As a result of digitalisation, the Nigerian entertainment industry has risen to become one of the country’s biggest exports. The music sector, according to a study by Statista, grew from $26 to $34 million between 2014 and 2018, and is predicted to grow by a further $10 million in 2023 – while Nollywood, the country’s film industry, comes second to India’s Bollywood. With increased exposure, consequently, comes higher expectations, and to accurately exhibit their style while promoting their work, a team of creatives is needed to put everything together for the main act. A crucial part of this team is the makeup artist – the fairy that facebeats using her brush wands.

Onome Ezekiel started playing around with makeup out of boredom, and today, she has worked with a number of stars in Nigeria including actresses, Eku Edewor and Bimbo Ademoye, and musicians, Asa, Ayra Starr, Tems, Ria Sean, DJ Cuppy, Teni, Rema, Fireboy, Wizkid, Davido and Don Jazzy.

Where it all started

Away from home and usually the first taste of independence, university is where a lot of people find themselves. Ezekiel began to experiment with makeup. “A little black eyeliner here, smoky eye shadow there,” Ezekiel tells AMAKA , recalling how she began exploring makeup. “Now that I think about it, I have always been surrounded by makeup and beauty,” she says. It wasn’t until her third year in university that she drew her first eyebrow, “It was fun!” She quickly became good at it and it wasn’t long before friends came up to her requesting that she help them with theirs as well. “I mean, just like that – playing around with it and then practising on my friends,” she remarks with excitement in her voice.

She was then posted to Ebonyi State for the Nigerian Youth Corper Service to serve the country. Moving from the buzzing, populated Lagos to Ebonyi – one of the smallest states in Nigeria – inexorably made her bored. “I was working at the ministry of information but I was bored out of my mind,” she says. When she returned to Lagos and didn’t get a job soon enough, she told her mum that she wanted to buy a makeup kit to keep practising and hopefully make some money off it. She didn’t really care about the money, she thrived off people’s positive comments, “I never saw this as a career at the time, it was other people who did. I was told, ‘you’re out here looking for other jobs, yet you seem to like to do this makeup thing, why not focus on it then?’. It was nice and affirming. Friends encouraged me, family encouraged me, and that’s how it all started.”

Knocking on every door

Fueled, Ezekiel’s first makeup job was at a makeup studio. Realising that studio makeup artistry isn’t her thing, she only lasted four months there. “I wanted to explore the editorial side of makeup, which I have always found interesting,” she explained. While trying to make sense of what she wanted to do in makeup, she went back to working an office job. Relentlessly, she reached out to photographers on Instagram explaining that she wanted to try her hand in editorial makeup until one finally responded. From thereon, replies from the other photographers began to roll in.

“I remember a situation with an owner of a modelling agency who, when the photographer on the project asked him to give me some of the models to work on, said ‘I don’t see what she does’ ,” she recalls, “Which is fair. But the photographer was adamant and insisted that he give me a try. He eventually agreed and sent me one model to work on. He later admitted that he was wrong. Now confident in my skills, he would hit me up for more work. The opportunities just kept coming.”

Now a full time makeup artist who specialises in film, music videos and editorial makeup, Ezekiel cites Danessa Myricks as one of the people who she has always looked up to when she began her journey. “Not just makeup artists, there have also been instances when I have been inspired by other people who work in the creative space like photographers and designers. And even outside the creative industry entirely – there are people I read about and find inspiring, it could be a woman in tech or in architecture,” she highlights. 

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Creativity as a means of survival

In Nigeria, where inflation and unemployment threaten to drown its citizens, youth are increasingly turning to their creativity as a means of survival. Due to its adhocracy, the creative industry is inclusive to all and sundry, especially those who, due to their nonconformity, would otherwise be shunned out of professional spaces. It is therefore unsurprising when a report reveals that the Nigerian creative industry has grown to be the country’s second-largest employer and has the potential to produce up to 2.7 million jobs by 2025.

Ezekiel commends the Nigerians who are doing the hard and exceptional work of building beauty brands, “It is not possible to impetuously say, ‘Oh, I’m ready to start a brand’ because putting out makeup costs a lot of money, especially with the current Nigerian economy. You don’t want to have an overpriced makeup brand because truly, who do you want to market it to?” Still, for a premature and upcoming industry, there’s inevitably more work to be done. 

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Her brand name, Meraki by Onome, implies that she infuses purpose and care into her work. At first glance, it is soft, but not boring. On a backdrop of flawless skin are usually fiery red lids, purple graphic liners, glittery green lids, sparkly red lips, bronze eyeshadows and studded brows. “My style is simply soft or wearable editorial,” she states, “I try to make editorial looks so warm that you’d almost want to live in them. It ultimately depends on the story I’m trying to tell to be honest, so sometimes I lean a bit avant-garde. Regardless, it is fun.”

Living with intention 

Hoping to extend her work to outside the continent, Beyonce, whom she affectionately refers to as the mother of her life, is first on the long list of faces she wishes to work on. “I’ll [sic] also like to do Kelly Rowland’s makeup, it’d be interesting working with Megan Thee Stallion, Zendaya too, because she has a very interesting palette, I’m down for Serena Williams as well, I also want to do Halle Bailey’s makeup, and Ari Lennox,” she says.

Expanding her creativity, Ezekiel is slowly diving into creative direction. “You already do it, you’re the creative director of your makeup page,” were her friends’ responses when she mentioned her interest following a brainstorm for one of her friend’s launches. Now, Ezekiel wants to be more intentional about it, build a team and send pitch decks. Five years from now, she hopes for more press coverage and looks forward to a Vogue, Time, and Essence cover. In the end, she is prepared for whatever God has in store for her – international presence, organising master classes, collaborating with makeup brands, and touring. “We’ll see, we’ll see,” she concludes in a floaty tone heavy with optimism.