Nwaukwa Godspower Chidubem is a seasoned makeup artist and the M.A.C National Artist for Nigeria. Chidubem’s story is one of humble beginnings, who gradually rose up the ladders and has become a force to reckon with in the beauty industry.
With a rich career spanning over a decade, He has honed his expertise as a professional makeup artist and national artist for M.A.C cosmetics, where he led on new makeup trends, pro makeup artist communities, masterclass, influencers appointments, and keying of looks for fashion shows and events
A sought-after makeup artist, Godspower has worked on prestigious shows like GTBank Fashion Weekend (2017 to date), Lagos Fashion Week, Arise Fashion Week, and countless high-profile runway events. He has created signature looks for renowned designers, including LaQuan Smith, Romeo Hunte, Sukeina, Gert-Johan Coetzee, David Tlale, Tokyo James, Tiffany Amber, Emmy Kasbit, Lanre Da Silva, Banke Kuku , Lisa Folawiyo.
Beyond the runway, Godspower’s work has graced the pages of top magazines such as Exquisite, ThisDay Style, Genevieve, House of Maliq, and Made Magazine. He has also collaborated on major advertising campaigns for MTN, Glo, Samsung, and the British Council.
In the music industry, he has been the makeup artist for music videos of top artists including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Chike, MI, and Chidinma.
Before joining M.A.C, he worked as a makeup artist at Black-up Paris (2011-2013) and received formal training at Sleek Makeup, where he also served as a sales representative. A talented content creator and industry leader, Godspower continues to shape the Nigerian beauty and fashion space with his creativity, technical skill, and passion for artistry.
In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE-KORIEOCHA, he takes us through the journey of how he started and success stories he has recorded on the job.
Take us through your journey into the makeup artistry space including how you started?
It was very funny. I was somewhere when a makeup artist called me to tell me that M.A.C was going to be interviewing for makeup artists. This was in 2012. I just went there casually. I said to myself that I was going to try my luck. At that time, I didn’t even know what M.A.C makeup was all about. I had never heard of M.A.C makeup. At that time, I was a random makeup artist; I was just one small boy that was assisting people. So I went for the interview the next day. This was after I googled about the company. This was when I knew the company was actually very big. The people I was working for also applied for the job in MAC. They didn’t tell me about the opening because they felt I was a small boy who didn’t need that kind of job. At that time, I was already working with a brand called Black Up. I had also worked with Sleek, prior to working for Black Up. So I understood sales and retail sales.
So I was already doing retail sales and also a makeup artist, working for these brands. When I went for the interview, they asked that we do some makeup, and they didn’t choose these other guys, because they were all freelancers, they were all doing makeup but didn’t understand retail sales. I already had a background in retail sales, working for Black Up. So, I got the job at M.A.C.
Basically, I was the first guy that worked for M.A.C in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa. The first Mac store, Sub Saharan Africa was in Nigeria, and I was the only guy that was selected to work for the brand that time. I felt I was chosen because I actually understood retail sales, how to sell, and customer services at that time.
I know you didn’t just start making up, what was the story behind you choosing make-up, a female-dominated profession?
It’s very funny. I was in my church drama group, and I had just left secondary school in 2006. One of our guys in the department just called me to come and assist him in a movie set and I accepted. I thought it was for a movie and he needed me to assist in acting. I didn’t know it was to assist him to do make up. I didn’t even know what makeup was at the time. I was just a very young boy that just left secondary school. I went to the sets. I asked him for the script so I can start rehearsing my lines.
He said he didn’t need me not for the movie but for makeup. I didn’t know what make up was. But the thing was that, while I wasn’t supposed to do make up, I was supposed to just be on set. While he did the makeup, I was there to just fan the celebrities. That was what assisting make up artistry was about then. So, while he was doing the makeup, I would just be fanning the people. This was my job in the movie set. After the job, he gave me N3,000. He called me for the next set and gave me N5,000 and I was pleased with this amount since the job of fanning people was not stressful. So, after that, I started learning the craft. I had not gotten into university then because I was young; I was really vulnerable.
Then people preferred to call me, than call someone that they would pay maybe N10,000 or N15,000 . I started learning the craft. While I was working for these people, I was learning. I was learning make-up artistry.
That is why I’m very vast. I can do movies, I can do beauty, I can do different kinds of make-up. When these people would get a job for a fashion show or movie, they would call me. So, I had worked with various make-up artists at the beginning part of my career. So, I got into the university and I started doing make-up full time. I didn’t go to school full time. I worked part time. I was working in Sleek and Black Up while I was still going to school.
So, what did you study in the University?
I studied Business administration. While I was in university, I already started getting jobs. I was already working with M.A.C before I even finished university. And with M.A.C, there is a career growth. I was already a senior artist. It can be anything with M.A.C, but I chose that career path with M.A.C.
Looking back, do you think you would have chosen a better career than what you’re doing currently?
I don’t sincerely. I don’t think I would have. Because I think I started this whole thing very, very young. I started at the age of 17. I started very young. And this is what I was exposed to, growing up as a 17-year-old. I was a commercial student. I thought I was going to work in a bank or do business or something. But makeup was what I was exposed to. I already understood the business. I see the amount they were making. I see the influence the big boys were pulling up at that time. And I felt like, if these people can make these amounts, pull this kind of influence despite having families and raising children, then it must be a lucrative business.
Looking at your profile, I learnt you’ve managed a lot of projects in Nigeria. Would you want to speak about them?
I’ve worked with the big guys. I’ve seen their mistakes and I’ve learnt from their mistakes. I’ve seen them succeed in doing a show. Because I’ve seen some of our makeup artists, some big makeup artists do some very funny mistakes, even financially. So that’s what has really helped me in being where I am right now. Before now, they would tell you to come do make-up and you go and do it. You just do the makeup and you start correcting. The makeup industry for fashion was just narrowing to doing one kind of makeup. But because I’d worked with a brand like MAC, it was a learning process for me. MAC is the leading brand when it comes to fashion and makeup. My skin work, I would say, is very phenomenal. I do amazing skin work. Over the years, I’ve understood the craftsmanship of doing a very amazing skin work. So, developing that aspect and bringing it into fashion has really helped me. So when I meet you, I will just look at your collection. I will talk about what inspired that collection. So if, let’s say, for Banke Kuku, it was oceans that inspired the collection. I know the ocean is fresh. Ocean is supposed to be more aquatic, fresher. I want the model to look very young. I want them to look very fresh. Their skin looked very natural, very youthful. And still, whatever makeup I’m going to do on their skin or their face, I want this to still look very youthful and very young.
What are your considerations before you start makeup to ensure that you give it the best fit?
So it depends on what I’m doing. It depends on the events. It depends on what the person is looking out for. Let’s say I’m doing a makeup fashion show; it depends on the theme of the collection. It depends on what the collection of the season is. So let’s say for a GT fashion week. Before I do this, I will have a designers meeting.
This is a different aspect of my own job that most people don’t do. Before now, people would just go there and do makeup. But me and MAC, what we do is we meet the designer one on one. Now, this helps me to understand what the aim of the collection is. For GT fashion week, I met with almost all the designers one on one. We spoke and they told me what their focus is and why they chose the collection. Another thing that is really helping me is MAC, we have what we call trends. There’s always a trend for every season. So I just talk to the designer and look for the inspiration for our trend of the season. And that’s been working for me.
You’ve been doing this for over 10 years, have you ever had a worst and best day on the job? Could you share those experiences with us?
The worst day for me was when I just started makeup. It was in LASU. I was already into makeup. One of my clients called me to come and do her bridal makeup. So I got in there and it was a struggle. I didn’t have quality products like I have now. I think I had between four or five foundations. I didn’t have that client’s shade. I was using one of the most ridiculous, cheap products. So when I finished the makeup, it looked fine to me. Only for the hairstylist and bride’s sister to come and say, on a normal day, the bride looked more beautiful. I felt so bad hearing this. So, from that moment, there was nothing I even did that was okay. Even me, I doubted myself. I thought the makeup was not really bad but I know it’s not what I see out there.
And right there and there, they asked me to park my things and leave. I felt so sad. I was walking on the street of Lekki and asking myself several questions like: Do I really want to do this? Is this what I want to do? It was a very, very bad experience for me.
And one of the best days for me was when I became a national artist and I met with my colleagues in London. It was the same, you know, people that you’ve always dreamt of, people that you’ve always seen.
I was with M.A.C for 10 years or more. They’re asking me about Africa. They’re asking you what is changing in Africa. They are asking what kind of makeup Africans in black skin do. They’re now consulting me on black skin. It was one of the best moments for me when I was talking about black skin to white people in London.
Where has this profession taken you to?
London. I have been to the UK. I’ve gone to many African countries.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in the next five, 10 years?
About two years ago I used lipstick as a blush. It wasn’t a thing and I was the only one doing this then. Now it’s the thing. I see big brands do lipstick as blush. I see myself as a person that when it comes to trends and innovation for makeup, there’s one person that comes to mind. There’s one person’s page that you have to go to. I used to do very dewy Makeup and it was not a thing in Nigeria. It was not a thing in Africa. Now everybody wants to do very dewy makeup and I was already doing very subtle beautiful skin before now. Because I didn’t have this platform and opportunity to be here, nobody knew me. I want to be that person that when you think about Makeup in two years; makeup that will trend in the future, you have to go to my page and see because I feel like I’m that kind of person that is very innovative when it comes to Makeup and beauty.
What other kinds of makeup do you do?
So I do all kinds of makeup. I do bridal makeup, Fashion makeup and all other kinds. But when you do all these things, there are areas that people really focus on. Some people are very good with eye shadow. They’re not good with the skin. Having a decade experience, I think I’m very good when it comes to skin work and skin application.
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