KRÈME CHATS WITH... OLUWAFUNMILOLA OLURINOLA OF ABEKEMAKEOVERS. INVENTOR OF ABEKEGELE& CELEBRITY MUA
February 05, 2017
Oluwafunmilola Olurinola is the woman behind the popular Abekemakeovers. An award-winning makeup artist whose brushes have transformed the faces of various celebrities, brides and socialites, to say the least. She is an all-round beauty aficionado, and most importantly they inventor of the famous Abekegele. Speaking to Oluwafunmilola was pure joy; I enjoyed every bit of our conversation and I left our conversation inspired and reaffirmed that every inspiration comes from God. Thank you Oluwafunmilola Olurinola for your time and blessing me with nuggets of wisdom.
How important is skincare?
A house is only as good as its foundation; so, if your skin is great, the results you can achieve with makeup is better than when makeup is done on someone with troubled skin.
As a makeup artist, what is the most common skin condition you come across?
Most of the time I come across hyperpigmentation, clogged pores, and usually melasma which causes the skin on your face to look much darker than the skin on your body.
What is your skin type?
Oily skin
Have you had any skincare condition, and what did you do to change it?
From JSS2, I had serious acne that covered my entire face except my T zone area, and unfortunately, I didn’t have proper diagnosis or know how to deal with it until when I was in my 400 level (Senior) in University.I used cleansers that had salicylic acid, but I overused them and I never moisturized. At the time, my thought process was I didn’t want to add more oil to my oily skin because I felt it made it worse which was not correct. I soon learned that there was a difference between adding moisture to my skin and adding oil to my skin.
So, in my 400 level, I started to experiment with makeup and skincare so one day I bought Lancôme sheet mask. I applied it on my skin, left it on for 25 minutes and after that I noticed a suppleness in my skin. My skin literally drank in all the moisture because it was parched, and from that day on I changed my routine. I reduced the amount of acids I used on my face to once a week, took out all the other products, and increased moisturizing.
Take me through your skincare routine day and night
Daily I keep my routine simple. Luckily, I don’t have to do too much for my skin to pop. In the AM and PM, I use a basic face wash to remove make up and dirt.After cleansing, I apply my cold pressed coconut oil on my face and body. I love the results it has on my skin.
Once a week as a treatment, I use my salicylic cleanser to exfoliate my skin, and after that I apply my coconut oil.
What is your “I can’t live without” skincare product?
Cold pressed coconut oil.
What is your “I can’t live without” makeup product?
Hmmmmm, it has to be a product that is a foundation and powder in one, so maybe my Iman cream to powder. The abekegele is a huge trend that you invented. I am eager to know how you came up with idea? How long did it take, and who was the first person to tie it?
First, I have to say that I believe that inspirations come from God and I am just grateful that the idea came through me. One day, I got a call from the wedding planner magazine about doing a photoshoot for a Nigerian celebrity called Temidollface. They described her as being very stylish and eclectic so they wanted me to study her style for the photoshoot which was in 3 days. For three days, I pondered over the idea and tried it out at home. On the day of the shoot she was styled as planned, I asked if I could try out my new idea, and they agreed. When I was done, she came out and the whole set went ballistic over the gele; I knew I had something.However, it was not perfect on that day. The head tie had unraveled before the end of the shoot, but I took it home, perfected it and the rest is history.
What is beauty to you?
Beauty to me is appreciating how God created you and presenting that to the world the best way possible.
Whose beauty inspires you?
The plus size model Ashley Graham is beautiful to me.
What is your “I can’t live without” skincare product?
