She has created magic on faces of big stars in the entertainment industry.
Professional makeup artist Jenna Nkosi is staying true to her calling of putting smiles on people's face through the work of her hands. What started as a side hustle became a stellar business with an array of prominent figures as her clientele.
She is the makeup artist behind stars like the legendary Thembi Seete, Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel, Khanyi Mbau, Natasha Thabane and more.
Not too long ago she started working with Thembi when she and other makeup artists were called to work at the Kings of Joburg premiere, which led to more opportunities in the space.
“We were called as Cape Town makeup artists to come and work on the production for Netflix, [it was a two-day thing] but the second day she tried calling me [she saw my makeup on another cast member and she liked it]. So, I did her face that day and she was happy. Then I decided that I want to move because I felt like I needed to grow as a makeup artist and I felt like Joburg would give me exactly that.
"Thembi was one of the people I told that I [have] moved to Joburg, I would love to work with you, and she was very much happy to do that. She was the same person who recommended me to work with her on Idols South Africa."
Her clients grew from there and she has been booked and busy. In April 2023, she was afforded the opportunity to work with the Netflix Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story cast for their launch in Stellenbosch, she touched the ethereal face of British actress Golda. She says she was excited yet nervous for that opportunity.
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“They didn't tell us [who we’ll be working with] and, at that time, I was already in Johannesburg [but] if Netflix asks me to do someone's face, I'll never even say no. I didn't even think of I'll do someone like Charlotte and then a week before, we were asked to do a mood board for the characters that we're going to do; and then that's when I knew, [that I’ll be working on] Golda.
"And also, because I didn't watch the series before, I checked on the social media, so I know what to deliver because I know she's more like a natural makeup type of person," Jenna says.
Although she first started in events and project management, she later chose to "work with her hands", not knowing it would ignite a calling to work within the makeup space.
"I started my business as a side hustle. The purpose of it then was to at least support myself financially without studying. I started this before I did my first year in Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town.
"So, I was realising that I need to provide myself [and] that's how I sort of came to start something that [I] could do with my hands. [Though] I started off doing hair and then it branched to doing people's eyebrows and doing makeup on myself and [that piqued people’s interest] in me doing their makeup," she says.
Adding that, "Then after varsity that, I was like, ‘this is, this is my calling’. This is what God wants me to do. [Subsequently] I started formalising things, I registered my business under and started offering services."
It was her dad who advised her to monetise doing makeup but the magic she creates had earned her recognition from many.
“It was kind of like exciting but mostly like it ignited a very a scary thing [of how] this is bigger than me because I felt like I would be so nervous [about delivering] the way I would love to deliver sometimes."
Jenna tells us that she has goals of owning a cosmetic line.
“What's next for me is to see my cosmetic line in different stores, like whenever I go. I always envision my own store next to maybe a Maybelline store."
