Chioma Ozurumba, the brain behind Duchess Beauty Hub is a walk of her craft as she always looks stunning with a glowing face and radiant skin. Funke Olaode writes about how The Federal University of Owerri trained Logistics manager turned a childhood passion to means of livelihood
Using different beauty products ranging from foundation, eye shadow, lip gloss, lip liner, and blush to create stunning looks for women of all ages, Chioma Ozurumba, CEO of Duchess Beauty Hub has become a go-to expert in Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos axis where she reigns supreme.
For this beautiful mother of three boys, she is a walk of her beauty hub. With a physique of a supermodel; tall, slim elegant, exotic and stunning, her glowing face commands attention. Over the last four years, her studio has become a beehive of activities as customers throng the beauty parlour regularly to have their face transformed with Duchess’s magic touch.
Born and raised in Owerri, Imo State where she grew up before relocating to Lagos. The Nkwerre Local government Area native finished from the Federal University of Technology, (FUTO) Owerri in 2009 where she studied Logistics Management. She would later serve her mandatory one-year national service with a Fleet Management Company in Abuja. Her commitment to duty didn’t go unnoticed as the company retained her after her service. She worked in the company for the next three years but had to bid the company a goodbye after marriage. Ozurumba joined her husband in Lagos.
“I got married and had to move to Lagos to join my husband. While in Lagos I couldn’t get a job and had to enroll for make-up training, which I did for a month or less and became my own boss. That was how Duchess Beauty Hub was birthed in 2016,” she recollects.
Lack of job partly and having a passion for beauty drove her into the beauty industry where she is currently earning a living. But right from the onset, she had always had a passion for beauty or anything cosmetics. while growing up as she used to experiment with various colours. For her, the passion later became a blessing in disguise as her new foray enabled her to embrace motherhood whole-heartedly raising her three boys.
Having acquired necessary skills she went into it fully in 2016 while still living in Ajao-Estate before the family moved to Oke-Afa in Isolo, Area of Lagos. It may sound odd, Duchess, as she is fondly called, has become a go-to-for people around that area who wants to look stunning at a social gathering. And she has the magic wand of transforming her clients into a princess in less than 40 minutes.
Did she go for further training to have mastered the art of make-up? “Not really. I learned on the job. Also, you have to bear it in mind that perfection goes with practice. Again, I constantly upgrade myself online. I go to YouTube most of the time to make up for what I think I am missing.”
How has it been from a degree in Logistics management to becoming a make-up artist? “It is not being easy,” she said. “But passion keeps me going. It has its ups and downs. When it is down there is always this urge to get a paid job. And when the money is flowing then you are like, you are on the right track. And that is why one should always embark on something you have passion for because it will keep pushing you.”
What makes Duchess Beauty Hub tick? “It is my uniqueness and ability to transform an ordinary face into stunning looks that will keep head-turning. Again, I have this signature that when you see my work you would know that this is Duchess, you are able to say this is Duchess. It stands out. You can easily identify my make-up on my clients.”
Though hasn’t done celebrities yet but the Nnena and Friends actor of Super Story, once experienced Duchess signature hands in terms of gele.
Throwing more light on what Duchess Beauty Hub offers its numerous clientele, she said it does everything and anything make-up including ‘gele’ headgear. “Basically, the aspect of the craft that I enjoy most is when clients come to my hub and I transform their looks. Apart from being a make-up artist, I also train students too and in a month I can train up to 10 students and it is being good. I also sell make-up products too such as Mary Kay, Zaron, Mac, lipsticks, etc, we do bridal make-up pre-wedding shoot, dedication, and everything make-up. I source for my beauty products locally and internationally. My sister lives in the United States so I often get Mary Kay product from the US and I also source it locally from a good source.”
Combining the ever-busy beauty business and motherhood can be daunting, she has a supportive husband who has made motherhood and business easy for her. “My husband is one in a million. He supports me. He encourages meshed helps in the home front when I am out there attending to clients because his job allows him. He used to work in a bank and resigned to do his own business.”
And how has Ajao and Oke-Afa Axis helped her business? “We are not doing badly. It may not be as huge as the mainland. Again, in this profession, for you to be up there you have to know people, your networking has to be large and mostly you rely on referrals. The patronage in Oke-Afa has not been bad and I believe it will get better.”
As she is growing in business, Duchess is still willing to learn from other experts. According to her, she would like to collaborate with the CEO of House of Tara, Tara Fela-Durotoye whom she regards as her role model. “Tara Fela-Durotoye is one woman that I look up to. She is very passionate about what she does. She has carved a niche for herself in this profession. Having a line of beauty products in her name is a big deal. I am inspired by her. For instance, I am looking for a day when will venture into my own product using my brand name or having my own brand with my name on it. I will say Tara Fela-DuroToye is my role model. I like everything she does. I haven’t met her in person but I have attended a series of her programme. So I look up to her as my mentor.”
With a supermodel figure and stunning looks, the mother of three amazing boys still looks attractive. How does she ward off male admirers? ”By knowing where to draw the line. I am just my cool self. Again, my husband trusts me and most times he would be like ‘babe, you have to cool down’. My husband doesn’t have a problem with me looking good he has been supportive of me and my business and he trusts me.”
Where does she see herself and her business in the next few years? “I see myself going places. I see it growing globally capturing Africa and the global market. I want to be big like Tara and even bigger. I am working towards that and so help me God,” she stated
