Our story from issue 3 meets three young beauty disruptors who are advancing their craft in South Africa
There is no doubt that the beauty game has changed and Black and African communities have a lot to do with it. Just 10 years ago, it was difficult to imagine men leading global campaigns in full make-up, long ‘ghetto fabulous’ nails in Hollywood or the extent to which everyday people now live their best beauty dreams in the comfort of their homes. Equal parts the effect of globalisation (and some appropriation) and Africa’s identity reclamation, in South Africa, beauty creators are envisioning looks which are inclusive, dynamic and a reflection of the pulse of the continent’s diverse beauty landscape.
I spoke to three young, dynamic creators who are shifting the focus from the Western gaze and shaking up the space. Khaya Mhleli is a non-binary make-up artist; Foyin Ogunrombi – aka Foyin Og – is a make-up artist and blogger, while Naledi Thabo – known as Sista Ntswembu or ‘the Nail Pimp’, is one of the most imaginative such artists working in the country today. Their approaches and aesthetics are different, but each has played an important role in removing the red tape around who gets to access the world of beauty. They’re an integral part of the fast-growing African beauty industry – projected to be worth over €12 billion in 2020, according to Beauty Africa. And while commerce is not their focus, each one is acutely aware of the power of the industry to change perceptions.
“Being on set doing make-up allows me to work with people I wouldn’t get to meet otherwise,” says Mhleli. “I’m never super-focused on how much I’m getting paid versus how much I work and my ability to show up exactly as I am. Instead of people guessing what a femme body doing make-up might be, or coming to conclusions, I’m there representing it. I mean the misgendering –oh my God, it’s constant – but I’m learning when to speak up and when to protect my peace, and at the end of the day my work speaks for itself.”
In many ancient civilisations across the continent, gender fluidity was embraced. Much of the gender binary around make-up is the effect of colonial, patriarchal practices. So, while modern South African society still very much leans into the idea that make-up is for women, Mhleli actually represents a more complete picture. “People still look at me when I walk down the street, people still try to make me uncomfortable, but as long as they’re looking I have the opportunity to show them who I am. And I think sometimes people need exposure, and me living my true self exposes that honesty to them. I see people changing and thinking differently,” they say.
“I’m learning when to speak up and when to protect my peace, and at the end of the day my work speaks for itself"
Khaya Mhleli
But this isn’t just a gender issue, it’s about race and class too. While Sista Ntswembu’s ostentatious acrylic-nail art is all the rage now, Black women have long since fought against stereotypes embedded in their choice of nails. From American Olympic athlete Florence Griffith Joyner being accused of cheapening the sport with her nail extensions, to South African singer Thembi Seete’s Nineties-era nails being seen as provocative and racy, Black women’s beauty choices are frequently sexualised. For Ntswembu, this is partly of the reason she creates such OTT work – to reclaim these styles as empowering: if you want coffin-point talons festooned with pearls, snakes, crosses and gemstones, you got it. “My work aims to push beauty boundaries and societal ideas of what nails should and can be. It’s all about expression, doing whatever you want and creating beautiful things to look at,” she says.
In conversation with culture hub Bubblegum Club, she explained it’s all in the name for her: “For anyone who grew up ekasi (identifying with the township), the name Sista Ntswembu is often given to the coolest girl in the hood. The ghetto-fabulous sista with an undeniably effortless swag to her. ‘Tse Ntswembu tse blind’ – that stuff that just can’t be bought. And ever since then I’ve lived to embody what it really means to be Ntswembu, fully, inside out.” And in essence, that’s the purpose of beauty: and their work aims to allow people to understand, express and celebrate themselves.
“My work aims to push beauty boundaries and ideas of what nails should and can be"
Sista Ntswembu
For Foyin Og, inclusivity is at the heart of her work. Her viral 7 Days 7 Faces challenge was her Covid escape, presenting prompts for a fantastical yet attainable, look for each day, which participants reinterpreted. It spawned thousands of entries, from aspiring make-up artists to people picking up a brush for the first time. “I was very enthusiastic about anyone who got involved. People wanted that support and I reposted and shared and encouraged everyone – the notifications were crazy but it meant a lot to me. It was important to make people feel really welcome – whether you’re doing the challenge or just wanted to see the creations and joy from others,” she explains.
It also speaks to beauty’s potential for self-care and solace. While most participants have no interest in being the next Pat McGrath, it presented a way of self-expression that might, perhaps, have previously been daunting. The feeling is reminiscent of the experience of Chloe Valentino Toscano, a young amputee and disability advocate in the US who transformed her self-image by putting make-up on her scars and decorating herself with temporary tattoos. The point isn’t all about whether your challenge look is good, more about whether you feel good doing it.
“We created a really solid community through feeling creative and beautiful"
Foyin OG
“During lockdown, we were all so down, we needed something to spark a light in us. There were no stakes and no pressure, and for me as an influencer, it gave me the opportunity to go back to the art of make-up, rather than the content and engagement side of things. I think that’s why people join over and over again – we created a really solid community,” Foyin OG says.
And community is at the heart of these shifts. Many South African creators share work, collaborate and experiment to create new spaces for their audiences. So, whether that’s someone asking for a “bad bitch set” from Sista Ntswembu, trying a bolder make-up look with Foyin OG, or watching Khaya Mhleli turn out a picture-perfect face for a TV commercial, these artists are flexing the beauty boundaries.
This story was originally published in issue 3 of Nataal magazine. Buy your copy here.