Top beauty professional SUZIE WOKABI founder of SuzieBeauty Cosmetics has established herself as a reputable brand that suits African skin. She shared with GARDY CHACHA her inspirational story
My dream career was to be a veterinary doctor but look at where I am — a beauty professional. I love cats and was under the delusion that being a vet meant playing with cute animals all day and not treating them for diseases. When I did an internship at my aunt’s vet clinic, the exposure made me change my mind.
That aside, I always loved make-up and beauty and even fantasised about having my own beauty product line. My girlfriends remind me that I would do their make-up in high school and college. So I guess working in the beauty industry was inevitable.
I also remember tweezing my own eyebrows at 13 and I have had groomed eyebrows ever since.
My journey as an entrepreneur began when I opted to take my freelance make-up services to another level and develop my product line. When I moved back home from the US in 2007, I came well-equipped with products to use. I realised that replenishing these products would be a problem since almost all beauty brands in Kenya are imported.
Affordable products
In Kenya, finding these products was either impossible or unaffordable. I decided to fill that gap in the market by creating a product that is high quality yet affordable. That’s what inspired me to start my company — SuzieBeauty, a beauty and cosmetics business.
Before I set camp, I spent three years on research and product development, looking for funding, mass manufacturing and launching into stores.
SuzieBeauty is the first locally designed beauty product line developed for the African woman by a beauty professional – myself.
The product line consists of nine products: foundation, powder, concealer, brush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick and lip-gloss.
While in the USA, I took a job working for Clinique best known for skin care in New York, and they trained me from scratch. While Clinique is not a typical make-up line, it introduced me to the world of beauty.
I finally got my dream job working for MAC Cosmetics where I freelanced for many years. On the side I would work with photographers and models.
My first few years in the industry involved doing a lot of free work to hone my skills and build my portfolio.
My product launch has been the biggest achievement because I had to battle so many obstacles to get here. The nature of my work has changed in the past few years. I used to spend time on media sets, productions, magazine shoots but now I run a business from my office, dealing with investors, accountants and lawyers.
I have worked on some great TV productions such as Catwalk Kenya, The Patricia Show, Idols, Tusker Project Fame (season 4 and 5 which is on air now), Face of Africa and Hub of Africa Fashion Week in Addis.
I have also been involved with great shows like Fafa and worked with wonderful designers like Ann McReath and John Kaveke. I recently had the privilege of doing make-up for KikoRomeo, which was published by Vogue L’Uomo Italia.
Top designers
I have also worked with Naima Mora (winner of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 4), Pinky Ghelani-Raj (SuzieBeauty’s celebrity spokesperson), Patricia Amira, Kaz Lucas, Eve D’Souza, Angela Angwenyi, Amani, and even Prime Minister Raila Odinga among others.
I run a website — suziebeauty.com — which is accessible internationally hence I can get information to so many. I also blog to promote my brand and educate women on beauty. We have a Facebook page SuzieBeauty, and twitter account @suziebeauty where we give advice, tips, and do product promotions.
In the USA, I realised that everybody has access to great education and opportunities, so the competition is cut-throat. Here in Kenya, the problem is the unqualified ‘make-up artists’ who crop up and try to undercut the professionals that have been working for years.
What beauty means
I get inspired by make-up artists who have created their own product lines like Bobbi Brown, the MAC Cosmetics founders, Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier and Mally Roncal.
I would want my company to spread throughout the continent (maybe go international too) and most importantly, to be a household name for all things beauty.
I think a woman’s beauty always starts from within. The outer, physical beauty exudes what is on the inside. Genuine confidence makes a woman beautiful.
Women should use make-up and beauty products to enhance their God given beauty. Skin care makes one’s skin look healthier and better. Make-up makes one look ‘finished’ — like a better version of oneself.
Women shouldn’t be afraid of make-up as it enhances the beauty that is already there.
As much as you go and spend time doing your hair and nails, dressing, your face is as important.
Women should always wear some make-up, even the basics as it makes such a beautiful difference.
There’s a philosophy that goes something like: “It always works out in the end, if it hasn’t worked out, it isn’t the end!” Women have the capability of making it.
I have lots of future plans for my business. I have developed many products though I could only afford to launch nine of them. I believe I am living my dream!
