Cherrie Ekanem is a model and professional make-up artiste. Her passion is making others look good as well as develop their potential. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her passion, dreams and the other things that make her tick.
LOOKING beautiful with a face that is very attractive, height of a model and charm like a princess, the first thing you want to know as soon as you see Cherrie Ekanem is if she is a beauty queen. No, she replies with a smile that is infectious. She adds: “I have never contested for any pageant. Of course, I got a number of requests to be Miss this and that, but I just kept turning down those offers.”
Reason: “I just didn’t like the limelight. I love my privacy and going into the world of pageants would take that away from me.”
While she was running away from being a queen, she discovered her passion for modelling. “That was very interesting and it opened other doors for me. I got into projects with Sly Monay and did something interesting for the fashion scene. The experience was simply awesome.”
Apart from modelling, Ekanem also loves making other people beautiful and this passion took her into professional make-up.
“I have an outfit called Blush beauty Makeovers and I get inspired with the things happening around me. It is something that I am very passionate about. It gives me joy making other women beautiful. Looking good is important because it gives you confidence and you also become a source of inspiration to others.”
So, how did Ekanem get into the make-up business? you ask. “It actually started in school. Then I was at the Obafemi Awolowo University where I studied English Language. It wasn’t as if I did not have a choice to do something else, I just love the course and I had a very interesting experience in school.”
Looking good, Ekanem stressed, “is good business and something that helps young people to discover their hidden talents. Everybody is beautiful. Even though the sector is highly competitive, you would stand out once you are focused.”
Banke Meshida Lawal and Tara Durotoye both are leading names in the sector and they actually motivated Ekanem’s desire to make a name in a profession that strives to bring out the best in their clients. Nostalgically, she goes down memory lane to tell you how she learnt the ropes from the House of Tara.
“Too much make-up or lack of professional touch also poses a big challenge. According to what I was taught in the make-up school, usually these problems could have started from the shade of foundation that the person used. Most times, you find the person using the wrong shade of her colour. And applying this on the face this way usually turns out to be ugly. Interestingly, you also have those who actually apply their shade but it all depends on how you blend it. If it does not blend well, it would look caky.”
Ekanem continues: “I had known about make-up while I was in school. So, going to House of Tara was more like an advanced knowledge. There I learnt how to blend make-up and more.” She goes on to talk about her encounter with Tara Durotoye and how she got inspiration from her. “Tara is a wonderful person. She is very simple and I like her for being who she is. She is a good mentor. The day I met her, my instructor was doing make up and they were communicating easily. Ordinarily, you won’t have known that was Tara. She is a down-to-earth person, very simple and nice.”
Now you want to know if she has participated in any beauty pageant and she snatches the question from your mouth with a capital no. Shy? Not exactly. “It was because I wasn’t interested in pageants.”
Wondering where she got the good looks from and she answers this way: “My grandma. Actually she is my maternal grandma. I met her once before she died, that was over 12 years ago and I was very young then. I met her in the village in Akwa Ibom. My mother used to work in GTB, she was a banker.”
Scroll down memory lane, you ask her to talk about her Isreali father. “I don’t want to talk about my dad. He abandoned me,” she explodes. Tell her that her outlook depicts someone who has had a smooth journey and Ekanem bursts into laughter. When she finally finds her voice, the damsel replies this way: “Do not judge a book by its cover. First, I would start with my dad. Sometimes, when I think of his problems with my mum, I always ask myself if I really want to go into marriage.”
Tell her that no two relationships are the same, she may just be lucky. Her mood and gesticulations change almost immediately and she tells you that she has found love after all. “Well, I think that I have found a real man and he has been a great source of joy to me,” she says with a girlish grin on her face.
Dreaming big? Yes, she is and this takes her to where she hopes to take her outfit in the next five years. “My dream is to have a big studio and help others achieve their dream. It is important for young people to discover their talents early.”
Finally, you ask her to advise young ladies and she says: “It is important to do what makes you happy. I am happy doing the things I do and I am so fulfilled. I do not intend to take up paid employment. I believe that young people should aspire to be who they want to be. Being an entrepreneur is good. You would be able to explore your world, be creative, as well as inspire other people.”
