TROPICAL HEAT PHOTOGRAPHER : THANDIWE MURIU MODEL : ANOK KUOL MAKEUP ARTIST : SINITTA AKELLO
A SEAT AT HER TABLE PHOTOGRAPHER : LYRA AOKO MODELS : JULIET KIRUHI AND SHAMINA MAKEUP ARTIST : SINITTA AKELLO
KARUN PHOTOGRAPHER : ZACHARY SAITOTI MODEL : KARUN MUNGAI MAKEUP ARTIST : SINITTA AKELLO
BLACK MAN - “AN EMOTION” PHOTOGRAPHER : CEDRIC NZAKA MODEL : RANDY GOWON MAKEUP : SINITTA AKELLO
Happy New Year!! Hi! I am Sinitta, and I am a makeup and body artist based in Nairobi, Kenya. Cultured Ego is a blog showcasing alternative African fashion and music that I founded in 2013, and used as a platform to showcase my work until rebranding to Sinitta Akello Makeup Art. I am a jack off all trades, and through creating content for Cultured Ego as a one woman band, I found my passion, Makeup and body art. At the beginning of my career I interned under Suzie Beauty, Kenya’s first makeup line. I then worked at MAC cosmetics, and have had freelance experience working with influencial brands such as Vogue.com, Edun, Cocolili Africa, BBC, Adele Dejak and many more! I enjoy working with innovators, creatives and people that are looking to bring their vision to life! As the African Fashion and beauty industry grows, my focus shifts towards working with African brands and working together in developing their visual aesthetics through makeup. 2018 brought some great experiences and I am excited to see what 2019 will bring me! This month I am focussing on gratitude! I am so grateful for the experiences I have had in my career from the begining to now! So I am taking it back with the first ever creative shoot I ever organised and kick started an aethetic that I have stayed true to dispite the lack of demand for it. I am an artist deep down inside and have always wanted to epress myself through the work I do! Stick with me in 2019 so I can share more and more of this with you! For now check out what I have been up to in the last 3 months! Sinitta Akello Owor +254710471208 culturedego@gmail.com www.facebook.com/culturedego @sinittaakello @culturedego
TROPICAL HEAT PHOTOGRAPHER : THANDIWE MURIU MODEL : ANOK KUOL MAKEUP ARTIST : SINITTA AKELLO
In the spirit of gratitude I am going to throw it back to the first editorial long term collaborator and friend, Thandiwe Muriu and myself ever shot! Back in the day when we used to shoot in her mother’s dining room and create backgrounds from wrapping paper! (A trick thandiwe taught me that came in handy for shoots I would later Art direct) We really have come a long way! In Tropical Heat we play with colour and flowers on our beautiful muse Anok Kuol.
FACES OF KARUN ROSES MUSIC VIDEO Late last year former Camp Mulla Band member, Karun released her debut solo track “Roses” I had the pleasure of being a part of her team! Thinking about Gratitude this is a tiny tribute to Karun as her and I go waaaay back! (Refer to Magazine Cover!) I worked on 4 looks for the video and I am going to share with you the key products you need on to get the look!
MEAN GREEN
When it comes to being on set a lot of the time its about thinking on your feet! I did not have a green lippy on me, so I used a green eyeshadow. Yes! Eyeshadow on the lips! And I absolutely adore this colour, it’s from a limited edition collection by from 2015 and thi eyeshadow is called ‘tonight’s the Night’, a great alternative would be ‘Mara’ lippy by Huddah Cosmetics. To add an extra flair I went in with a little bit of green glitter on top of the “lippy” from the Kara Glitter Palette
FRESH FACED DIVA With this look I was going for a fresh face feel with a pop of Edge. I used a clear brow finisher from MAC to give that natural brow look. Eye gloss is from 3ina, and a mix of Night Moth lip liner and runner lipstick by MAC on the lip. Runner was a lipstick from MAC’s Nasty Girl, another limited edition collection from 2014. Alternatives to this colour available at a store near you are Diva and Sin.
VINTAGE EDGE
The styling for this look reminded me of a vintage feel. I decided to go for an updated classic 60s cat eye and red lip with some added edge. I went with an extra bold cat eye and fascinater, a white liner by MAC for that signature 60s look and used a wine lippy rather than a blood red lip to add to the edge. Shout out to NK Lashed that gave this look that glamourous finish it needed.
GOLDEN GODDESS
Probably my favourite look of all! This was all about radiating from within. I used a liquid bronzer ‘Shimmerlicious’ by Kleancolour on the eyelid *Helpful tip* make sure your eyes are kept shut until the liquid broner completely dries to avoid creasing. On top of that I went in with the 3ina eye gloss. Gold Deposit bronzer by Mac on the cheek bones, Nude lip Lacquer in….by Maybelline on the lip and finished with 3ina fixing spray for a dewy finish.
A SEAT AT HER TABLE PHOTOGRAPHER : LYRA AOKO MODELS : JULIET KIRUHI AND SHAMINA MAKEUP ARTIST : SINITTA AKELLO
‘A Seat at Her Table’ is an editorial shot and art directed by Lyra Aoko. in celebration of womanhood, love, pride, nature, and black girl magic! Another title for this editorial is “Greenery”. The Brief - GREEN! Green everything was the goal. Originally inspired by a still life painting the effect was to recreate it with our beautiful muses!
BEHI
THE #IN
GOWO X TAYO
When I started out as a mak was not a lot of opportunit makeup looks, As the Kenya tertainment industry grows that the demand for clients away from the ordinary grow while I have a client that loo little bit! I particularly loved x Tayo because it allowed looks. The concept was AFR I loved even more as it is a p African culture. Come wi through various inspiratio these makeup looks.
IND
Who remembers those thin 90s brows?? And that thick black lip liner and red lippy?? Remember seeing that on Nollywood movies in the 90s and early 2000’s? I know I do! Looks were inspired by thin brows, thick lip liner and all that Nollywood good stuff! I used the concept of the notorious black tribal line from the lips down to the chin to tie all the looks together. I simplified the lip liner look to just a simple line around the lip. I gave a contemporary feel to the thin brows by creating a graphic eye to complement it and fit the theme! Originally when creating the looks I had intended for colour to be black keup artist in 2013 there and white. Considering the clothing ty available for creative I decided to play with with colour. an beauty/ fashion / ens I find more and more s who want something ws too! Every once in a oks to ‘bend the rules’ a d this brief from Gowon me to create original RO SINEMA, which part of modern day ith me as I take you on and influences for
NSPO
ON
YO
KARUN PHOTOGRAPHER : ZACHARY SAITOTI MODEL : KARUN MUNGAI MAKEUP ARTIST : SINITTA AKELLO
Throughout this Issue I have constantly been coming back to the concept of gratitude. I guess that makes gratitude the theme for this issue! But seriously at the end and beginning of every year I always get so choked up! Don’t you? I am particularly grateful for all the opportunities I have had during my career from beginning to date! And they just keep coming! Gratitude! So on that note let’s take it way, way, waaaaaay back to my first EVER collaborative project that shook things up a bit! I have been a huge fan of Karun from when I first heard of her and when I had my first crazy makeup art idea to put beads on lips I knew it had to be Karun that would rock it! An idea turned into a chat and Photographer Zachary Saitoti of Shifteye just happened to listen in! Muse, Makeup artist and photographer. We had our team! My first ever shoot was the most seamless shoot I prepared for - No fear (you know how us creatives get!) Ladies and Gents this is a special one to me it’s a shoot that informed my aesthetic and inspired my career. The cover image of this issue has been my social media profile picture since the beginning. I am so grateful for this! To Karun, who didn’t know me from Adam, but gave the weird girl who randomly approached her about a makeup idea a chance, and Zack who was locked, loaded and ready to shoot! You made this one come Alive! My heart is full! Gratitude!
bts lagos fashion wekk
B.T.S BEHIND THE SCENES
In October last year I had the great opportunity to work with Lagos Fashion Week to create visual for the shows fashion promos. We shot out in Magadi with an amazing team. My personal favourite Art Director, stylist and photographer Sunny Dolat shot it. Check out a sneak peak behind the scenes of what we got up to!
BLACK MAN “AN EMOTION” PHOTOGRAPHER : CEDRIC NZAKA MODEL : RANDY GOWON MAKEUP : SINITTA AKELLO Last year after hosting a masterclass for None on Record, a Kenyan based digital media organization dedicated to working with LGBT communities across the African continent and in the Diaspora, I started to become inspired by the meaning of makeup particularly on men and gender fluidity. I enjoy working with Randy Gowon. I believe he pushes the envelope when it come to gender fluidity. With this test shoot I played with colour on the face and lip and incorporated a creative edge!
Sinitta Akello Owor www.sinittaakello.com +254710471208 culturedego@gmail.com www.facebook.com/culturedego @sinittaakello @culturedego