Covid lockdown births a passion for make-up

While the Covid-19 lockdown wreaked havoc for many businesses , it also birthed a passion for make-up in Naledi Letlalo.

She now showcases her skills on Netflix productions and has a prominent customer base that features well-known faces.

After matric, Letlalo, who hails from the township of Tembisa on the East Rand, decided to take a gap year because she was unsure of the academic career path she wanted to take.

“My passion for make-up started in 2020 during lockdown when I was exploring various interests. I came across make-up tutorials on YouTube and it sparked a desire to further develop my skills. I then embarked on a self-directed learning journey to hone my craft,” she said.

The professional make-up artist said after discovering how good she was at make-up, she decided to enhance her skills by attending a beauty school where she specialised in TV and film make-up. 

“I felt like certification would give out advanced techniques, knowledge, credibility, recognition and a bit of a confidence boost,” she said before explaining the difference between make-up for beauty and make-up for television.

“There is a big difference between beauty and television/ set make-up. The main difference is caused by the purpose, techniques and environment. For instance, TV/on set make-up requires you to know factors such as continuity, camera angles and lighting,” she said.

Letlalo said she realised that make-up could be a viable career after getting recognition for her work.

“Once I started sharing my work on social media, I received a lot of compliments and overwhelming positive responses, even from industry professionals. This sparked my decision to pursue make-up professionally.”

And while her beauty studio now offers more services such as installing lashes and hairstyling, the young entrepreneur said the journey hasn't been a smooth one.

“The challenges I’ve faced were self doubt, building a client base and having limited resources. I overcame self-doubt by reframing all the negative thoughts I had and replaced them with positive affirmations and also by surrounding myself with people who encouraged me, such as my family members. I also built a strong online presence though social media,” she said.

She said she feels that her time management skills and ability to pay attention to detail have improved exponentially over the years.

“I would love to see Naledi Makeup Artistry being a big contributor to offering master classes and tutorials. I'd love to share my expertise and collaborate with brands on meaningful projects. I'd also like to have my own high-quality, long-lasting lip products,” she said about the future.

To those who share the same passion as hers, Letlalo encourages them to “be open to learning, start small and stay focused”.

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