A Beauty Kit to End All Kits? Perfectly Polished Makes Its Case
Canadian beauty entrepreneur, Anthonia Bejide, is stepping out for her first collection, set to launch on Saturday.
WHAT COLOR DEFINES ANTHONIA BEJIDE?
I would say bronze chocolate. I love my complexion, and I'll be honest, growing up I wasn't always fully happy with it. In our community colorism is huge, especially growing up where you don't see people who look like you on television and film — it makes you not love your skintone. As an adult, I’ve learned to love myself and it made me feel like a hot, hot chocolate.
In 2019, the global beauty industry was quoted at being worth $532 billion by Forbes. Currently, beauty gurus on Youtube amass tens of millions of subscribers with a dedicated base of income from beauty sponsors and brands. In short, consumers are willing and ready to learn about the world of beauty — one so complex the age-old question still remains: What will take me to the next level?
Anthonia Bejide, a 30-year-old beauty entrepreneur based in Ottawa, Ontario, says this is why she is launching her collection Perfectly Polished on Saturday. Black-owned and focused on the everyday woman, Perfectly Polished is a set aimed at providing beauty industry consumers with the most foundational tools of them all — a complete and necessary brush set.
“I take clients on for makeup lessons and [as part of the lesson] I ask them to bring their makeup kit,” Bejide tells Palette. “When they bring their kit, they don't have the proper tools and this makes it hard for them to do what they want to do. Makeup takes practice but with the right tools it makes it more enjoyable.”
Bejide says during these lessons, she often would lend her makeup kit to her clients and felt fulfilled when they understood the application process. Perfectly Polished thus came to fruition and is based on Bejide’s own makeup style.
“[My makeup style] is very red carpet; when you look at celebrities on the red carpet, they always look very elegant and beautiful but never overdone. That’s what I want to give to my customers who want to step up their makeup game,” Bejide says. “We all deserve to look and feel confident, no matter our makeup style.”
When it came to helping her clients achieve such looks during lessons, she says recommending brush sets was difficult because most were incomplete.
“If you want to break it down for people who are learning, you need specific tools,” Bejide says. “I wanted to make my own which really had the essentials and I’m so excited to launch.”
Bejide will reach her seven-year beauty industry anniversary this September. She laughs remembering an old tweet years ago which read, “Omg, I got hired at MAC.”
“I didn't start makeup because I wanted to become a makeup artist, it was something I fell into,” Bejide says. “My mom wore makeup and would use a lot of MAC products. At one point, I needed a job and so I applied there several times until I got it.”
Bejide describes MAC Cosmetics as a trendy place for makeup; a brand well embedded within the fashion industry, music industry, film industry, and trusted among the everyday woman. Though she says traditional beauty schools are a great resource to learn, Bejide did all her learning with MAC.
“Dealing with different faces every single day, you get better over time and you develop your style,” Bejide says.
Stepping into the world of beauty was not a huge leap for Bejide either. Her artistic side was always there as she was a painter and drawer as a child. Her artistic expression simply transferred from one canvas to the other. In addition, Bejide says she loves meeting new people through her work.
“Being able to transform women and build relationships is something I love doing,” Bejide says. “It was my clients who told me to really take a chance with [makeup].”
The aspect of supporting women up is one dear to Bejide, particularly when it comes to Black women.
“Part of my project will be to hold master classes for Black women and I’ve been trying to do this for almost three years,” Bejide says. “Most of my clients are Black women and when I do their makeup they always say, ‘I wish I could do this myself,’ and I tell them, ‘Yes, you can.’”
She continues, “Look at the market for makeup classes and makeup schools, they don't teach about Black women. Black women come in many shades, you can't relate to one shade or complexion, and yet [that’s all that is offered]. So, I want to teach the course on different shades of Black women.”
Bejide herself has faced some of this beauty industry bias through microaggressions.
“Definitely, there are times where you feel a vibe when you walk in a room and you're the only Black woman there. You be yourself and do your thing and eventually, they warm up to you and realize we’re not different,” Bejide describes. “It’s annoying to feel that way but that's the reality. You walk in a room and people are already wondering who you are, what you can do for them, and wondering if you are someone they can get along with.”
Bejide’s experiences are not individual as numerous Black women within the industry have made similar public statements. Whether it be Jackie Aina, Yahne Coleman, or Nyma Tang, the stories of Black women facing racism, sexism, and microaggressions within the industry show no signs of slowing down.
Though Bejide says makeup does not make one beautiful, it merely enhances their beautiful features, she also notes it’s time for Black women to feel extra beautiful — particularly during the global demands for racial equity.
This is another phase for Bejide to address once her set is released. The entire set will retail for $120 but will be launched with a 30 percent discount for the first 30 customers, in reference to Bejide’s 30th birthday on May 30.
As she looks ahead, Bejide hopes to create more tools for beauty lovers with more educational videos and advice.