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Valerie Mpundu-Fashion 263 Correspondent

Male makeup artist Marshall Billionaire is defying odds and demystifying stereotypes facing males in the fashion industry by exhibiting a unique flair for cosmetics through his brand ‘Makeup by Billionaire’.

‘Marshy’ as he is affectionately known in the beauty industry, is a self-taught artist who broke out recently and is earning a decent living evidenced by the number of bookings he has been getting since he started..

Growing up, Marshy had a niche for perfection and always paid close attention to his art in school as he loved sketching and was often a top student in art class from a young age.

In an interview with Fashion 263, the ever bubbly Marshy shared his journey, coming to Harare five years ago from Luveve in Bulawayo.

The makeup artist said he struggled to settle at first, as Harare had its own ‘city fathers’.

“I had initially come to Harare for my academics, I was meant to be at the University of Zimbabwe but circumstances would not allow me.

“I had to hustle to earn a living because the Harare I was told about was different from the picture I had in my mind,” he said.

“Coming in for the first time adjusting and settling was quite challenging but I braved through it and it paid off. I worked in between jobs meeting with different faces,” Marshy reckons.

On why he chose that industry as a man while his peers went the other way, Marshy said he would visualise ways of perfecting and enhancing beauty of the faces he came across.

“I did not have the courage to stand out and speak out yet I yearned to break out. I wanted to do makeup but knowing how society would perceive it, I survived in the shadows,” he said.

“The urge kept nudging me and I could resist no more. I broke down barriers and decided now it was time. I was headstrong and focused on this.

“On this, no one could tell me otherwise because I had lived with this my whole life. The passion and drive I have for perfection cannot be quenched,” Marshy boldly declared.

Marshy remembers his first client and the experience he had with her picking on nerves at every scrub and shade.

“She is a well-known celebrity, and the thought of her believing in me as a first timer made me nervous.

“I was anxious but kept my cool.

Marshy Billionare

“I kept staring and focusing. I could not afford to crack on my first day. This had to be a work of art which could either break or make me,” he said.

He only got a sigh of relief when the happy client gave a great review earning him decent clientele.

“It brings me great pleasure and satisfaction, to know I have simply made the other person happy through artistic transformation,” he said.

Enthusiastic and passionate about his work, Marshy shared a few tips on the types of makeup worn depending on the time of the day and event.

“Basically, I would say the mood is determined by the nature of event one intends to be at. We cannot have someone glittering during the day all in the name of makeup. The day has its own makeup so does the evening,” he added.

Coming from a supportive family Marshy recalls when he told his family they had no objections and this gave him more reason to pursue and mark his territory.

However, Marshy urged a shift in perspectives in terms of accepting how diverse art can be, saying there is need to embrace how different people are.

“As a man I am often labelled for choosing makeup over probably being a mechanic but then, do we not have female drivers and mechanics out there?

“We need to move from this mindset of assuming roles just because we think it is ok. People are gifted with different talents and the sooner we accept that the better.

“Girls are believed to play with dolls only and boys are only made to believe you play with toy cars. Which is a concept we grew up to but we need to break away from that,” he said.

Marshy draws inspiration from West African and reckons he is inspired by Samuel Black from Nigeria.

“Oh. He is bold and his work is just so amazing. He is great at what he does, he is a marvel to behold defining contours and shades,” he said.

Locally Marshy’s heart beats for Miss Vicky his mentor, whom he says if he were to get married honours will be bestowed upon her as she takes on task. “Miss Vicky is definitely going to do makeup on my big day.

I might have been self- taught but she played and still plays a huge role, impacting my life. I still partake from her oasis of wisdom.

“I also fancy art from Deliwe and McMakeup,” he said. In the near future Marshy plans to expand complementing his skill with shared knowledge as he envisions opening a beauty parlour.

“I want to break the stereotypes and give a chance to those that feel pushed and moved to explore their creative side.” Art is all about exploring creativity beyond reach of the mind. I want to empower somebody into believing in themselves.

He says he currently uses some of the makeup top brands depending on what the clients want.