21-year-old Nadine Umukundwa is a professional makeup artist and the mastermind behind Mio Beauty, a business she started in 2019.

She is a beauty practitioner who offers general makeup services with primary duties that include enhancing facial aesthetics through makeup, for events such as weddings, music, art, movies, and so forth.

As a child, she wanted to be a banker in the future, fascinated by what bankers did and how they dressed in some of the movies she watched.

However, she took a different path. She recalls her mother and sibling refusing her to wear makeup as it was a distraction or waste of time that could be used to revise her books instead.

Being intrigued by creativity and the beauty of art, any chance she got, she would play YouTube videos to learn about makeup; how to apply it and the right tones for different skin.

Through YouTube tutorials and practicing on her friends, she got skilled after numerous trials, she says. She notes that she was asked to do friends’ makeup whenever they had functions to attend.  

Nadine Umukundwa  is passionate about cosmetics. Photos/Courtesy

"My best friend was a fashion critic who gifted me with all kinds of makeup since I was just starting and needed it. Her kind gesture motivated me to penetrate in the business,” Umukundwa says.

Today, she does not regret why she chose the cosmetics business. Her working day involves cleaning and cleansing customers’ skin, explaining the use of different beauty products, applying makeup to boost or modify the appearance of clients, selecting preferred makeup shades from stock, or mixing oil, grease, and complexion to accomplish specific colour effects. 

She enjoys crafting work accurately to reproduce her customers’ looks on a daily basis, but she also reads more about makeup to improve her skills as she believes learning is a continuous process. The beauty artist states that her clients range from actors, models, artistes, to corporate people, and party guests, among others.

Challenges

"Although my business is growing gradually, it’s quite unfortunate that the beauty industry hasn’t advanced fully in Rwanda, especially because many people are not aware of the importance and value makeup adds to one’s beauty. We have come a long way and we can do better,” Umukundwa says.

She adds that it’s not easy to access raw materials locally, and even when ordered online, there are risks of not getting exactly what was ordered.

The young beautician is of the view that the lack of beauty schools in the country limits people from acquiring skills and knowledge about makeup, and why they should apply it.

She is optimistic that when Rwanda constructs beauty schools, there will be a possibility of many people learning about beauty products, thereafter starting businesses, a thing that will reduce importing products and equipment from other counties.

She says that some people’s skin changes according to the weather, or allergies, and once that happens while using her services and products, she ends up blamed for the outcome.

Umukundwa adds that some parents impede their children from taking careers in this field because it is considered low paying.

She also notes that good-quality makeup or makeup equipment is expensive, a thing that may discourage beginners.

Way forward, dreams

The makeup artist explains that her mother’s support pushed her to where she is, because if it wasn’t for her, she probably would have given up when challenges hit. 

"I encourage fellow youth to wake up and push their dreams and passions and use their potential to grab every opportunity they have to do something ingenious. If we don’t sit on our talents, we can change the world into a better place,” she says.

Umukundwa points out that her business connects her to different people, caters for her bills, enables her to travel, and allows her to create adventures while working. "I gain a lot of experience from working with different personalities.”

Makeup, she says, shouldn’t be underestimated as it allows individuals to gain confidence, guards the skin, helps improve one’s appearance, develops a better skin texture, and you’re assured to look awesome in photos if done by an expert.

However, she discourages applying makeup on a daily basis without letting the skin breathe, because putting layers of makeup on the skin endlessly can block pores, leading to issues such as acne and more.

Her plan is to start a cosmetics brand and school in Rwanda. She anticipates joining university and pursuing a course in international business, alongside other cosmetic courses.