Interview with Celebrity MakeUp Artist Anyi Asonganyi

It's another day on beauty & health right here on MOnAT.

Few weeks ago, we met up with Camer's makeup artist Anyi Asonganyi. The celebrity makeup artist Anyi Asonganyi has loved beautiful things right from childhood and also enjoyed making everyone around her look stunning.

Growing up in the heart of Yaounde city, her mum always saw something different and special in little Anyi and she even had to send her to "form one" with a makeup kit.... Mummy Anyi sure wasn't mistaken!

Her natural ability to make clients not only look beautiful, but feel beautiful, has made her one of our favorite makeup artists in the Camer Entertainment industry and she is liked by all because of her humility!

I sat down with the makeup artist extraordinaire and the creative brain behind OZI few weeks ago, and she told me everything I needed to know about her and of course, makeup.

Enjoy!!! GM: HELLO ANYI? CAN YOU TELL US WHAT PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU? AND WHY THE NAME OZI?

AA: Hello MoNat and thank you for having me. Uhmmm....people know the usual details by now i guess, but they may not know that... I'd rather listen than talk. Sometimes the whole talking process just feels too hectic for me to carry out. Hahaha OZI. I went with the name OZI because the word talks to my spirit in a powerful way. I got it from a Hebrew phrase "Yahweh OZI" which translates to English as "The Lord my Strength" ... Now you know better than to mess with the strength backing up my art.

GM WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

AA: Certain things inspire my art while other factors inspire me to keep going at it. For my art...a great part of my inspiration comes from within. I just find myself doing beautiful things. I also do a great deal of research and follow the works of a bunch of makeup artists like Bihyouty, Lilu Zoé, Lelio, Lesley and many more home and abroad. Their amazing works inspire me. What keeps me going? First my family. MOnAT, I have the most amazing family! The most energetic and dedicated hype team ever. They are OZI. My father does not hesitate to talk loud and proud about OZI just anywhere anytime. In fact he holds about 3 key positions at OZI (with no salary) hahaha, and now he calls me "my OZI international" (my father comes up with the most remarkable names for me) hahaha. My mother knows all the details. She knows when I'm going here or there to work everyday! And she takes every job very personal. She downloads all my work pictures and shows everybody she meets that day. My elder brother Akuaks keeps calling and texting me at everything he sees about me in excitement like it was the first. His inspirational words encourage me firmly. My elder sister Nzea...this one is my lawyer- don't you dare mess with her baby sister. And I must add 90% of all my work tools, she provides. The other 10% my main hype man Njuzy provides enthusiastically. He is a world traveler and on every trip, I give him a list of makeup products to buy for "our",company- This is my elder brother, hahaha. If you had to peep through his daily agenda, I suspect you would see a special slot titled "hype OZI". He sings my praises...literally, like he had nothing to lose. My younger brother Nji is totally at my service - willingly. I "cook every pot" with him. Always ready to listen, assist and represent. Also, I have a few special and extremely supportive friends who keep every part of my system balanced. They encourage me day and night...they are few I repeat. And then last but not the least, you have my clients, followers, supporters, friends and fans. Oh how I love them! They literally keep me going! My inbox are flooded with messages from people I have never met, cheering me up, appreciating what I do, encouraging me..MOnAT, I must admit, it feels wonderful. Those clients who keep coming back, the buzz I create especially on social media - positive or negative, the young ladies I've inspired to become makeup artists as well, these are the things that inspire me.

GM: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A MAKEUP ARTIST AND HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN THE INDUSTRY?

AA: MOnAT, I've been a makeup artist FOREVER. I mean this. Hahaha. For as long as I can remember, I was the one everybody turned to for a little facial spice. Hahaha. Family & friends, everybody. My mother sent me off to form one (Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, Fontem)with a makeup kit. Maybe she had noticed my extreme love for "nyanga" and just wanted me to be comfortable in boarding school, but it felt very natural to me...I had to have some makeup!(yes, my mother is so cool). I always had makeup and knew how to use everything i had properly, so people always came to me for this or that...it was fun. Also, as we all know, words are spirits. My father called me "Branché" from the time I was...a baby! Need i explain further? As a business I started in 2008. That was in Buea where I was at that time for school (The Chartered Institute of Marketing). I wasn't really comfortable with being broke so I had to find a way to make some cash. I started charging for my beauty services... Nobody complained... The price kept going up...and clients kept coming that was takeoff for me. GM: WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT MAKE UP?

AA: I love that little extra confidence it gives women. To know that their little flaws, like scars, have been covered, it makes women feel better instantly. Makeup is a beauty enhancer generally, so it has the ability to make every woman realize how beautiful they really are. That's what I love the most about it.

GM: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE LOOK AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR STYLE THAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER MAKEUP ARTISTS?

AA: I think my signature look is the neutral (nude) look. I mean, a girl has got to know how to play with them brown shades, haha. Well I think that's my IT look because my clients and followers say so. They love it when I do it. It's what is now called the "no makeup",makeup look. You simply play with various earth & nude shades to give a natural finish. What sets me apart? Am I really that outstanding MOnAT? Hahaha, anyway I carry out a lot of research on makeup as an art and a business. And I practice every other day even if it has to be on my face. I'm often told my makeup stands out because it’s “clean", this can only come from practice.

GM: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BEAUTY ADVICE THAT YOU CAN GIVE TO WOMEN?

AA: If u care to stay beautiful then NEVER SLEEP WITH MAKEUP ON.

GM: WHAT ARE SOME COMMON BEAUTY MISTAKES THAT WOMEN MAKE?

AA: Using foundation or powder hat has nothing to do with their skin tone/shade so as to "shine" or so. Hahaha...this is just wrong. You need to see them on pictures, especially if the camera used had flash on, it's tragic. As for eyebrows I can rant about this all day, let's just move on. GM: WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE A STAPLE IN EVERY WOMAN'S PURSE?

AA: Just the necessary products to refresh your makeup. Beauty blotters/blotting paper to eliminate any unwanted shine blot powder & powder brush to keep your face looking fresh and the lip gloss/lipstick you have on that day. This is all the makeup you would find in my purse daily. Nothing heavy

GM: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MAKEUP BRUSH?

AA: Okay. This is a difficult one as they all are important. I particularly like an angled powder brush. It gets into all those difficult corners with ease. Yea

GM: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MAKE UP FOR EVER PRODUCT?

AA: I haven't used all their products yet, but I like their O2 Mist & Fix. It's a makeup setting spray with amazing moisturizing properties. GM: IT'S A NEW YEAR WHAT ARE SOME MAKEUP TIPS THAT YOU COULD GIVE TO EVERY WOMAN OUT THERE WHETHER BLACK IN COMPLEXION OR BROWN SKIN?

AA: Make sure to prep and prime your face before applying makeup. This means you should apply a moisturizer, then a primer to your face first. Apart from protecting your skin, this eases & smoothENs makeup application remarkably. •Set foundation with powder to leave your face looking matte and prevent your makeup from running. Preferably loose powder. •For your eyebrows, go for a brown pencil that suits your skin colour instead of black. This gives a more natural look. •If you don't know how to blend eye shadow, stick to one colour, it's safe.

GM: TELL US YOUR BEST MAKEUP TRICKS.

AA: My favorite makeup "trick" is contouring. Creating highlights and low lights on your face with the use of foundation/powder/concealer to hide certain areas with darker shades and enhance others with lighter shades. The final blend works magic.

GM: WOULD YOU SAY CAMEROONIANS LADIES ARE USING THEIR MAKEUP KITS CORRECTLY? AND WHERE CAN THEY GET SOME VERY GOOD MAKEPUP PRODUCTS AROUND?

AA: I think Cameroonian women do their best and they are getting better at makeup. On where to buy...from me of course! I always sell the perfect makeup products. Yea

Once more, thanks for having me MOnAT, it was a pleasure all the way!!

It was fun chatting with you Ozi!