Good Intentions and a Dash of Something Old

Hello, all you wonderful people!

It's been a while. How have you been? Good? Great!

I have been tweaking things with Good Intentions and Major Changes are underway but I won't be telling you what said changes are 'cos I don't wanna jinx anything. You understand, right? Sweet!

Anyway, since my heroine is a make up artist, I took it upon myself to trouble my make up artist friends and grill them about the whys and hows of their business. Expect interviews soon. Till then how about something from Gypsy Black's archive. This was my first Cover Story (in 2008, I think); an interview with the very kind, very wonderful Banke Meshida Lawal. Enjoy!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

I met Mrs. Banke Meshida Lawal on the day before St. Valentine’s Day at her BM Pro Studio in Ikoyi. I was a little late and very nervous, but she just smiled sweetly and said, “I’m Banke”.

Banke Meshida Lawal is the soft-spoken, very endearing owner and founder of BM Pro Studio and cosmetics range. After she had consulted with a client for a few minutes, we settled into her office for the interview.

BM: I’m Banke Meshida Lawal. My maiden name is Meshida, and my married name is Lawal. I’m married to Lanre Lawal (she adds with a smile); we got married one year ago on February 10th.

GYPSY: Do you have any kids?
BM: No. (GYPSY: Why?) It’s not yet time for kids.

GYPSY: What’s your romantic life like?
BM: Because I’m married to my best friend, every day is a fantastic day in our marriage and it’s been fun, you know, being with someone and being married to them.

GYPSY: Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Any plans?
BM: Valentine just crept up on me. In fact, I just realized today that it is valentine’s tomorrow, but I really don’t have any plans for tomorrow.

GYPSY: Maybe your husband does?
BM: I hope so (she laughs softly), I hope so.

GYPSY: You are THE make-up artist. How did you get here?
BM: I suppose I am where I am today because it’s God’s plan for my life, but apart from that, a lot of hard work, a lot of dreaming and going to live my dreams and being focused on what I’m doing.

GYPSY: You have a first degree?
BM: In English, from the University of Lagos.

GYPSY: So how did you move from English to this?
BM: I think because English afforded me a lot of time to do what I wanted (to do) with myself while at the University. It was a good course; I enjoyed it. I didn’t see it as a problem. I was doing a degree I enjoyed, and I also had time for extra-curricular activities. Also, I’ve always loved to draw and paint and what I do now is an extension of art, and I started doing makeovers while at the University and it just followed. I just fell into this profession.

GYPSY: When did you start branding yourself as Banke Meshida – Make-up Artist?
BM: I think even while at school…when I was in UNILAG, I used to do a lot of henna tattoos on myself, I’d do my hair in funky, outrageous styles, so I think that helped in branding me because then a lot of people knew that there was this girl who used to do her hair funny and dress funny and have tattoos all over her body. I think the branding started then. And I had a lot of acquaintances, so…I wouldn’t say I was a social person, I just, you know, had a lot of people that I knew and…acquaintances so to speak and you know, for a brand to kick off, you need to be out there and I guess subconsciously, without making an effort, I was always out there.
And like I said, English…I wouldn’t say it was a simple course (she giggles a little, almost apologetically), but it gave me a lot of time to do other things.

GYPSY: Did you meet your husband in school?
BM: Yes I did.

GYPSY: How did you meet him?
BM: I met him one really hot, sunny day in the car park, and he was with a friend. We have a mutual friend who introduced him to me and eh, I thought, ‘Wow, this guy looks fit!’ (GYPSY: Okay!) You know (laughing bashfully), and I’ve always been the sort of person that if I like someone there’s no need beating about the bush and being…not coy but, it was I liked him and that was that. Of course, the feminine side of me had to find out who he was and if he wasn’t attached and all of that. So it was fun while we were courting, and basically I met him through a friend.

GYPSY: Your husband is a Muslim (and you are a Christian). Is that a problem now that you’re married?
BM: No, it’s not. I suppose because in our relationship it’s always been about the two of us. I don’t know when our kids come if it will still be about the two of us, but we’ve just been able to balance our lives. In a relationship, it’s about respect and trying to understand the other person; what makes them tick, what they are all about. It’s a learning process really, and once you know you don’t want to hurt the other person, it will work itself out.

GYPSY: When did you open this studio?
BM: This particular studio, I opened in 2006. Yeah, but previously I was at Rumens Road, Ikoyi. I opened that studio in 2003.

GYSPY: What's your clientele like?
BM: People from all walks of life, both on the Nigerian and the international scene. Anyone really that has a knack for great make-up.

GYPSY: You have a make-up range now?
BM: Yes, I have my own make-up line; it’s called BM Pro. It’s a colour cosmetics line, in that we cater for Black skin, Asian skin, but most importantly, the Nigerian weather. It dictates what we have manufactured. Over the years, I’ve found out that most known brands didn’t cater for the Nigerian weather because it’s a humid and dry weather that we have here. Most products cater for dry and cold (weather) while a lot of them don’t even understand the extent of the humidity we have here. That’s why there are some things I wouldn’t do as a make-up artist, other people might do it but I don’t and I know why.

GYPSY: Things like what?
BM: Using oil-based foundation. If you’re abroad where it’s dry and cold that’s fantastic but if you’re here, I don’t think that you do because you put it on in a few minutes you need to touch it up.

GYPSY: Is your product range just cosmetics?
BM: There’s a lot of skin care in there. There’s the serum; the anti-shine serum, the cleansers, foundation primers.

GYPSY: Do you want to expand it?
BM: If the course of my work dictates that we should do more skin care then we most likely will. I don’t rule anything out. It’s what will give our customers the utmost satisfaction that dictates what we do.

GYPSY: When you started did you expect it to be this big?
BM: Em, no, I didn’t. I was just doing what I enjoyed doing. Over the years, I would look up some products, crush it, mix it, if it works…if it works for me, then it was fine. But, technology and the fashion world keep changing, and because I really am interested in those things, you know, I go along with them. I go along with the changes and try to bring them back home. Bring it to Nigeria and let people know what’s in and what’s out. I just try to help people achieve great results with their make-up.

GYPSY: Do you think what you do is important?
BM: It is so important. I can’t emphasize the importance of a well made-up face, because it does a lot for your confidence and confidence is key. One of my mantras is ‘Beauty is in-built but an attractive face is worked on.’ You can make your face look really attractive and you can use it to achieve perfection with your face.
In every day experiences, confidence plays such an important role in everything you do and if you’re not confident you’re not going to be able to achieve. It’s so important I can’t overemphasize it.

GYPSY: When you hear the word ‘competition’, what comes to mind?
BM: What comes to mind is, ‘Okay, so this is new’.
I see now that there are a lot of make-up artists which is great, because I...we can’t cater to…what’s the population of Nigeria now? And there’s just 6 or 7 of us in my team. We can’t do everybody. We will do the people that we can.
Each time I see make-up artists, it impresses me because I can see that there are a lot of people out there who realize it’s not only white collar jobs that can earn you an income. It can be anything, it’s possible for you to do anything as long as you’re focused and what you’re offering is very good, you will eke out a living and a very good one at that.
For me, competition is out there. It doesn’t dictate what I do. What I do I do because I’ve thought about it, and I want to do it. Then also, maybe it makes me raise my stakes. It helps me to go one step further. In this town, you have people, everywhere really, once you do something, everyone rushes in to do the same. I want to be one step ahead of everything.

GYPSY: At the end of the day, what do you want to be remembered for?
BM: Changing the face of make-up. BM Pro is the first Nigerian make-up brand. I’m proud of that. A lot of make-up artists use BM Pro. I’m so happy with that. When I go for an occasion and I see the make-up is BM Pro colours, that makes me very proud.

I would want to be remembered as someone who changed the face of make-up products in Nigeria, and helped Nigeria grow in that field.

Back Story Monday: And The Man Died

If you know me, or of me, you would know that my father passed away some years ago.

Four years ago.

Some days before Christmas Day.

But I've gotten ahead of myself. This is Back Story Monday. The day I give you a little insight to whatever happened to Gypsy Black. My little fashion revolution.

Well, I had been running Gypsy Black for two years with funds from investors who were also my cousins. Unfortunately it had been two years, and a whole lot of money was spent with not a kobo made. My investors were not happy, and needed me to give them reasons to continue, outside of "Hey, what's a couple of millions among family?". So I got a friend to do the books, did some more research, and got ready to placate my investors. I didn't think they would pull the plug, but I needed to be sure, and I wanted them to be comfortable with their decision to bet on me and my dream.

I remember talking to my Dad on the phone about it, and he asked how I was going to pay them back, and I informed him it wasn't a loan; it was an investment. They were not my debtors; they were fellow shareholders in this enterprise. He seemed pleasantly surprised, and said, "I'm proud of you". My father was not a man to give praise easily so it felt good to hear him say that.

That was the last time I spoke to him. A couple of days later he was dead.

What does this have to do with Gypsy Black? Well, enter The Relatives from The Village. 

...My father died in December. We were allowed to bury him in April. Why? Because we had to finish the 10 bedroom house that he had started and abandoned. And I use the word 'finish' loosely because the house had been started on marshland and had sunk halfway underground. So basically, we had to tear down and start again.

I couldn't leave my mum's side and I mean literally because I was afraid she would be kidnapped. By whom (or is it who)? The Relatives from The Village. Apparently, she was supposed to go stay in the village to mourn her dead husband. But...the corpse wasn't in the village, why would she be required to go there? Well, apparently as part of my late father's property, she was to be shared amongst the male relatives. This practice is customary in my part of the country. The wife is shared, so she can be protected and taken care of. So why were we uncomfortable with the request? Well, you see, there was a catch. The relative who got the wife, got the property. So it really wasn't about my mum; it was about property, specifically a 10 bedroom house we were being forced to build.

Sigh.

So here I was, by my mum's side, making sure she didn't cry too much; dealing with my relatives; keeping an eye on my siblings and planning a burial that The Relatives from The Village were determined to turn into a carnival.

By the time, we had buried him. I was exhausted. I saw the body once for probably 15 seconds before he was put in the ground. Before then, the last time I saw him was in August. I couldn't even say goodbye properly because there was such a crowd at the grave screaming and crying. Sure, don't mind me. I'm only trying to bury my father. Of course your loss is unbearable. Your grief supersedes my own.

I hated them all.

And I was so angry.

And so tired.

I just wanted them all to leave so I could say goodbye.

But no, they just kept coming. To tell us sorry. To say your father was a great man. To say your father has touched many people. I didn't care. It didn't matter. My Daddy was gone. All I had left was my mum, and my siblings. My world became black and white. It became about them. Would you help me take care of them? Then, welcome. Were you trying to hurt them or take advantage of them? Then I would do everything I could to protect them.

I didn't have the energy for anything else. Especially not a business that hadn't turned a profit yet. I didn't have the heart to dream my way out if it. All I had was the presence of mind to worry about my mum and my siblings.

So when an old classmate from UNIBEN referred me for an editorial position that would pay me twice as much as I was paying myself I took it.

There was no more Daddy. We had just spent a fortune burying him. The money would come in handy.

Did I intend to abandon Gypsy Black forever? No. I didn't have a plan on how I was going to dig it out of the hole, but I knew...I thought I would come back for it.