Get to Know: Wendy

Last year in issue 02 of Sanxtuary Magazine we interviewed Wendy (@wendysworld_xox) and chatted with her about beauty, diversity, and creative experimentation.

Hi Wendy! We are so excited to get to know you! Please tell us a little about yourself, and what you do? 

I was born and raised in London, my heritage lies in Ghana. I’ve been a creative from when I can remember. I’m a fine artist first but have been a content creator and MUA for the past 5 years. My passion with creativity started off at secondary school where I loved studying textiles, art fashion then photography (I have honestly tried everything). I then went to art school and graduated with a fine art degree. Lived life as a mixed media artist and then I fell into makeup which was a beautiful accident. 

How did you first get into makeup and what made you want to pursue a career in beauty? 

My sister always did my makeup for me and one day she was sick and tired of doing it (lol) because it was making us late to where we needed to be. This forced me to learn how to apply makeup on myself. I’m not sure why but I was interested in bold colours so would experiment with clashing colours and head to my retail job wearing it. People thought it was really cool so I posted it on my personal Instagram and got a positive (most of the time) response. By sharing my looks on social media, I discovered the world of makeup artistry and content creation. I started to assist MUAs to learn new skills and the rest is history. 

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced while moving through the social media and beauty industry? 

Realizing that the beauty industry is still not diverse enough when it comes to product development and the people behind the scenes. I’ve had plenty of experiences where people make the wrong assumptions of me and then I have to decide whether it’s racially charged or not. 

What is a significant inspiration for you that informs your makeup designs? 

I’m inspired by patterns and colours especially when they contrast and clash.  It’s a genuine obsession of mine. I think this obsession started when I would see the different Kente patterns my mum would wear for church every Sunday when I was a kid. I discovered the abstract expressionism movement whilst studying in college and this allowed me to be very spontaneous and experimental in my work. 

Tell us about your favourite look that you’ve created!

This is a tough one but I will always be connected to this piece because it was the first look where I did a full-face paint look. It felt so right, it was simple but so powerful and the start of me pushing myself as a creative. 

What do you want to see more of in the beauty or social media industry over the next year?

Consistent diversity and visibility for Black and POC creators. I think there’s some ingenuity going on and its really frustrating. I feel like I need to constantly remind brands to be inclusive as if it’s not on the forefront of their mind. 

Which trend do you absolutely HATE right now !?

There’s not one in particular but it’s a bit annoying when I see trends created that simply is something makeup lovers have been doing for a lifetime. Like the cappuccino eye trend is nothing new, it’s just a smokey eye like commonnnnn lol!!

You’ve got such a unique, artistic flair that is reflected in your makeup looks, tell us how this became a staple seen in your work?

It was through experimentation. Trying things and not being afraid of the outcome has allowed me to create a style without realizing it. Being fearless and willing to discover myself. 

Lastly, if you could spread a message to the BIPOC & Queer beauty/ online community, what would that message be? Do you have any advice/ or call to action you’d like to share? 

Don’t be afraid to be who you are, it’s okay not to know who you are either. We are constantly evolving so be brave. Be there for one another, support each other. Uplifting our mutuals and creating communities so we can continue to strive for authentic visibility for BLACK POC creators. 

For the latest exclusive interviews grab issue 03 here!