“I worked at a make-up counter after graduating with a chemistry...

“I worked at a make-up counter after graduating with a chemistry degree. My African mother was so mad. But I love make-up. It’s like therapy. You make people feel good. You can change how they think, how they walk, how they talk. It’s transformative. Even when I got a job at a tech company, I still primarily viewed myself as a make-up artist. I had my own website. On the weekends I’d work weddings. But I always wanted to do it full time. So I finally took the leap. I moved to New York. I started getting on assistant lists. I did make-up for a few web series. I networked with people on Instagram. It was scary at first, but it’s been three years now and I finally feel safe. I’m getting magazine jobs. I just did a pilot for Comedy Central. Last month I paid off all my credit cards. And I think my African mother is finally coming around.”