1. Introduce yourself!

I’m Wendy, born and raised in London but my heritage lies in Ghana. I’m a fine artist who somehow found her way into the makeup industry.  My passion for makeup developed when I was teaching myself how to apply my own makeup. I discovered a way to bring my love for painting and doodling into my everyday life.

2. Whats your inspiration behind your bright abstract looks? How long does it take to execute a look on average? 

I’m inspired by the fabric lying around my house especially my mother’s garments. I’ve always been in awe with the kente fabric and Dutch wax fabric I’ve seen my whole life whether it was at home, parties or in the fabric shop. Pattern, colour and paintings spark me with new ideas and innovations.

The longest it’s taken for one of my very intricate looks has probably been 5 hours.

3. What impact do you wish to have on the beauty industry in 5 years time? 

I just want to encourage people to have a voice. It’s okay to say how you feel without fear of judgment or being blacklisted. There is so much that needs to change including systematic racism and colourism. I plan to continue to promote true diversity and inclusion within the creative industry. I also aim to encourage more black people with deeper skin tones to produce editorial and avantgarde makeup. My goal is to produce so much more creative makeup on black skin because that we can finally see people who look like us when we’re searching for inspiration.  I want to show my unique take on makeup and show the endless possibilities of it all. I want to create a space for creatives to feel safe, connect and build friendships. There’s so much I want to achieve but I believe that timing is everything so I take each day one step at a time.

4. A brand you’d love to work with and why:

Fenty beauty. It shifted the beauty industry to think about their complexion shade ranges and if they were inclusive enough (most weren’t) They’re marketing and the way they engage with their followers is so relatable too. I connect with the brand so much and I will collaborate with them one day. 

5. A product you’ll always recommend: 

Lip gloss and coloured eye liner. That’s all you need in your life :)

6. If there was one thing you could change about the beauty industry, what would it be?

Equal opportunity. There is still a lot of unbalance when it comes to how black creators are treated in the industry whether it’s the models, photographers, content creators, makeup artists and more. people need to realise how important it is to value black artists as much as others. Black creatives are innovators, have a unique take on culture and concepts and we need to be appreciated and given the respect we deserve. It’s time for a real change.

You can follow Wendy here, and don’t forget to check out @editorialblk to discover other incredible black artists reinventing the makeup game.