Mekelia Green making waves with make-up
ONCE ONLY a little girl who admiringly watched her aunt religiously apply her make-up before heading off to work at Air Jamaica, Mekelia Green of Yallahs in St Thomas has blossomed into an inspiration herself that other young women can look up to.
And, like ‘blood work’ and genes, the make-up skills were passed on from aunt to niece.
“My co-workers would admire my make-up and encourage me to become a professional makeup artist. Whenever I applied make-up for my family and friends, they would receive numerous compliments and would also encourage me to take my talent to the next level,” Green told The Gleaner.
She added: “I eventually decided to enrol at the D’Marie Institute of Make-Up Artistry, where I graduated with distinction and obtained my certification in professional makeup artistry. I also was successful in obtaining my licence from the KSAMC (Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation) to be able to legally teach others to apply make-up properly,” Green said, highly crediting social media and the recommendations of happy clients for the continued growth of her business.
The now accredited and highly sought-after make-up artist revealed that all this was achieved while she pursued a Bachelor of Laws degree at The University of the West Indies, Mona. She is currently pursuing a legal-education certificate at the Norman Manley Law School.
And though the life of the future lawyer and established make-up artist may seem glamorous to some, Green, who identifies herself as a proud product of the soil of St Thomas, admitted that it wasn’t always very easy.
“I always let my strong faith guide me through the obstacles and keep at the forefront of my mind that diamonds are born out of the harshest circumstances. Having an unreliable public-transportation system in the parish forced me to endure numerous frustrating encounters. However, this reality taught me to better manage my time and to prepare adequately.
REWARDING WORK
Most of my clients reside in St Andrew, and travelling to them was sometimes tiring but always rewarding. For anyone who resides in St Thomas, the constant waiting for long periods of time for a bus/taxi is no secret,” she said, adding that her passion kept her going, travelling to and from the parish each week to do make-up for corporate entities, photo shoots and individual clients.
Likewise tough was having to juggle going to school and growing a business, but Green said that with the help of her family, especially her single mother, she managed to push and maintain a high GPA, which lifted the financial strain through scholarships.
Today, 27 years old and the sole proprietor of Mekie
MUA, with only a few months left before she is called to the Bar, Green continues to exercise her passion while putting in the work to grow her business.
Giving a sneak peek of her regime to success, she said: “Time management has been my best friend. An organised schedule has allowed me to maintain a happy social life while completing law school and juggling my make-up artistry business every day. In addition to that, eating right and completing my daily workout with Steve, my personal trainer at Spartan Health Club, have kept my energy level up so that I can survive the most hectic of days.”