NB: The names of characters have been changed to protect their privacy.

The Year 2020 will always be an unforgettable one for me not only because of the intrusion of the beast of all nations (COVID-19) which killed millions of people worldwide or because I published my first novel, The President’s Bodyguard but also because it was my first encounter with a full glam makeup.

Before 2020, lip gloss, eyeliners, mascaras and eyebrow pencils were cosmetics I used for my face and was satisfied with because they worked like magic for me. However, I decided to upgrade when my graduation ceremony came knocking. It was a highly anticipated event for my colleagues and I and there wasn’t a moment I would scroll through the class WhatsApp page without seeing a comment or two about it. The euphoria could be perceived even from a distance and that was when I knew people were preparing to go all out for this event. Their mood was justifiable because aside from graduating from the Ghana Institute of Journalism which wasn’t an easy feat, COVID-19 still hovered over our heads and social distancing was encouraged. Many schools held their graduation ceremonies online while others didn’t host a ceremony at all. So when my school decided to have an in-person ceremony with COVID-19 protocols put in place, it was an answered prayer for most of us. The excitement was so contagious that I also thought of ways to look glamorous on this day. Aside from jewelry and the clothes I had intended to wear, full glam makeup was something I knew would help me achieve an exceptional visage.

Fortunately for me, I wasn’t the only one with this vision. One of my closest friends at the time, Michelle, equally wanted a glamorous look, so we both decided to get a makeup artist. We didn’t need to look far or search hard because there were a couple of hair salons in Spintex, a neighbourhood she lived in, that provided makeup services. On the eve of the event, we inquired about the cost of graduation makeup at the nearest salon to her residence. The quoted price of 50 cedis struck us as excessive for a single face beat. As two young ladies living on a budget and not wanting to spend such an amount, we decided to look for other alternatives. Michelle remembered that she had a friend who was a makeup artist but lived further away. The joy we felt when she told us she would charge 30 cedis was immeasurable and we wasted no time in booking an appointment with her.

By 7 am the next morning, we were already on our way to the makeup studio with our graduation gowns in our arms and our feet stepping stealthily on the ground to prevent dust from touching our skin. However, we didn’t mind how the morning sun flexed its full brightness, causing us to squint and cup our foreheads throughout the journey. About fifteen to twenty minutes later, we arrived at the makeup studio which was a small kiosk situated in front of a house. After exchanging pleasantries, she began with Michelle’s face. When it was my turn, she took out a blade to shape my eyebrows, but I protested. I had never altered my eyebrows, and I had no intention of doing so. She managed to convince me by explaining that my eyebrows wouldn’t be nice if they weren’t shaped.

I specifically told her I didn’t want too much powder on my face. Instead, she applied more and when I asked her why, she told me she was doing that to minimize what she had already done. This confused me but I said nothing. Throughout the process, I noticed she did the opposite of whatever I asked her to do. Finally, all I could do was to pray that it turned out well. To be honest, the art was beautiful after she was done. Michelle and I exchanged compliments and admired our faces in the mirror before speeding to charter a taxi.

We soon arrived at the graduation venue which was the newly commissioned GIJ building in Dzowulor. Canopies were erected in the school’s compound which sheltered plastic chairs arranged for the graduands. When I stepped out of the taxi, the sun that hit my face was so intense that beads of sweat began forming on my face. Each bead of sweat that melted down my face, washed a piece of my makeup alongside. I became conscious of my look and felt uncomfortable when I noticed other ladies with more beautiful and long-wearing makeup. The only thing that helped me mitigate the situation was the nose mask I was wearing. It turned out Michelle was going through the same experience.

What made it worse for me was when a group of ladies we were seated next to passed an inaudible comment about us and began laughing amongst themselves. I decided to ignore them; especially the lady closest to me who was wearing black stockings and a dress that ended at her crotch and had probably forgotten she was attending a graduation ceremony and not visiting a night club. After the ceremony was over, I interacted with some of my colleagues though I couldn’t still mask my discomfort, and I was compelled to dab my face every few minutes. After taking a few pictures, I went outside to meet my Dad, Uncle and cousin since families weren’t allowed to enter the graduation venue. At that time, I had gotten rid of my mask which had been soaked with sweat, and I didn’t have a spare one. As soon as they saw me, both my Dad and Uncle exclaimed, “EEEiiii!” and then laughed. I didn’t know the cause of that reaction but even before I reached where they were standing, I came across a lady who suggested that I dab my face with a tissue because my makeup was running down my face.

After my dad and uncle congratulated me, my uncle said, “Eeeiii, we were here complaining about the kinds of makeup your colleagues are wearing, not knowing our own daughter is equally wearing some,” a thunderous laughter accompanied his statement. I equally laughed even though the laughter did not “reach my stomach”. All that while, I couldn’t help but curse the makeup artist in my mind. I was only fortunate that the photographer who took pictures of my friends and I was truly a professional. He edited the pictures so well that my smudged makeup was concealed. After we returned home in utter devastation, Michelle called the makeup artist, told her off and deleted her number afterwards. As for me, I developed a phobia for full glam makeup and makeup artists in general, and the next time I truly trusted a makeup artist with my face was two years later.