[bctt tweet=”@radiantbyreena: I’d really love to give Ini Edo a facebeat. I hope she reads this & calls me up” via=”no”]
Maureen Isikaku is a part-time freelance beauty artist with intent to go full time pretty soon, she is also a school administrator. Maureen caters to beauty, bridal and editorial makeup and is working on expanding her artistry into bridal hair styling and organic skincare.
She started her freelancing makeup career in October 2015 and has grown in leaps and bounds since then. She had her makeup training done with Zaron Cosmetics, Ikoyi.
She has worked on celebrities such as Victoria Kimani, Arese Ugwu, Kayla Oniwo, Uche Elendu and a couple others and backstage at high-profile events (Miss Nigeria and The Headies) and enjoyed every bit of it
Maureen Isikaku lives in Lagos, Nigeria and is available to travel worldwide.
You run radiantbyreena and also have a 9-5 job, how do you manage both successfully?
Yes, I do. It has not been easy managing both but I have learnt to put structures in place and allocate specific amounts of time towards each job.
My makeup appointments are majorly for now, during the weekends or in the evening, that allows me to juggle both effectively. Luckily, so far out of town jobs have been during the school holidays.
Eventually, if you have to choose between the two jobs, what will it be and why?
It would definitely be makeup artistry, the reason being that I find a lot more joy and fulfillment when I’m painting faces. I am very passionate about what the outcome will be on a job that I can think of nothing else.
The number of makeup artists in Nigeria have gone off the roof, how do you deal with the tough competition and gain customers?
Dealing with competition can be emotionally draining, as you have to constantly observe and try to offer better than your competitor.
So I focus more on developing my craft and business than I focus on my competition and this has really helped. I attach value and quality to my services. When I accept a job, I always strive to give the best regardless of anything. I continually invest in my craft and in myself.
When I am with a client, I make sure that she is satisfied and happy. All these lead to referrals that go on to become repeat clients and my client base keeps growing.
What are some of the common mistakes done by makeup artists during a face beat?
I would say forgetting to prime and mismatch of foundation shade (a very common mistake).
What do you love about makeup artistry?
I love the opportunity to get creative, the satisfaction for both the client & I after a job well done, the travel and getting to meet new people. Also the fact that I have a lot of makeup to play with. I just love the beauty of makeup artistry.
Which celebrity would you like to face beat?
I would really love to give Ini Edo a facebeat. I hope she reads this and calls me up.
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