Make up has diverse applications and is used for different purposes – from enhancing beauty and filming to bringing out a certain character in people. One thing that caught my eye is just how much Jessie’s Makeup is bringing out unimaginable beauty in people’s faces. It is the one thing needed if you ever want to make it in the beauty industry.
Jessica Molefe is a 29-year old woman from Mmadinare. She is the founder of Jessie’s Makeup where she currently employed five other women as two nail technicians, an administration officer, a beautician and a makeup assistant. Her makeup business started in 2015, drawn to it by her passion for beauty and art.
In an exclusive interview with Executive Life this week, Jessie said she became a makeup artist after her makeup artist did not turn up on her wedding day. “I was inspired to become a makeup artist after the person I had hired to do my makeup on my wedding day did not turn up and I was forced to do my own make up,” she recalled. “I then decided to improve my make up skills and turn them into a business.”
For someone growing up dreaming to become a lawyer or a doctor, you would think Jessie had strayed far. However, Jessica philosophises that destiny cannot be cheated. “I think the one thing that helped me grow over the years was exploring the creative side of makeup,” she says. “That gave me mileage but I know that creative makeup is not for the fainthearted. I’ve always aimed for nothing but quality. A combination of creativity and quality earned me a number of clients and the business grew.”
She also used makeup to relax but is aware that some use it to boost their confidence. “Makeup to me first of all is therapy,” says Jessie. “In my spare time, I use make up to unwind. Makeup is a very powerful tool for expressing confidence and beauty, especially when you are a female.”
The fulfilling part for makeup artists comes when faces brighten up after a face beat which is a no-exception for her. “What I love the most about what I do is seeing the smiles of my transformed clients,” she says. “I get to meet people and to hear their stories while I apply makeup on them and it’s just a beautiful experience to have a piece of their life experiences on this journey of life. I have cried and I have laughed with most of them. I want to believe that self-confidence and self-belief played a very big role. I had to stop comparing myself with others and to believe that I am unique and special in my own special way. We live in a very competitive world, and if care is not taken, it can turn into poison.”
Jessica sees makeup art as a tool to express confidence and beauty. “I happen to be one of those makeup artists who don’t want to follow any standards of beauty,” she explains. “I always try to show my clients that they are unique.”
She has worked with several brands which she believes have contributed to the growth of her business. Among these are Norah Cosmetics, Techvere Photography, Wealth Point, Magari Land, Beauty Hub Academy, Stepping Stones, and Youth Tour.
Jessica says feedback is important for any craft, makeup included, and that she is glad that most of her clients always leave happy. “Some even cry because it is their first time to have proper, clean, professional, light weight and quality makeup applied on them,” she notes. “The feedback has been nothing but pure joy from them.”
Going forward, her dream is to establish a makeup school in Botswana and expand it to have branches in other countries.
Quick summer makeup tips
▪️Start with the right moisturiser suitable for your skin type
▪️Lay on sun protection.
▪️Invest in a makeup primer.
▪️Wear less makeup.
▪️Glow up with some bronzer.
▪️Go for sheer eyeshadow shades,
▪️Give your shadow staying power by applying an eyeshadow base
- Once in a while, spoil yourself and go for a facial.
