Masterminds Podcast

From Teacher to Ghana's Top Makeup Artist: Zulky || Masterminds Podcast EP77

• Richie Mensah • Episode 75

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He didn't plan to be a makeup artist. He was a teacher. Then a friend tagged him in a photo, two girls called, and one YouTube tutorial session later — everything changed.

In this episode of the Masterminds Podcast, Richie Mensah sits down with Zulkarnain Mahmood, popularly known as Zulky — award-winning makeup artist, trainer, and one of Ghana's most sought-after names in the beauty industry. From practicing on his nephews and nieces at home, to working on over 30 music videos and doing makeup for some of Ghana's biggest celebrities, Zulky's journey is a masterclass in turning an accidental start into a serious business. He breaks down the different sectors of the makeup industry, what a professional kit actually costs, how to price your services, why professionalism is your greatest marketing tool, and the one mindset shift every upcoming artist needs to make.

In this episode, you'll learn:

  • How Zulky went from classroom teacher to Ghana's top makeup artist completely by accident
  • The difference between bridal, editorial, TV and everyday makeup — and why each demands different skills
  • What a starter, mid-range and professional makeup kit actually costs in Ghana
  • How to price your services at every level — from 200 cedis to 20,000 cedis
  • Why TV and commercial makeup is the most technical and most unforgiving sector
  • How Delay's mention on her show blew up Zulky's phone and launched his celebrity career
  • Why social media consistency is more important than posting perfect content
  • Why you must treat your talent like a business and never like a hobby

Chapters

00:00 – Intro: The Accidental Makeup Artist
 03:05 – From Teacher to Makeup Artist: How It Started
 06:19 – Taking It Seriously: From Hobby to Business
 08:27 – Training: YouTube, Mentors and Learning on the Job
 12:43 – The Different Sectors of the Makeup Industry
 15:15 – Why TV and Commercial Makeup Is the Most Technical
 18:21 – What a Professional Kit Actually Costs
 23:34 – How to Price Your Services at Every Level
 30:21 – How Delay's Mention Changed Everything
 36:43 – How to Build and Maintain a Celebrity Network
 46:35 – Social Media, Branding and Consistency
 55:46 – Treat Your Talent Like a Business, Not a Hobby

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SPEAKER_03

Most people don't know that before entering makeup you were a teacher.

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

How has your experience been like since you came in? Is it an industry or is it just for fun?

SPEAKER_01

Um it's a whole industry. I would say it's a multi-million industry. If you do it well, you'd uh reap the benefits. How did you train? Doing my YouTube videos, I was practicing on myself sometimes. And as I get home, I call my nephews and nieces, and then I'll be pitting the pieces. My first ever um TV job, I didn't know a lot about these things, so I did the makeup, it was fine, you know. We looked in the mirror, you took pictures with a phone and all of that, and then now she went on set with the light and everything, and then she looked completely different. Yeah, it was actually it was like you said, her face was lighter than her neck. Um, I remember the first um celebrity I did.

SPEAKER_02

It was for delay.

SPEAKER_03

So attack you, what other kind of challenges have you faced entering the industry? Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting and deciding to watch this episode. But now I have a favor subscribe to the channel. Subscribing to the channel helps me and the entire mastermind team to continue bringing you wonderful conversations and episodes that bring you closer to being the mastermind you deserve to be. So join the community. Welcome to the Masterminds Podcast. It's me, Richie Menta, your awesome and ever-charming tour guide on this exciting journey to master your most powerful weapon, your mind. Today's conversation is about something which makes a lot of sense and is very important in this current generation, which is personal branding. And in personal branding, appearance is everything. So my guest today is one person who has helped transform the appearances of so many people in our industry, so many people that you look up to all the time. He has worked on over 30 music videos, big music videos as the lead makeup artist. He is an award-winning artist on multiple platforms. You know, he's been on TV shows, he's worked with the biggest A-listers in Ghana and beyond. My guest today, let me make sure I get the name right, is Zukane Mamoud, yes, but popularly known as Zuki. Zuki, welcome to Masterminds. Thank you. I can't believe you're doing this.

SPEAKER_02

I know, right?

SPEAKER_03

Zuki there, he's a friend of the family. So today's just a normal conversation. You know, I wanted to bring you here to just talk about the makeup industry because I always say certain industries aren't fully understood. People just see the glitz and glance and don't understand what goes on behind it. So today it's like a full expose on the makeup industry. So, how are you feeling? I'm good, I'm ready for it. Nice one there. Let's start. Let's start with you. Most people don't know that before entering makeup, you were a teacher. Yes. So, how did that transition happen? What was it like being a teacher? How did you enter into the industry?

SPEAKER_01

So, this is how it happened. I was in college at the time. It was my final year, and then um a friend of mine who's a model called me out of nowhere on a Saturday morning and was like, Hey Zookie, are you free? I'm going to have a photo shoot and then I'll need you to um escort me. I'm like, okay, well, that's fine. I'm free, so why not? So I remember we get on, we go on set, um, he changed into his outfit, and then he was like, Zoe, can you put a little powder on my face? So he had his own powder in the brush. So I just you know did something small for him, and then that was it. Weeks later he posted it and then um he tagged me as a makeup artist.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

And I mean it wasn't a big deal. I thought it was one of those things, one of those Instagram posts, and then people would just, you know, um scroll past it, and then that's it. But about a week or two later, I was there and then he called me again. He was like, Zuki, um, two of my friends liked the makeup you did for me. And then they also want the same thing, but this time they are girls. And I'm like, what are you talking about? I'm not a makeup artist, I don't think I can do it. It was like, well, I've given your contact to them, so when they call you, you can speak to them and all of that. And at the time I didn't want to do Yawa. So I remember these girls calling me, and they were like, hey, um, I got your number from this social person, and then we wanted to do a photo shoot and then all of that. So I remember telling them that um I'm not a professional makeup artist, I'm just like a makeup enthusiast. So if they had their own products, they could bring it and then we could do it together. And then I remember that night I was on YouTube, I was watching tutorial videos, I was on Instagram, I was watching how to draw brows, how to do this, how to do that. And then um the day came, we went to do it. At the time, it was nice. Looking back, I'm like, what is this? You can't believe you did that. I can't believe I did that. Yeah, but um, so that's how we started. I was um I'd freshly graduated from school, I'd been posted, and um I was teaching um English language, I was teaching ICT. I remember when I got um in the school, they didn't have any creative arts teacher. I didn't do anything creative arts though, but um they didn't have any teacher. And I'm like, okay, I think this is something I actually have an interest in so I could do it. So I volunteered to be the creative arts teacher for the school, and um yeah, it was a nice experience um being a teacher because I had an opportunity to, you know, um help these kids to learn, to mentor them, to help them express themselves, especially when it comes to like you know the creativity aspects and all of that. So yeah, that's that's that's how the journey started. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03

So it wasn't something that was like you planned it and you it just happened and then you took it seriously, not at all.

SPEAKER_01

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I was gonna be doing makeup professionally, I'd be like, hell no. It's it's it wasn't part of my plans at all. But yeah, interesting. Here we are.

SPEAKER_03

So as you've come in the industry and you've been working, I want you to I want to understand something. A lot of people don't really see the makeup industry like a real industry, they don't see it as a profession, it's more like it's just a hobby.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

How has your experience been like since you came in? Is it that industry or is it just for fun?

SPEAKER_01

Um, it's a whole industry. Okay. Um I would say it's a multimillion industry. If you do it well, you'd um reap the benefits. Yes, and I think I'm guilty of the idea that makeup is just a hobby. Because, like I said, when I started, it wasn't anything I planned to do. So I saw it as just a hobby. You know, I do it at my free time. Friends will call me and be like, oh, hey, can you come and do this for me? And then I'll happily go and do it. But I think it got to a point where I realized um I was getting very passionate about it. You know, I was passionate about um beauty, about transformation, about helping people feel confident in their skin and all of that. And um it was difficult for me to navigate, you know, to move from the hobby to a business, you know, aspect and all of that. So I think I took a step back and I went back to the drawing board. I took a couple of classes here and there. I was doing a lot of collaborative works. I had then met a couple of photographers and videographers. So I remember I'll test them and then I'll be like, hey, I have this you know concept I want us to shoot. Are you up for it? It was like, oh, why not? Let's do it. So I was doing that, I was trying to build um my social media presence, you know, my visibility and all of that. And yeah, then that's how we got here.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so so that means even though you started as a teacher and entered into it as let's say fanslash passion, to become an actual makeup artist, you had to go through the training and the business process.

SPEAKER_01

The training, um no two ways about that.

SPEAKER_03

So, how how did you train? Hmm.

SPEAKER_01

So, like I said, when I started, it was um I was a self-taught. I was, you know, doing my YouTube videos, I was practicing on myself sometimes. Sometimes I get home, I call my nephews and nieces, and then I'll be painting their faces. Your canvases, yeah. I remember um I even called my mom one time. I'm like, can I do something on your face? Like, eh, Paul G minus. But then again, I convinced her, and then I use her as a canvas, you know, to do my learning and stuff like that. So yeah, I spoke to a friend at the time who knew um this um renowned makeup artist in Nigeria at the time, and he was coming to Ghana. So I was like, Oh, do you think I can you know meet this person and then do like you know a two-hour class with them and all of that? I was like, Oh, yeah, why not? So we spoke to him, he came back to Ghana, and then um I met him briefly. I think we did like an hour and a half because he was you know busy, he was doing other stuff. So, yeah, we did like a quick you know tutorial, I took some videos, I went home, I kept practicing and practicing and practicing and practicing, and um also I remember when I started, I met a couple of people that were already like you know big in the industry, and then um I I you know I mentor, you know, under them and all of that. Yeah, so yeah, I did uh self-training, I did, you know, um uh what do you call it? Professional training as well. So yeah, I encourage you know um upcoming makeup artists to take that seriously because you are not just going to learn the skill, but you're going to you know um create relationships, you're going to network, you know, you're gonna learn about pricing, you're gonna learn about social media presence, your visibility, and you know how to deal with clients and all of those stuff. So if you say, okay, I'm a self-taught artist, so I'm just gonna remain a self-taught artist, then I don't know where we are getting.

SPEAKER_03

So, how are you able to manage that, especially in the beginning, that one year? Like things like the bookings, you know, the the clients dealing with all those. How are you able to do that transition to where it started becoming a real business?

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. I remember uh my first booking that I would say I was paid for was um my final year in college. So we're doing our SRC week, and then I was part of the organizers of the SRC week. So I pitched to them that oh, I could do makeup, you know, I could do styling and stuff like that. So if they could pay me, I can, you know, mobilize and arrange for um their looks. So yeah, they gave me some money. I remember I I don't remember the exact amount, but I remember I went to Accra, Macola, and I went to look for where they sell the makeup stuff and all of that. Okay, and then I saw this lady, and then I said, Oh, hi, I want to buy makeup. And so she was just giving me side eye like that. You know, mine, what is the gentleman going to do with makeup? So I felt quite uncomfortable. I was like, I can't deal with that. So I moved to um the next lead that was like very accommodating. She was like, Oh, what am I looking for? So she advised me on the type of photo to go for and all of that. So I bought it, I went to back to college, and then we did our SRC week, everything was perfect. After that, there wasn't any booking coming from anywhere. Um, like I said, I was just doing the um collaborative work, you know, I was doing for friends and stuff like that. And people even call me and um they'll ask me how much are you do you charge for makeup? And I had no idea you know, the pricing and all of that. So there's no business element yet. So I like I said, I have I had to go back to the drawing board again and um research, talk to people, inquire about you know um the market here in Ghana and um how the pricing was like and all of that. So yeah, that's that's that's that's how I I managed to you know navigate from that um the hobby to you know business.

SPEAKER_03

What about the different industries? Because one thing I know is, at least from my layman point of view, I feel like there are different industries when it comes to makeup. You know, there's the bridles, then there's the like music, video, and commercial shoots, then there's the day-to-day kind of stuff. Walk me through what the different industries are like.

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. They are they they're all different and special in their own way, but as a professional makeup artist, it's um it's you're supposed to know how to navigate through all of that. But I don't makeup artistry, I'll say it's more personal and more um emotional to deal with. This is somebody's you know special day, so you have to be like very empathetic about a lot of things, you have to um be able to listen, you have to be patient and all of that. When it comes to editorial, it's more about self-expression. It's you're not restricted when it comes to editorial, you are free to you know create stuff, you know, create different looks, you know, see what's gonna work, what's not gonna work, and all of that. And then also when it comes to um TV and commercial, I see that to be a more um serious aspect of the makeup industry because um, for instance, when it comes to TV, it's more technical. The look you're supposed to create is supposed to work under, you know, different lighting systems, different cameras. You know, these days the cameras that have come are like very sharp. Yeah, the least mistake you do is gonna show. So you have to make sure that the makeup you're doing is gonna work in every single angle. When it comes to continuity, let's say you're shooting the scene today, and in two weeks' time you have to shoot the same scene, yeah, and you have to like recreate the same look and all of that. So for me, I think it's um the the the part of makeup that I it was a bit a bit difficult for me to navigate was the TV, the commercial aspect, because that's entails like a lot of you know a lot of technicalities.

SPEAKER_03

I watched a movie where a lady was running out of the room. So as she was running out of the room, she was wearing a brown wig. Yeah, by the time she got outside, her wig was red.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we see that a lot in movies, and so I took it upon myself to actually learn about lighting, how to learn about camera, how to learn about you know the different sets, you know, the angles and all of that. And that has been able to help me to strive in the um TV and the movie aspect as well.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, that's very valuable. I think a lot of people don't understand how much you need to learn in the industry. Exactly. Most people think you just throw some powder on and you're done. Yes, yes. They don't get, for instance, one thing I see a lot that I complain about is let's say when people do makeup, yeah, and then they do makeup for maybe TV or something, and they photograph it on the mobile phone. But the problem is makeup for the professional camera. Yes, it's different for makeup for the mobile phone. Yes. So then now it starts looking bad on the mobile phone. You don't get that. No, it's not meant for this. Exactly, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01

So I think that is what a lot of people do, they're not able to differentiate between the different types of makeup for everyday look. I mean, you can easily get away with a lot of mistakes, and nobody is really going to know because these days a lot of people use filters, you know, and all of that, so it can actually smoothen and cover up a lot of mistakes. But AI makeup these TV and music videos and commercials, you cannot, yeah, because you know, the lights, everything you like, everything is gonna show, so you have to make sure you're getting the right undertone, the skin texture, you know, you have to get everything right. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

We had a problem. I remember when we're doing a music video shoot a while back, and because we're doing close-ups, yes, and the light was close to the artist, now you could see the shade was different from their skin. Exactly. When the light is off, you can't tell. As soon as the light comes on, yes, it's a problem.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes, yeah. I think I've experienced that before too. My first ever um TV job, I didn't know a lot about these things, so I did the makeup, it was fine. You know, we looked in the mirror, she took pictures with her phone and all of that, and then now she went on set with the light and everything, and then she looked completely different. Yeah, it was ashy, it was like you said, her face was lighter than an egg. I was like, how did we end up here? So now we had to go back, I had to, you know, redo it, and then so that's how I learn on the job as well. You know, you can't always get everything at the same time. So sometimes you learn based on you know experiences and all of that.

SPEAKER_03

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SPEAKER_01

You have to check on the camera to make sure the photographer, the videographer is supposed to be your friend. So immediately you are done with the makeup, the person comes on set. The next thing is to go back behind the camera and check and see if everything is working perfectly before you can move on. If you have to leave or leave your assistant to do touch-ups and stuff before you can go. Yeah, you know, so I think that's what sets like a professional artist from like just a random, you know, makeup artist.

SPEAKER_03

So, aside this, what other kind of challenges have you faced entering the industry?

SPEAKER_01

Challenges, yes. Let me start with this one. Like I said, when I started, it was more of like a hobby. I didn't know the business aspect of makeup, so I was more focused on the skill and the art. I didn't know about personal branding, I didn't know about how to communicate to my clients, I didn't know um how to you know be visible, you know, to you know, the um I didn't know my niche, you know, I was just doing something. So um, like I said, through um working, you know, meeting people and making mistakes, I began to learn. And I'm like, okay, this is actually um a business that I can take seriously and make some good money out of it. For instance, I did this collaboration shoot with a friend who was a model. We did a business like a renowned photographer, and um he really had loved the job I did. So I think later when he took my number from my friend and called and said, Oh, he had a shoot with um some business, you know, creatives and all of that, and you would want me to come and assist him, you know, with their looks and all of that. So um he asked me how much uh I charge or my rates. At the time I didn't know anything about what the rates were, and what I even had in mind to charge, I wasn't confident enough to charge. And then now I asked him, okay, um, what was his budget? And guess what? The budget he mentioned was even like higher than what I wanted to charge. I'm like, oh my god. So I could make this much money, you know, um, in this business. So yeah, I accepted it straight up, and I'm like, oh, I'm out for it. And then we went to do it. I took my money, and then that was it. So I learned from them. I was like, oh, okay, so um, if I should raise my price to this, that means people actually appreciate the art and they could actually pay for it. So that's how I learned to switch from you know being a hobby to um an actual an actual business or a career. Also, when it comes to um social media invisibility, I didn't know how to do well, I the only thing I knew how to do was oh, I'll do the makeup when I finish, I'll just take a nice video or a picture and then I'll post. I didn't even know how to edit them, how to, you know, caption it and attract, you know, the kind of people that I want to attract, you know. So I would urge anybody that is entering into the business to know the their niche, the kind of people they want to attract. Do they want to do bridals? If you want to do a bridal, like if you want to be a bridal artist, then you should be able to post a lot of bridal stuff. Okay. If you want to go into editorial artistry, you have to post, you know, push a lot of editorial stuff. If you want to go into TV, movies, and commercial, then you have to post stuff that are related to that. If you want to be like an overall, you know, um artist too, then you have to you know be able to post uh bits and pieces from you know, bridal, from editorial, from everyday, from TV and all of that. So you have to be intentional. You have to be intentional. That's right, you have to be intentional about you know some of these things. Also, when it comes to your kit, a lot of people think oh, makeup is just you know, um put powder here, put concealer here. But no. Your kit has to match um the brand, the price. If you are charging a certain amount, your kit should be able to, you know, sure when their client sees your makeup, they should know that oh, this person is actually charging this amount because of the kind of products they use, you know. So, yes, I also. Learned um to upgrade my kids, and um I learned how to communicate with my clients, you know, clearly. So at the end of the day, everyone is going to be happy um with whatever you want to do.

SPEAKER_03

Your professionalism. I mean, that's one thing I can always attest for that. You know, when Zuki is on it, he's professional. He'll get there on time, he'll do what he's supposed to do, he won't make any noise, you do his work, and you know. But let's talk about the kits. So, for that person who's an up and coming makeup artist, what are like the standard prices for kids? Let's say maybe starter kits, yeah, and then standard kits and then zuki kits.

SPEAKER_01

So for a startup, someone who is just starting, um, it all depends on the type of products that you're going in for. Um, we have the drugstore makeup. We term it drug store because you know, in the um olden days, you can just walk into a drugstore and then you find them on the shelves and easily and all of that. And then we have high-end products. Okay. Um, for instance, we have like the Fenty, the NAS, you know, and all the Mac and all of that. They're like high-end products, they're quite expensive than the drugstore makeup. And then we have um luxury makeup brands, okay. Just like the luxury, you know, bags and the shoes and all of that's those stuff that we wear. So it all depends on what you're looking at. If you're looking for the drug store, then we are looking like about let's say 10,000.

SPEAKER_03

10,000 is the drugstore. Yeah. Entry level, no, it's 10,000.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think why because yeah, you'd have to get, you know, you can't just use foundation for everyone. Yeah, one foundation for everyone. You need to do that. So we have dark skin, like the deep, deeper tones, you have the light skin and all of that. And even within that, we have like the cool tones, you have the warm tones, we have the neutral tones, the olive, and all of that. So you have to make sure you're getting product that is gonna cater for every single skin type. You know, so if you're buying foundations, you have to buy foundation that's gonna cater for all the skin types, you have to get concealers, you have to get lipsticks, you have to get lip liners, you have to get powders, certain powders to their like different ones with different tones for different types of skin.

SPEAKER_03

And here I am thinking, you know, buy one powder, buy one lip. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so I could say from like 10,000 appots, if you want to go in for like the high-end products, that's like 30,000 appots. I think if you want to go on the luxury route, to then I mean, you know, it's it keeps going higher and higher and higher.

SPEAKER_03

Luxury is there's no end there. Yes, there's no end.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, but nonetheless, it doesn't necessarily mean that when you start, you should buy everything at once. Okay, I mean, if you have 2,000, if you have 3,000, you can just you know pick a few stuff that you can work with, and then as time goes on, as you earn from the business, you can you know expand and add up and all of that.

SPEAKER_03

So let's say, okay, right now let's look at your 10,000 kits. So, how long, if you are getting constant business, will that 10,000 kits last?

SPEAKER_01

The thing is, it's not even about how long it's gonna last, but some of the products have like shell lives. Some of the products when you open it now, it has like let's say six months shelf life, some have like about 12 months.

SPEAKER_03

So that means you can lose. That means you can you can if you're not getting a lot of customers, yes.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, you know, I never thought about that. Exactly. Some there are some to that you can go for like two years, three years, so it all depends on all of those, you know.

SPEAKER_03

Let me guess, the more expensive it is, the longer it can last.

SPEAKER_01

Sometimes, not all the time, not all the time, yes, not all the time, and also what people need to know is um the quality doesn't determine the price. A product might be very expensive, but might not get the job done. Okay, and a product might be affordable, but it's gonna get the job done beautifully. That is why it's also important to invest in the skill and the technique. Okay, so you can um have dark stock products, and your finished look might even look better than someone who's using high-end or luxury products. Yeah, so yeah, it's just it goes hand in hand. The skill, the products, and um all of that.

SPEAKER_03

So, but people complain a lot about maybe they got rushes or they got, you know, their face was affected, that kind of stuff. Is it the quality of products that affects people?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, the quality or sometimes the ingredients in the product. Okay. There are people that react to certain ingredients. So, like I said, before personally, before I work on the client, you'd have like a consultation. So I'm gonna ask you your skin type, is it dry? Is it oily? Is it combination? You know, if you have allergies to certain ingredients in certain products, you let me know before you know we start the whole thing. So sometimes, too, the quality of the product also determines there are a lot of fake products on the market. I've experienced it before. I think I was working on this fashion project. I was lucky enough it was a model, you know, um, and they couldn't they could have if I was in America, they could have sued you one time. Yeah, I think I got this new product that usually when I get new product, I test it on myself, my skin somewhere, okay, before I use it on the client. But I think because of time and everything, I wasn't able to test it. And I think it was a fake product. I didn't know it was a skin prep product, right? So before you throw on the foundation and everything, you have to prep the skin, yeah, depending on the type of look you're going for. If you're going for like um a mattifying finish, you have to, you know, set the face a certain way. If you want like a dewy look, you have to also set the face in a certain way. Okay, so I started applying this, but then all of a sudden, rashes came out of nowhere on her face instantly. It was it her face just flared up.

SPEAKER_03

Instantly.

SPEAKER_01

I was so scared, I was literally shaking.

SPEAKER_03

Wow, that's not even a delayed reaction for you to say maybe on the makeup.

SPEAKER_01

So now we had to wash uh Rush into the washing room to go and wash her face, and immediately she was within like two, three, five minutes, everything cleared.

SPEAKER_03

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

So I had to like discuss that product immediately, you know. So sometimes um the ingredients and all of those things play very important roles, you know.

SPEAKER_03

So, how are you able to determine the difference? Or I'm guessing that experience and experience comes in.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, um, I think it was one of um the fears that I had when I started because I was like, hey, um, you can have like two dark people standing right in front of you, and you can see they have like different undertones. And I was asking myself, how would I be able to like navigate and be able to make sure at the end of the day their neck is matching the face and the you know the rest of the body. So it was one of the things that I spent a lot of time to learn. So I think you know, expertise, experience also plays. So right now I can walk to just a client and immediately I see them, I know their undertone, I know what foundation in my kids could even, you know, work perfectly for them, you know. So, yeah, expertise coming, um, the number of years, experience and all of that also plays a role in the world.

SPEAKER_03

Please, I've been nodding my head like I understand it, but I have to ask, please, what is undertone?

SPEAKER_01

Undertone, the let me explain this in like the basic terms. Yes, please. When you look at your veins, or you look under your skin, you realize that some people have like green veins.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, some people have like blue.

SPEAKER_01

So if your vein is like a green, you can see that like an olive undertone.

SPEAKER_03

Hey, sir.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, sometimes you can tell easily by looking at the person's face. Sometimes you have to open their chest to see and then know the undertone. The undertones are like what forms the skin type.

SPEAKER_03

So, what's my undertone?

SPEAKER_01

Come and see me in my office. Me, mine is black. That's what you think. Yeah, it can be yeah, a warm undertone, a cool undertone, and a neutral, you know, an olive. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I never knew this. The whole time we kept saying undertone, undertone. What is this undertone is talking about? So every one of us has like a different color. Yes, okay, as we've spoken about the money that is costing me. Yes. How much can a makeup artist charge? Let's go to the different industries, right? So each industry maybe give me standard and then high end. Okay. So let's start with okay. You go through the industries. No, you tell me what to start with. Okay, let's take uh normal makeup, everyday makeup, everyday makeup.

SPEAKER_01

So, yeah, that also depends on um the standard and the scale at which the artist is operating. Okay. If you are an upcoming artist and um and your location also depends on determined prices, you know, the your expertise, your experience, the kind of clientele you work with, if you work with celebrities, you work with like just normal people, it all plays a very important role in their pricing. So for an upcoming artist, um, I could say for um a working, that is when they come to your studio, I think it ranges from like about 200 CDs to like about 400, 500. Okay. I think, yeah, I think for between 200 to like 300, 400. And then when you come to like the middle parts, um that could range like about 500 to like 700. That is when you walk into that studio. Okay. And when they're going to you, they'll have to factor their transportation and all of that. So that might be a little higher than the walking fee. And then if you are like an A-list makeup artist, I think that also ranges from let's say like about a thousand CDs to like let's say two thousand.

SPEAKER_03

This is why when ladies are going out, then they are stressing it. Yes. Over a thousand CDs. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

To a thousand to to let's say like a two thousand to two thousand, two thousand five hundred, depending on the location, like I said. So let's say if I live in Accra and you're booking me in Tema, you know, the distance is a bit wide, so obviously it's going to uh be higher than and it's not just about the makeup application that you're paying for, also you have to consider your safety, you know, all of those things. Your kit, like I said, the product that you have in your kit, and also all of those things determine the pricing. And I have to consider flooding and all of those things. So fine, just yeah, just know that this season, you know.

SPEAKER_03

In 2500, yeah. So maybe like a lady needs to go to a branch, then she has to just shelf out 2500.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, that's that's like I said, that's what it depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for um, if you're on budgets, there's something for you. If you're uh, you know, there's the 200, there's a 200 version, there's a 300 version, there's a 500 version, there's a 300 version, there's a thousand version, yeah, it's 2K, there's one five, so whatever works for you, you just go for it.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. So that's the everyday makeup. That's the everyday makeup. Now let's go to something like a commercial shoot.

SPEAKER_01

A commercial shoot, I'll say that one, it's um it depends probably on the type of project that you're working on, the number of hours that you're working on, the number of people you're working on. Because if let's say you're doing a project that has like about um 10 or 15 people, one person can do that. So that means you have to employ or come with a team, you have to pay them, you have to feed them, their transportation. So you have to factor all of these things when you're pricing for um commercial and editorial, you know, shoes. Also, the type of work that you're supposed to do, you have to factor that, and then the kind of project that you're doing, you have to also factor that as well. But I think that also ranges from let's say um from 3,000.

SPEAKER_03

But sometimes it's a lot of people, it's a lot of people, yeah, like 50 people on sex, and you need to bring a whole team and everything. So I guess that one is more of a negotiation. Yes, yes, yes. Let's go to the ultimate the bridal. How much does it cost to do bridal makeup in Ghana? Hmm.

SPEAKER_01

That also depends.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, like I said, it depends on who she's marrying.

SPEAKER_01

I'm not gonna say who she's marrying, but I'm gonna say the kind of experience that you want with a bride. You know, um, I think it also starts from let's say you can get 500 for a bridal makeup.

SPEAKER_03

500 for bridal makeup. Yeah, yeah, it depends on what you want, depends on the wedding. Exactly. 500 that's called thousand.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. So it depends on what you are looking for, and um, but I think averagely it's around um thousand five, two thousand for let's say one look. Okay, and then if you have to do a second look for like let's say you're doing a traditional and then a white wedding, that means you have to double the price or charge more. And um, if you're doing the same day too, you have to factor everything in charge. If you're doing on two separate days, you have to factor that in charge as well. Um, there are people that would want to celebrate their weddings for like a whole week, so they can book you for like Monday to Sunday. Interesting. Yeah, throwing parties here and there, their traditional wedding, their white weddings, their Thanksgiving, you know, all of that. One is cash out season Ubarab. And then also there is um um destination weddings where people can take you from the comfort of um your town. Let's say you're in a car, they can move you to Kumasi, they can move you outside the country and all of that. That also comes to like a different you know, cost and all of that. So, yeah, averagely I think it starts from about a thousand five to two thousand and then it goes as high as you want.

SPEAKER_03

What is as high as you want? I want to understand.

SPEAKER_01

I know people that charge as high as ten thousand for one look. Not for one look, let's say they're doing for traditional wedding, they're doing white wedding, they are doing a party, they are doing, you know, Thanksgiving and all of that. Okay. I know people that can charge more than that. 15,000, 20,000. It all depends on, like I said, what you're doing and the kind of experience you are giving the bride as well, you know. And what I want brides to know, or what I want the general public to know, is you're not only paying for the makeup service, bridal makeup artistry comes with a lot of things.

SPEAKER_03

Like what? That's that's what I want to do.

SPEAKER_01

It comes with a lot of preparation, a lot of meetings, consultations, okay, trials. Sometimes you have to be um people's psychologists, you have to be their friends, you have to be, you know, it's a very emotional, you know, ceremony that takes a lot from you as an artist. True, you know, so you're not only paying for that, you're paying for you know all of these things.

SPEAKER_03

You're paying for the emotional trauma, everything because you have no idea.

SPEAKER_01

You can be doing a bride, and out of nowhere, um, mother will come in, auntie will come in, dickness will come in. Oh, yeah, I don't like the brows, not like this. Can you change it? Can you do this? Oh, the makeup is too much. You know, sometimes it's stressful. You know, they can waste your time. You can a bride can give you, let's say, oh, 7 a.m. You get at 7 a.m. and they're not ready. You have to wait for like an hour or two, and immediately makeup starts, then they come. Oh, she has to go. And then there's pressure at the end of the day, the makeup still has to look nice, it has to photograph well, videography is supposed to be considered as well. The weather, the emotions is gonna cry. You have to make sure at the end of the day, when she cries and she touches up, the makeup doesn't move. Yeah, when she's sweats, it has to be intact. People want their bridal makeup to be timeless, and it is not easy and it's not cheap to achieve such a look. So it all depends on what you want as a bride, and then you budget for the service that you want.

SPEAKER_03

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SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes. So, and sometimes the people don't even know what they want. Yeah. Let's say, for instance, someone can call you and be like, oh, hi, Zoe. I'm booking you for a makeup session, and then I want a natural look. And the natural look they are looking for is not like the natural look that professionally I know. Their natural look is not having color on the lip or the eye. But they want everything to be like neutral tones, but at the end of the day, they want the makeup to be heavy, yeah, but glamorous at the end of the day. But they'll say, Oh, I want it very natural and simple. But mine are sort of simple or simple as foundation, a little concealer here, you set lip gloss, lip liner, yeah, maybe some tiny little lashes, you know, the brows, and then you're good to go. But they want like a full glam. Yet they will call you and be like, Oh, I want you know something soft, and then you do it, and then you're like, Oh, this is not what I wanted, or it's too simple. Can we add a little bit more of eyeshadow? Can we double the lashes? You know, and all of those things come at a cost. So, what I do is I try to communicate clearly with my client. Okay. So I know the type of person you are. Are you like um the simple kind of you know, girl? Do you want to go glamorous? Do you want to go big? You know, I need to know. Sometimes I have to use pictures, you know, mood boards, inspo, so that way you know exactly what you're looking for. So at the end of the day, I can get my job done peacefully, and then everyone is gonna be happy at the end of the day. And so, yeah, that's how I deal with communication. I um make sure I arrive on time, so I'm not gonna be under so much pressure and all of that. I arrive on time, I set up, I uh we communicate, you know, in the process, you can go look at your face. If there's anything you want to change, you change before we move to the next step because I really want to finish everything before you be like, Oh, I don't like what you did. Can you change it? You know, maybe I have another booking and you're gonna waste my time. I may lose money in clients. So yeah, we have to communicate clearly and know what um everyone wants at the end of the day, and then yeah, that's it. When it comes to sometimes to when it comes to um payments, clients can delay you. So and they don't tell you upfront, you finish and they'll be like, Oh, can I send you more or can I call you when I'm done? So, what I do personally is when I finish, I'll just send you an invoice and then I'll give you um a payment plan and then the number of days that I need my money, you know. So I give you that, I get my money. Uh if you forget, I'll send you reminders nicely, and then um I get my payment. If you don't pay me, that means you're not gonna call me for a job again. Yes. I mean, how am I gonna show up if I don't have money to transport myself to you or I don't have money to, you know, uh renew some of my products when they got finishing my kit and all of that. So, yeah, that's how I handle that as well.

SPEAKER_03

And yeah. What about the A-listers? How does it feel working with you know the top of the top in the industry?

SPEAKER_01

It feels great, yeah. It feels great. Uh um I think it's um what's the right word to use? It's fulfilling. Um, I remember the first um celebrity I did that should I say went viral, or it was for a TV show, actually.

SPEAKER_03

Who's that? Who's that? Still, spell the beans.

SPEAKER_01

It was for delay for the delay show. So I had a friend that used to work with her or friends with her. So he said, Oh, Zuki, I think I can connect you to this person and all of that. I remember we went to a house that morning, and then she looked at like, hey, when I see your makeup no, you know, come on, between me, I mean share. And I didn't go there to do her face. I she was doing a show then, it was called Coco Brown. So they were booking me to work on that show. But when I go there, she was like, so I did it for her, and then I think that day she was going to record her show. So she used the same makeup to record her show, and um I remember the day it aired. I didn't even know she was gonna mention my name or anything, but the show aired and then she mentioned my name. That evening, my phone blew up. Interesting. I was getting calls from family, from friends, my social media, hey, yes, we had your name on the delay show. Hey, a whole delay mentioned your name and all of that. So, yeah, I it was it was nice, you know. Like, um, yeah, it was a nice experience too. But sometimes it's a bit difficult sometimes to deal because these are people that um a lot of people look up to. You can't go wrong. Yeah, they are walking red carpets, they're doing big shows. You have to ensure that you're getting it right every single time, and it's not an easy thing. But like I said, once you invest in your skill and your craft and everything, yeah, you get to a point where you can easily, you know, get things moving and running.

SPEAKER_03

Because the same way when they mention your name positively, yes, it brings you business exactly if they mention your name. Negative needs also kills business.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, let's say someone is working in a red carpet and then you do the makeup and then the flashlight and everything, boom, they took a picture of her, then she's looking like a ghost. They say, Who did this makeup come and tag you and exactly these days? There are fashion critiques and all of that. That after red carpet shows, and then they'll be talking about you know the entire outfit, the hair, makeup, and everything. So if they talk about you positively, obviously it's going to help your career and all of that.

SPEAKER_03

So yeah, it's it's it's it's a great but how have you been able to build like the network of celebrities? Because right now it's not one A-lister you are working for. Off the top of my head, I can mention like 15. How were you able to build that network and maintain it as well?

SPEAKER_01

I I think it's a matter of um being dedicated, um, showing up, getting the job done, earning people's trust because these are people that um they also have their own personal life. You know, um, sometimes they share very intimate stuff about them with you. Sometimes you see very intimate part of their bodies, you know, their life and all of that. So they should be able to trust you. And I treat every job like it's an auditioning. Okay, like it's a first and it's the last. So I'm giving my best. I don't care whether you're a celebrity, whether you're a normal person, I'm making sure I'm leaving a mark on you. Anytime you think about makeup, there should be one name that rings in your mind. You know, so I think that is what I've done over the years, and it has really helped.

SPEAKER_03

And I'm sure you also stay away from cocoa and sand because you hear a lot of coconut sands.

SPEAKER_01

A lot, a lot, a lot. I'm not gonna lie, a lot. Yeah, but you have to stay away from it, just be professional, just get the job done, pretend like you're not there, okay, get the job done, and then you know, sometimes wait for your um input to be asked for before you even you know insert it. Don't just poke your nose and your mouth into what people are discussing and all of that.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, let's talk about social media. You mentioned how social media right now is helping to boost like careers. What would you say a makeup artist needs to concentrate on right now when it comes to social media and establishing their brand?

SPEAKER_01

I think what they have to look at is um, like I said earlier on, their niche what they want to do, what they want to achieve at the end of the day. Are you looking at doing vital? Are you looking at doing celebrity? Are you looking at doing TV? Are you looking at doing fashion? So once you look, you you know that you know the type of content to put out there to attract the people that you want to attract. Also, after attracting them, you have to make sure you are getting bookings and enquiries because you can't just post any people who come and watch and like and comment and go. You have to make sure you're giving them content that would make them want to, you know, inquire about your services and would want to book you.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, you have to also make sure that um people can relate with you. It's not only about you know coming to post the final work and then you go away. Sometimes people want to see the process, yeah, how you created their favorite look, you know, how you connected or interacted with a client, you know, the behind the scenes. Sometimes people want to see all those things. Usually we just post the nice stuff and then that's it. But yeah, I think when you post those kind of stuff, people relate to you better and they would they will know upfront how the experience is going to be. So they will know if it would be good enough for them to work with you or not. So I think it's a great um idea for upcoming artists or for like everyone, actually, because right now, social media is like a great tool. People we are like visual people, we want to see how something is before we you know buy them, before you book them, and all of that. So, yeah, I think we have to look at um that aspect and also be consistent. Okay, because when people come to your page and then let's say um we're in June, they come to your page, and then the last time you posted was in January, or the last time you posted was in December last year. Yeah, it shows that you're not probably working or you're not active, but when they come to your page and let's say, oh, they saw a post like three days ago, one week ago, then you know that oh, this person you know is in business, they're working and all of that. So, yeah, the consistency is also very important when it comes to you know your social media visibility and all of that. Okay, branding also plays an important role, um the business aspects and all of that. Sometimes we um spend so much time on the skill, and then we forget about the branding aspect, true, you know. So I think we have to dedicate time to look at our branding and all of that for social media.

SPEAKER_03

You know, in your nice blazer and things it's very necessary, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Sometimes people accord a certain respect from the way you dress, from the way you look on the first day they are meeting you, from how you respect yourself. You respect yourself, obviously. So, if you respect yourself, obviously you're gonna earn respect from other people. So that's also very important when it comes to you know, not only makeup, but generally, you know, so how you present yourself is also very important.

SPEAKER_03

You've you've been training people to these days. Yes, I do. What's what's that process like being able to teach somebody how to be a makeup artist?

SPEAKER_01

So personally, for me, I have taken classes on um being a professional teacher, aside from you know the classroom teaching that um, and also all the things I learned when I was a teacher, I have applied them in my makeup career. Yeah, a teacher again. So I'm still a teacher. I thought I was gonna run away from teaching, but here I am. I'm still teaching and I'm teaching like in a different field, which um I love so much because when I was in the classroom, I was helping people to learn, I was helping them to be confident, I was helping them to express themselves. And I think I've just transferred the same element into my makeup artistry because um at the end of the day, when you look prettier, you become more confident. And I've seen how clients look at themselves in the mirror and then they feel so confident and so happy, you know, and pretty and all of that. And so, yeah, I just transfer that knowledge into my craft. So when you come to me, we are not only learning how to um the art of you know painting faces, but we are going all around. We are doing social media, we are doing business branding, we are doing you know, every other thing. That is if you're taking it professionally, if you're taking the class professionally, because I have classes for you know people that want to learn for everyday makeup, you know, and people that want to um use it as a career. So when you're going on the career path, then that means you have to take care of you know all the elements that would ensure that you become a successful, you know, makeup artist. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

So right now I'm I'm hearing you talk about so many different elements of the makeup industry itself, yes. But what do you think it would take for the outsiders, for the layman to understand that makeup is real business? What you know, like certain industries is easy to understand. You know, we see somebody going to the bank, we know hey, yeah, yeah, banker. But how do you think the makeup industry can demonstrate for the layman to see the business side properly?

SPEAKER_01

I think like I said earlier on, it um your professionalism number one. Um, when I started off as a makeup artist, I was always, I mean, I didn't get a lot of people didn't believe in it. They thought, oh, it's one of those things, just a hobby, it's he's a young guy, it's you know, he's trying new stuff. When he gets tired, he's just gonna leave it and then you move on to the next thing. But I said to myself that no, this is not what I want to do. If I'm leaving my you know, um well-paying job, my monthly paying job, that was a good job. I know at the end of every month I'm gonna get paid, and I'm leaving to like do something else, and I have to make sure that I'm doing it to my possible best, you know. So I took it as seriously as I was a teacher then. So I was showing up professionally, I was dressing up nicely, I was making sure I was communicating with my clients clearly and nicely to ensure that at the end of the day we are all on the same page. I was um, like I said, I was branding myself to on a professional level, not just you know, a hobby that I'm doing that I'm gonna you know leave it and do something else later. I was showing up and I was um creating um relationships, my network, and all of that. And I think it it shows when you go on my socials, you see, like you said, my my clientele base, you know, my celebrities, my Alice clients, and all of that. That should tell you that we are not playing. This is like real business. Yeah, this is not something that um you're doing for like one year, two years, and then you are done. This is something that we've been doing consistently, you know. And so, yes, I think that's that's that's so it's how you carry yourself.

SPEAKER_03

How I carry myself. So, when more people in the industry carry themselves professionally, the outside world will also trust them. Yeah, exactly. Yes, right now you're making much more money. How many, how many jobs do you get in a month on average?

SPEAKER_01

On average, hmm. Um, I can't say specifically because um this industry is very tricky. Um, I'm gonna say that's the hard truth. There are times you can go weeks without a booking. Interesting, yes, and there are times bookings come like every single week, every single like you can do like 20 jobs in a month. Okay, you know, so it's all boils down to knowing um how to navigate the profession, how to put your financials together so that when times that there are no bookings, okay you're not gonna stress so much on you know the money that you've already made. Yeah, times that there are a lot of bookings, you know, saving, you know, investing your money in other stuff and all of that. So you personally I'll say don't depend 100% on the makeup, but I mean you can invest whatever returns you get into other businesses, you can save, you can do your treasury bills and all of that, and to ensure that you know, yeah, you're not going broke.

SPEAKER_03

So, which season would you say is the highest and which season is the lowest?

SPEAKER_01

Um, the bridal season. When is bridal season? Um what is bridal season? I think um from September going, September, November, December, sometimes to like around April, May, June. I think it depends. And then like mid-year and all of those things. So you just have to position yourself in a way that um during the peak season you make the best out of it. Okay, also in December, now there is you know um what do you call it? The is it dirty design? When you have a lot of people coming into the country, people are going out, they want to look good and all of that. You have to, you know, make the best out of it and make sure you're getting um some good bookings and some good money before the season ends.

SPEAKER_03

Right now, I'm calculating your money. I'm calculating how much you take for one time there. You say sometimes you can do 20 in a month.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I'm I wasn't saying me personally, I'm just saying generally for the camera, but I've calculated okay.

SPEAKER_03

So do this for me, right? Yeah, so look in that camera and imagine there's a young person out there who wants to enter the makeup industry, yeah, but they want to become a master at their craft. Yeah, what's that one mindset that you can drop in their mind that will help them develop to be a great makeup artist, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so I would want to tell them that they should treat their talent like a business, not a hobby. I'm a clear example.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I like that. Yeah, I like that part. Zook, did I pronounce well Zook name?

SPEAKER_01

You actually did. I was surprised because a lot of people get it wrong.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, let's stick with the Zook. Yeah, thank you, thank you so much. I like I like it when people take their job very seriously and it helps boost the entire industry. Absolutely. And then my favorite thing is it lets people, young people out there who want to enter the industry, understand how to enter and how to also be professional. Absolutely. Thank you, thank you so much. You're welcome, dude. And I really hope this conversation has brought you two steps closer to being the mastermind that I know you are meant to be. Thank you for watching this episode. Now, the mastermind's dream is about building a community of people who have the right mindset and are ready to take their success into their own hands. So do me this wonderful favor, subscribe and share with anybody out there who you believe you want to see have the right mindset to succeed so that together we can all become the masterminds we deserve to be.