in the cosmetics world?

My mentor in the industry is Bobbi Brown. She was a make-up artist who started her own brand in the early 90’s in the US-based on a gap she found in the market. Her brand was acquired four years after she launched it and she got to run the business for decades thereafter. I find many similarities within our stories and have always looked up to her.

What common make-up mistakes do you see people making?

So many, but the main ones are choosing the wrong colours for base (foundation/powder) which alters the colour of one’s face to make for an unnatural look. Make-up is supposed to make one look like themselves, just positively enhanced. Also, I have a pet peeve for badly done or not catered to eyebrows.

What is the role of makeup?

Make-up exists to enhance your look, not to change your look. Each product is there to make our various features look better. Nobody should ever say “Your make-up looks so good!” They should say “You look so good!”

Great quality product also has ingredients that nourish the skin.

What is the most memorable thing you did when you turned 26?

My dad paid for me to go to a media make-up school is Los Angeles, which was part of the beginning of SuzieBeauty, the beginning of me honing my make-up artistry skills, understanding the different types of looks, and appreciation for good products.