Esther Olanipekun – Lawyer and Special Effects Makeup Artist

When I was just a little girl, I was inspired by my Uncle to study law. The grace and wisdom of lawyers intrigued me and influenced my every thought; I found my drive in the passion to fight for the downtrodden and defenseless. I now practice as a Lawyer in Abuja, Nigeria and while I currently practice in all sectors, I have a bias for criminal law and human rights.

My journey to becoming a Makeup Artist began when I watched a YouTube tutorial on how to draw brows by a renowned Beauty Blogger. I drew the world’s most horrible brows relentlessly until there was a flicker of hope. The struggle made me find my passion and so I consider myself self-taught.  I started special effects in 2014 and my inspiration was the desire to be different and do something different. I saw a horror clip then, and set out to try different techniques on myself to achieve something similar. I once used a glue that scarred my face for almost 2 years in a bid to achieve a look. It’s basically been a game of trials and loads of errors.

I have done a few movie gigs and a couple more in the entertainment/ advertisement industry. My clients range from directors to anyone at all willing to pay for and trust the service I provide. Practicing law at a point drained me of my time and talent, but this pandemic has ironically given me my mojo back. With so much time on my hands the world is literally my canvas.

Law and Special Effects Makeup are like two jealous spouses with insatiable cravings for time, attention and devotion, but regardless my passion for both have guided me thus far. My aspiration is to be a prominent Human Rights Activist/ Attorney and carve a niche for myself in the makeup/ entertainment industry.

My advice for anyone who wants to study/practice law and still follow their passion is – Resilience! Resilience!! Resilience!!! I can’t overemphasize this, there won’t be a promise of blue skies and a green grass following each step, but if you’re consistent with both there’s nothing you can’t achieve.