Banke Meshida-Lawal is one of the leading lights in the Make-Upbusiness in Nigeria. She started small, 21 years ago and she has built her makeup business into the big BMPRO brand it is today. From the little business she started with then, Banke has turned it into a fast expanding business, with 4 outlets in Lagos & Abuja.
And she is still expanding at the speed of light. Next month will see her officially opening her latest branch, located on GloverRoadin Ikoyi, she plans to have a big official launch. With that, she would have her outlets in Abuja, Dolphin Estate, Lekki & Glover Road, Ikoyi, all in Lagos.
How has she been able to expand her business rapidly the way she is done. She says it’s the Grace of God, Passion and Focusand Hard work. Her friendly personality has also helped. She is warm to everybody and all her older customers see her as that little Banke they have always known.
That’s why she has been able to keep all her old clients, over the last 20 years.
A professional makeup artist by default, Banke took FineArtlessons from the age of 8 after showing a keen interest in the arts.
She studied English at the University of Lagosand graduated with 2nd class honors in the year 2000. The first Bmpro professional makeup studio was formally opened in 2002 on Rumens Road, in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The makeup line Bmpro (Banke Meshida Professional Makeup) birthed in 2006 with 14 products in the line. It was the first ever Nigerian makeup line of color, a feat she achieved due to the inability of international brands to help create suitable makeup looks designed with the Nigerian culture and its peculiarities as the deciding factor.
High pigment, staying power, hypoallergenic, fashion-forward are a few words that describe these amazing products formulated with the Nigerian weather at heart, and manufactured in the united states of America using the highest standards of raw materials available in the cosmetics industry.
Bmpro makeup is created to deliver optimum results for the professional and amateur makeup user especially in the Nigerian hot and humid weather, a quality most international makeup brands do not pose.
Today, Bmpro makeup has 65 products in the Nigerian market as well as distributors all over Nigeria, the UK, USA, Ghana, and Canada. Its success is based on the acceptance of its quality all over the world.
Manufacturing has also shifted to turkey- for the new innovations emerging from the Turkish beauty industry is phenomenal, Germany - due to the high level of hypoallergenic products available from that market as well as retaining the manufacturers in the United States of America a creative spirit, she creates looks for the runway (MBGN, miss Nigeria, Tiffany Amber, House of Marie, Odio Mimonet) bridal (over 2000 brides and counting) editorial cover pages and Fashion Magazines (Thisday, Elan, Genevieve, The Sun, City People, Vanguard, Punch, Wow Magazines) and especially the regular woman who wants to look extremely beautiful.
Her flawless signature style is easily recognized.
Banke has won many accolades and awards for her contribution to the growth of the makeup industry in Nigeria. Many budding makeup artists look to her for inspiration as well as professional training. Bmpro has a training school which continues to produce top-notch makeup artists in Nigeria. Her mentorship programme is second to none often citing herself as an example of the success possible with hard work, perseverance, passion, and creativity. A few of the many awards she has won include;
Female Achiever of the Year 2002 (City People), Makeup Artist of the Year 2005 (City People), Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 (Future Awards), Makeup Brand of the Year 2009(Eloy Awards), Makeup Artist of the Year(Wedding Planner Magazine), Contributor of the Year (University of Lagos), Makeup Artist of the Year 2011 (Fab Magazine), Best Makeup Artist of the Year 2012 - (the Nigerian Event Awards).
The bridal makeup industry has also blossomed due to her continuous creation of stunning and timeless looking brides. Her work is a focal point for Nigerian professional makeup artists who agree that it continues to inspire them to want to create the “Bmpro look’’for their clients.
Bmpro has its new ultra-modern flagship store at Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, which houses a Spa, Nail Room, Hair Salon, and Photography Studio.
She continues to be present personally at these studios, often running a busy schedule as she divides her time between this and attending to clients and brides alike. She believes in the power of her presence to help give clients confidence as their makeup needs are attended to as well as to personally deliver the wealth of experience she has garnered over the years.
She is married to Lanre Lawal a very understanding husband.
She has 2 daughters. She enjoys playing the Violin.
0 Comments