Being Papaki

He has become a household name after a decade and a half in the industry, but Papaki says he is only halfway when it comes to accomplishing his goals. Papaki has made a name for himself on the makeup, performance and local modelling scene and tjil wanted to know the secrets behind his obvious success. “You have to keep up with trends to be relevant,” he said. The makeup artist said he took up the challenge of becoming a successful and professional makeup artist during a gig as assistant on a movie set in 2005. “I was the only Namibian in the makeup team and I was just an assistant. I then asked why this was so and the answer shocked me and at the same time inspired me. They said there was no professional available in the country. That day I made a decision to take it on seriously and I never looked back, because I believe it was needed.” Before he got the assistant gig, Papaki recalls always having a passion for makeup. His first inspiration was his mother, who used to wear makeup to church. “My mother was the first person I saw using makeup; she loved this deep purple lipstick that she matched with her outfits and her eyeshadow, whenever she went to church. I then picked up the habit as I always used makeup on myself and on other people too and that's how I gained experience,” he said.Armoured with confidence, Papaki decided to attend INTEC College in South Africa to strengthen his skills and to have it on record that he is a professional makeup artist. He says the only person who really supported him in his beauty career is his sister and this encouraged him greatly. “People tend to believe the quality of one's work when they have a qualification. I have also gotten training on how to apply character, beauty and prosthetic makeup. I have really invested in this,” he said.Papaki has in his career so far used his makeup skills on local celebrities.He was the makeup director on a short film for the Goethe-Institut and also worked at University of Namibia (Unam) fashion shows. He however says he is yet to work with corporates, which he looks forward to someday.“I did make up for artists like Taylor Jaye for the NAMAs this year. I've worked with Snazzy and Ann Singer. It is fulfilling when one loves what you do. Getting into the corporate world is hard, but I want to challenge myself to do it,” he said. Papaki says as a makeup artist, what he loves about his job is the end result and the happiness on the client's face. He says many people are shy in the beginning about the thought of using makeup, but this because they do not know how to apply it themselves. He says he has convinced so many people, who love the end product to the point of them being regular clients. Papaki says there are people who don't know how to use makeup and this can end up damaging faces, which he feels is a concern.“The ability to transform someone is phenomenal. I don't advocate for anyone to wear makeup every day, because it is not healthy; the skin needs to breath. “A lot of people use makeup to cover up their insecurities and this requires them to wear makeup every day. If this is the case, wear less of it and wash it off every night,” he said.Papaki has many plans for his career, including releasing a beauty book, transforming his brand into a money-making business and leaving behind as a legacy. He is also about to release a tutorial DVD that will be sold and donated to certain beneficiaries on various platforms. The inspiration for this came from wanting to give people something tangible that can last long. Papaki is doing this with hope that his brand will be able to sustain him in the future, to the point where he stops applying makeup on people.“I want to donate the DVD to five schools for grade 11 and 12 learners, because I want to show them that beauty too can be a career path. Makeup is not just about beautifying, it's about growing as a business and a brand. If you get comfortable, the industry will swallow you up,” he said. The video features three looks for busy people, evening looks and “intense smokey eye”. The 45-minute video was shot and directed by Papaki, with the help of Hildegard Titus and model Bea.June Shimuoshili

Being Papaki

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Being Papaki

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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