We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Akila Noguera-devers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Akila, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I’m still on a journey of figuring out my purpose. What I have figured out so far is that overall my purpose is to have a positive impact on others. I think that’s really why I became a makeup artist.
My interest in makeup started very young where I would play around with my mom’s makeup stash or my very own kiddy kit. As I grew older, I started experimenting; using eyeliner as a lip liner or to create moles, using lipstick as blush and eyeshadow, and even using eyeshadow to create color streaks in my hair. I got most excited when someone else asked me to try these out on them.
In college, friends always asked me to do their makeup and encouraged me to pursue it professionally but my confidence kept me back. In my junior year, I decided to take a Stage Makeup class to learn more about makeup as well as gage whether I was good or not. I really shocked myself by how good I did. Despite doing well and even getting some paid makeup gigs, I still didn’t feel confident enough to pursue a career in this field. After graduating, I started a full-time job in sales and continued to do makeup for friends and family and get a few paid gigs.
In 2019, I decided to take a makeup certification course and again received great reviews from my instructors and classmates. Finally, I decided to start my own part-time business, ‘Makeup By Koko”. Since then, I have done weddings, photoshoots, proms, and even Carnival and love when someone leaves my chair with a smile on their face. As an adult, I realized that the part of makeup I enjoyed wasn’t necessarily the products or what I could create on my face, but more so finding creative ways to help others look and feel like their best selves.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Akila, some call me Koko, and I am a certified makeup artist from Trinidad and Tobago located in Washington DC. With over 10 years of experience, my infectious personality and keen eye make me the right choice for your next occasion. Whether helping to achieve an everyday natural look, teaching the how-to’s of a glam look or supporting a bride on her special day, Makeup by Koko is ready to help you put your best face forward. I recently launched a new service called Sip n’ Beat which is similar to a sip & paint except with makeup and the canvas is your face. I host these every few months but clients can also book me to host their own sip n’ beats!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that continue to be the most impactful in my journey are listening, observing, and willingness to learn. It is so important to listen to what your client wants to achieve a happy outcome, making sure to ask questions and validate your understanding. Observation is also key because people are not always comfortable saying when they don’t like something so you definitely want to look at their non-verbal cues to identify how they are feeling throughout their appointment (Note. everyone is different so certain actions may not mean something negative. Always verify with the client in a polite way). Lastly, with makeup, there are always ways in which you can get better; especially when makeup trends can change pretty frequently, so you definitely need to be willing to learn.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My biggest challenge right now is increasing my client base. I have some really great loyal clients but as I grow my business, i would really like to grow my weekly appointments. I hired a consultant who redid my website and relaunched it in October and is currently managing my social media page. Content creation is not my thing so it’s been really great to have someone more skilled in that area help me share my work. I have definitely had an uptick in clients since the re-launch but there is definitely more room to grow
Contact Info:
- Website: makeupbykoko.com
- Instagram: @makeupbykokod
- Facebook: @makeupbykokod
- Yelp: Makeup By Koko https://yelp.to/JhyHaSV-e_
- Other: [email protected]
