Cherie Mals creating a brand of her own

The beauty industry in Tanzania is growing at an unprecedented rate. Today, there are many women and some men who have chosen the career path of becoming makeup artists.

On a cloudy day, in Mikocheni surburban area in Dar es salaam, a stylish 24-year-old Grace Malikita, a make-up artist, welcomes me to her office.

Grace is a young woman who started her own freelance make-up studio online, where all she had was a make-up kit, she depended on the people who saw her work through her social media posts. Today, Grace has created her own brand ‘Cherie Mals’ and has her own studio, but her journey can be traced back to 2015.

At the studio, Grace does makeup and she also runs makeup classes for prospective artists.

“I believe make-up is all about passion and setting your mind to it. It’s all practical, it doesn’t need someone to go to school for a very long time,” she says.

Ever since she started running makeup classes which are tailored to individual needs, she’s already trained 6 women.

These have gone on to setup their own studios and are also doing the same thing that she does – they learned from her and have managed to open their own workstations.

Grace capitalised on digital influence by marketing herself online which was her way of introducing herself to potential customers.

She believes she can reach a large number of youth through social media instead of doing so physically.

She also prefers social media because it is another source of income through advertising.

By using different online platforms, Grace has garnered fame and demands a huge following online.

Such influence has made some companies pay her to advertise their products on social media.

“I am a digital influencer, I like talking about makeup and beauty and post clips on social media so other people can learn through them. There is a lot that people need to learn about the beauty industry, that is why I feel it is important to use digital platforms to reach a wider audience,” says Grace.

However, according to her, one of the drawbacks in the business is the wrong perception from people towards the brands of makeup that are used by makeup artists and the cost.

“Most people don’t understand that these products are very expensive. But gradually they are starting to understand that there are different products with different qualities, which means that if they want good quality makeup they’ll have to pay more,” she explains.

Grace believes that her work is not an ordinary 8am to 5pm job, therefore, for one to be successful as a makeup artist they must be passionate about what they do.

“I want to encourage young women who want to become makeup artists to have passion, be open to learning more about makeup, be creative, you have to match the modern trends and have good customer service,” she says.

Investment and use of good quality products are some of the things that leave an impression on customers once they experience your services. “Avoid using low quality products which can have negative reactions on customers’ skin,” she advises. She adds: Customer care and being disciplined are some of the things that can make or break a business. Discipline involves being on time, using good products, having good customer services and maintaining a good relationship with your clients.

Grace isn’t just keen on beauty, she also has a fashion sense which she wants to see grow alongside her career as a makeup artist.

“Beauty is only one section of what I do. I plan to come up with my own brand which I hope will gain global recognition,” she says.

With all the success, Grace has never received any formal makeup training from a school.

“I learned applying makeup through online clips. I also worked at some beauty parlors that gave me experience. I love transforming people, giving them a new look filled with confidence,” says Grace.

The young determined makeup artist created her own account with her brand name, she liked talking about makeup and other beauty tips, this attracted more followers to her page, because people wanted to know more about what she does.

Her brand became popular after she started getting gigs to apply makeup on big names on the social scene.