BEAUTIFYING PEOPLE IS MY DREAM— JERRY JIDEOBI, MAKE-UP ARTIST
Sent to the University of Lagos to study Law, Jerry Chinazom Jideobi found himself becoming more endeared and addicted to the beauty and fashion world. Amidst all odds from family members he abandoned the legal profession for Make up art and cosmetology which he did in Marks Cosmetics in South Africa. The twenty three year old Anambra state born make up artists talks about his sojourn into the beauty world and how he had always have the flair for it plus the challenges he faced in course of keeping date with destiny in the beauty profession. He also shared his dreams for Jehz Beauty Planet his beauty studio and did not forget to give some beauty blunders and tips for making up and looking beautiful. Enjoy;
How did you get into the beauty profession?
I was sent to read Law at the University of Lagos. When I got there, I couldn't cope with the course. My father actually wanted me to read Law because he felt that being an argumentative person in nature, I will make a good Lawyer but I just couldn't cope, instead, I found myself getting endeared and addicted to the world of fashion. So, I started working with some agencies in Lagos, I was doing some modeling jobs for them. One day, a friend of mine invited me to come with him to South Africa and when I got to Mark Cosmetics in South Africa, I was bewildered by the various make-up kits and tools that I saw. Their make-up world was something else, I had never seen anything like that here in Nigeria.
That experience urged me the more to move on in that field. So, I spoke with the manager that I want to learn how to make up although I was not a total novice in that line because I've done a few jobs when I was in Nigeria but I couldn't call myself a Make-up artist yet as at that time, so, instead of wasting my time in UNILAG reading Law, I decided to study Cosmetology in Mark Cosmetics where I read and learnt professionally how to make people up and look beautiful where I made trials with different faces. In no time, I became one of the top Make-up Artist there before I decided to come down to Nigeria. When I got back here, people fell in love with my job and that has been the journey so far.
Who is a make up Artist
Before you can call yourself a make up Artist, you must have learnt the tactics and the rudiments of combining colors. You can't just get pencils and brushes and say “I want to be a Make up Artist, I want to do your face” no, it doesn't happen that way. If you want to be a Lawyer, you have to go to school and study Law to know how to carry your client along, same goes for make up, you can't just wake up one day and call yourself a Make up Artist. It has a lot to speak about what you apply and how you apply them. You can wear twenty blues on one eye, it doesn't matter as long as you get the desired result. For instance I may have to mix as much as three or four colors on the lips to get the color effect and balance that I want.
What have you done so far?
Right now, I am the make up artist for the Next Super Model beauty pageant. I did the make up for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2006 beauty pageant. I was also one of the make up artist for Miss Tourism Nigeria 2006 beauty pageant, Nigerian Fashion Show Abuja, and he did the make-up for Abiola Bashorun's (MBGN 2006) Motorola adverts I am the in-house make-up artiste for Funmi Iyanda's New Dawn. I've also made-up for top celebrities like Nike Osinowo, Genevieve Nnaji, Joke Silva, Abiola Bashorun to name a few.
What are the challenges you've faced so far?
One of the major challenges I had was my father who thought I will fare better in the Legal profession. He was really mad at me. One unforgettable incidence was when I came back from South Africa. There was this make-up box I brought from South Africa, it was actually a gift from Mark Cosmetics when I was leaving, it was Mark Cosmetics Make-up Kit, my father caught sight of it and burnt it and the Saturday of that week, I was to have a wedding job and I solely relied on the kit for that job. That really got to me because it almost got me demoralized, but for God I sorted things out.
And I made a promise to myself that day that I was going to give my dad a surprise on this job for him to realize that I know what I'm doing and I'll go places with this modeling career. Making people up and beautifying them is my dream, this is what I want to do. After all, people like Mark Cosmetics and Fashion Fair are all Make-up Artists and they got to where they are today by starting some where. Make up will be my main business but I'm also going to have my name on other things like having a beauty spa and a cosmetic shop which I'm already working on. I'm going to have so many things under Jahz Beauty Planet.
Also, competition is another challenge, but the way I carry and present myself has helped over come competition. If you're good at what you are doing, people will always look for you wherever you are. I'm looking up to doing well like what we have internationally. Competition from co make up artists will not make me lose focus because I sure know that my work has been and will continue to speak for me. As the day go by, I'm getting more confident on the job because I receive a lot of commendation from my clients and more are still coming on.
What are the beauty blunders one could make and what and tips can you give?
• What I will describe as the biggest beauty blunder is doing permanent eye brow make up or shaving off the entire hair on the eye brow. It is the most horrible thing to do. The pencils and shadows should be enough to beautify one, not shaving off the eye brow completely, it gives the person a doll baby look. You can shape the eye brow to desired shape, it's okay not shaving off everything.
• Another mistake one can do is bleaching the skin. It is not anything good for the skin at all and the after effect is even worse. It is always good to be natural. Even if you have to tone the skin a little, it should be done mildly not bleaching the skin as if your peeling leather with hot water. It is damaging to the body and could result in cancer of the skin
• Also this trend of applying blush on the cheek bones, close to the eye is very wrong. Blushes should be applied under the cheek bones to define the features of the face. Applying it on the cheek bone is like marring the entire make up on the face because it will not define any thing on the face when applied that way.
• When wearing your powder, use your puff, sponge or brush very well. Never apply the powder in a downward position, apply it upward. The direction of movement you go when applying your make up determines how your face will be years to come. If you wear it upward, it will lift your face up and your face will not get wrinkled easily.
• your liners have to be tight. Take your time to line your eyes very well if you are very particular about the eyes. Doing it hurriedly will make it look messy and unprofessional.
• avoid using fake make ups as they don't give the desired result most of the time. Always go for the real thing.