Christy Anyanwu
Mrs. Tolu Ogunbode, CEO, Facelifted Makeovers and Arewa’s Palace, Ikorodu, Lagos, is a multi-talented woman.
Although she studied Plants Science and Applied Zoology at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, where she majored in Horticulture/Applied Zoology, she has since jettisoned the plants world and embraced a new passion: that of making women look beautiful.
She is also into landscaping as well as indoor and outdoor beautification. She used to run a garden, which was a favourite place for schools and horticulturists. She has since rested the garden, however.
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In a chat with Daily Sun at her office in Benson, Ikorodu, she stated that, right from childhood, she has always wanted to be an entrepreneur.
“I wanted to be my own boss, train people and have my staff. My love for fashion gave birth to Facelifted Makeovers,” she said.
Today, she enhances people’s faces for occasions with her prowess in the art of makeup and makeover.
Tolu said she gets a lot of inspiration to create new trends from her dreams. She explained that she sees herself making diverse trendy pieces in her dreams and also gets a lot of tutelage in her sleep on how to apply makeup and carve eyebrows.
Aside from that, she said she has a penchant for creating diverse Aso-oke trends. At her Arewa’s Palace, the popular Yoruba fabric, Aso-oke and Ankara, are fused to create assorted styles. Her outfits also make beads.
“Aso-oke has been interesting,” she said. “You can sew Aso-oke to match any English style. It comes out beautiful and nice in short dresses too when infused to make fantastic designs. The fabric, which comes in different shades and colours, allows me to brainstorm. With embellished fascinator cap with Aso-oke, any woman would stand out. Aso-oke is versatile and interesting to work with.
“And the embellished Aso-oke has come to stay. That is why, in many traditional marriages today, especially among the Yoruba, you would find assorted designs in Aso-oke. Other tribes have also copied the knack for the fabric. Quality Aso-oke has a lot to do with the weavers. This is why I spend time with the weavers to ensure good quality control.”
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Speaking about the challenges in the beauty business, she said the main thing was to make a difference as an entrepreneur: “Make a difference in anything you do. It is the difference that would stand you out. People won’t negotiate when it is about quality. Also, I don’t joke with the social media. It has helped tremendously in today’s business.”
She also advised that women should know their skin type before going for a particular make-up.
“Know your skin type. Your skin could be dry, oily or it could be a combination of the two. I am not the kind of artist that turns you around from what you are to what you are not. I will only help in bringing out the beauty in you,” she explained.