“Growing up, I was an artist. I used to draw every and anything. As a matter of fact, my classmates made me draw all their diagrams for science class.” These natural artistic abilities paved the way for the beauty that is KendOll’s Artistry.
In this week’s Faces Going Places, we feature the exciting journey of the sophisticated and talented make-up artist, Keneisha Bryan.
This trailblazer formally introduced herself to make-up after being fascinated by the glamorous influence in the media. “I used to always read the papers and magazines and saw a lot of portrait shots of women looking extremely beautiful in make-up, and that definitely intrigued me. So much so that I started dabbling with powders and eyeliners in high school,” she admitted.
But it took words of encouragement from two of her co-workers, who motivated her to turn her passion into a profession by attending beauty school to grasp the fundamentals. She is truly grateful for their insight, as well as their advice.
Unofficially, the beauty professional has been practising make-up for 10 years. But she has been a professional make-up artist (MUA) for six of those years. KendOll’s Artistry offers everything beauty — from bridal, avant-garde, editorial and classic beauty, to birthdays and graduation glam.
Being in the industry for so long has highlighted its fair share of challenges, but she is delighted that the pros outweigh the cons. She particularly enjoyed the travelling aspect of the job, as she gets to tour the island and visit top-tier resorts. Bryan added that doing a celebrity’s face does give a sense of notoriety.
When her make-up journey started back in 2009, Bryan revealed that there were only three persons whose work she was familiar with locally, one of whom was her first MUA inspiration, Lyric Rochester. “She definitely captured the hearts of many, myself included. I loved how she promoted herself and her business in every way she could by creating daily make-up looks and various business ventures,” she asserted.
As far as clients go, there are two types of clients when it comes to achieving the ideal make-up: the ones who request a consultation and the others who give creative freedom. According to KendOll, “When you’re given creative freedom, that’s where all the ‘magic’ and wow factor comes in. As it relates to consultation clients, the main factors to consider include personality, wardrobe and a quick chat in an effort to grasp the vision.”
Five things you should know about KendOll
- Her favourite look to date is classic glam. Suitable for everyone of all age groups, Bryan says that the natural enhancement gives a glowing appearance and the skin-like peered neutral tone eyeshadow, a pair of wispy lashes and lip gloss is glam goals.
- Her professional kit consists of 75 per cent high-end and 25 per cent drugstore. “Some of these drugstore products I cannot live without because though they’re inexpensive, their formulation is superb.”
- She uses brands such as Becca, Laura Mercier, Inglot, Milani, Too-Faced, M.A.C, Sacha Cosmetics, Juvias Place and Huda Beauty.
- Five must-haves in her personal kit are lip gloss, mascara, pressed powder, bronzer and concealer.
- Her advice to aspiring MUAs and entrepreneurs is to endure the process because the pay-off will be worth it.
BONUS: What do you love doing outside of make-up? “Outside of make-up, I have a profound love for photography. So much so that I treat my clients’ pictures like a photo shoot,” she told Flair. She would love the opportunity to work with Koffee and give her a glamorous makeover.
KendOll’s Artistry is located in Central Plaza.
