Black History month is dedicated to celebrating black excellence and our contribution. If we know anything about the Black community, we are talented, versatile, and insanely creative. This past week, roboMUA identified five amazing MUAs in our community who are also thrilled about our work. The interesting thing you will find out about the ladies we feature is that makeup is just one element of their lives. Continue reading to learn more about these makeup artists and how you can sponsor the work that they are doing.
Wendy Quanon
Wendy started makeup back in high school. She was really ashamed of her eyebrows and tried to find ways to make her eyebrows look thicker and more full. She first started with Anastasia Beverly Hills and it was such an amazing product that also lasted a long time and it really helped her become more confident in her face and not be so embarrassed about her eyebrows.
She loves the subtle differences that makeup gives to someone’s face. Eyebrows make such a huge difference so she is always fascinated by how someone does their eyebrow and how it changes the shape of their face. She is also fascinated by the people who are skilled enough to do special effects makeup as well as really complicated, complex makeup looks that require a lot of time. It’s fascinating and scary how makeup can make someone look completely different (such as movie makeup and special effects) or just perfectly complement someone’s features that they already have.
Wendy wishes to see a more diverse and wider range of foundations in every makeup brand and more black-owned makeup brands that have the same effect as white-owned makeup brands. She wants black makeup-owned brands to be as widely known and loved as Mac and Morphe. She also wishes for brands to also include skin care in their makeup routine because no matter how good your makeup is if your skin isn’t taken care of underneath, the makeup will not look as good, and applying more does not mean it will automatically look better.
Theresah Nana Ama Mensah — CEO of Aprils.Glow
Theresah is the face behind @aprils.glow and she is currently a Doctoral student in Biological Science at Georgia State University. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry. She is from Ghana, West Africa, and currently is based in Atlanta. Her services range from natural makeup to full-face glam.
Nkumbu Mukumano-Chulu
Nkumbu is the founder of Malaika’s Corner podcast — a podcast bringing mental health awareness to African and minority communities. She is from Zambia, Africa, and currently is a makeup artist with the brand Glamified based in Lexington, KY. Her makeup business was founded on the ideals of empowerment, inspiration and self-love, and discovery. She believes every person should feel confident, beautiful, and empowered. Nkumbu also runs Glam N’ Chill — an interactive makeup group aimed at providing an environment where people with the same passion for makeup and self-care can come and have a good and relaxed time while practicing their art.
Daija Bellamy
Daija Bellamy is the founder of BeautybyBellamy and BeautifulDai based in New Jersey. She is a makeup artist, licensed cosmetologist, and certified eyelash technician. Beautiful DAI was launched in September 2019 by Daija Bellamy. Her mission is to help people feel beautiful and value and recognize the beauty within themselves. She believes that beauty is being unafraid to be yourself. Once you find yourself from within, bring that to life. There isn’t any better representation of beauty than that.
Daija created a place to not only shop but to book beauty services too. Strip eyelashes was the first product launched on beautifuldai.com and she looks forward to creating more products in the near future. To Daija, beauty is being unafraid to be yourself. There isn’t any better representation of beauty than that.
Imelda Saintilma
Imelda started doing makeup because she had a lifelong obsession with fashion, creativity, and art. When she was a kid, she loved looking at beauty magazines and doing anything in Art class, or crafts/painting at home. She used to watch youtube tutorials and she was so fascinated by the knowledge shared on that platform; which was where she learned how to apply makeup on hooded eyes.
She is so fascinated by the fact that you can blend colors and create art with makeup. Makeup more so for her isn’t to “look good”. Makeup is an artistry and she just loves applying it and seeing all the possibilities of different looks that my natural beauty.
Imelda acknowledges the beauty industry lacks representation and inclusivity. The lack of shade for foundations and concealers is still missed. She hopes makeup brands can dedicate time and do research to actually create shades for dark-skinned people.
These five talented MUAs showcased in this article demonstrate that black excellence is not limited to any one field. They have all made their mark in the beauty industry while pursuing other passions and making positive impacts in their respective communities.
They are true inspirations who embody the ideals of self-love, confidence, and empowerment, and they deserve to be recognized and celebrated not just during Black History Month, but all year round. If you are interested in supporting these amazing MUAs, you can visit their social media pages, and online stores, or book their services. Let us continue to uplift and celebrate black excellence in all its forms.
