Meet Barbara Onianwah. A Client Service & Digital Marketing manager in an Ad Agency by day and professional make-up artist and blogger when duty calls.
I have known her for the past three years and even though we’ve
never met, we are constantly in touch as I harangue her for advice on products I
need to keep my face clear and relevant in this arena where first impressions
are very important<..,you do know that’s
the first step in their assessment of ‘first impressions, right? Gbam! In your
face! Literally.>
My consultations have been via twitter and with 100% success
rate, all products she has recommended I use have been spot on! She’s
also responsible for the rather expensive brow job I caused furore about on my Facebook
page while in Lagos..hehehe(my eyebrows usually set me apart the equivalent of $1
in Nairobi but Ms. Barbz sent me to a parlour in Lagos where they cost me a whopping
$27).PS.. The job was just as good as what I get done in Nairobi..lol.
It’s a pity our
schedules have always clashed whenever I’m in Lagos and we are yet to have a
personal encounter.
If there’s an enterprise whose growth and journey I have
followed, its Barbara's. She started out posting simple photos from her phone of
herself wearing make-up and constantly giving reviews of various products in
the market. Occasionally, she would host live sessions on twitter where she’d
engage her followers on a make-up related topic every week. She sought out
information from industry leaders and would occasionally be seen retweeting new
trends in the industry.
A few months later, Barbz set up her Facebook page and one ‘like’
after the other has grown it to gain relevance as a voice in the make-up
artistry realms in Nigeria and slowly but surely gaining follower ship across
the continent and world! She also set up her blog, Barbara&1923, to post
more detailed information on her daily make-up looks.
Fast-forward 2013, Barbara’s name is now synonymous with
make-up artistry and is constantly doing make-up for weddings, celebrities not
to mention writing articles on the same on big platforms such as Bella Naija
and StylJunki among others.
I love Barbara’s story because she has pursued what was once
a hobby and turned it into a creative enterprise that not only chips into her growing
bank account but also puts a smile on the faces of her clients. She is the
epitome of patience and resilience..even when her online presence was but a
drop in the ocean, Barbara kept on and did not hesitate to post on her favorite
topic(take a cue Roselyn, take a cue.
Note to self&others: Regular posting does wonders.)
Here are some of her looks and work:
Check out her blog and follow her on twitter /facebook as well to keep in the loop of new make-up trends, product reviews, do’s, don’ts as well as her natural hair journey and finally her alter ego who you just gotta love, Barbara the fashion blogger.
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| Barbz the Fashion Blogger |
If you need some of her magic for a special occasion or your big day
E-mail me here if you'd like to be featured on 'my hustle'.
Xoxo,
Kazini Daily!!