Bamboo Business of the Week – sharing the financial culture and business of the average Bamboo user.
This week we are highlighting House of Rheevo– a beauty and makeup brand that specializes in bridal and set makeup as well as creating beauty products. Read more below how the business has faired after starting in University and surviving the pandemic that seemed like it will never end.
What’s your name? Tell us about yourself
My name is Abejide Oluwatosin Mercy. I’m a Makeup artist and a lawyer by profession based in Lagos, Nigeria. I recently developed interest in digital marketing and brand strategy and I come from Kogi state. When I was a child, being a makeup artist wasn’t really what I thought I would be and how I came about it is weird but here I am.
What has been your financial culture like?
Tosin: I’m from an average Nigerian home, I will say we are middle class. My mom is very disciplined with money, and an effective planner. She allocates funds for things, and when you come back from the market she makes you write everything you bought and its price, so she used that to compare prices and find cheaper alternatives. This made me very prudent with money. Growing up, we all had big kolos for saving, so when visitors come and give us money, she will dictate how much we should put in it. It was very helpful because now I find saving easy. Although I’ve made some mistakes with money, like in school, I did the MMM scheme, though I didn’t lose money from it because I removed my money early, but I learnt from my friends who lost money from it.
Lol, the MMM scheme humbled people
Tell us about your business. What is it about and Why and how did you start?
Tosin: How did I start? I had just finished my pre-degree and ASUU went on a six months strike. During that period, I was sad because when I was just about the begin my degree, they decided to go on strike making me stay at home, while some people were in school. My mom encouraged me to learn something, so I went to learn beads and wire works, but couldn’t go further with it because its equipment was expensive and I might find it difficult to sell. My mom’s friend had an NGO that offered free makeup classes. Though the teacher rarely showed up, but those classes helped ignite my interest in makeup, so I went to learn more on YouTube. My sisters were so encouraging by always helping me to buy makeup products to practice with and making themselves available to practice on. When school resumed, I continued doing makeup but not as a business, but as a creative outlet for me. In 2014 while in school, I got offered a job as a makeup artist for a production company and that’s how the business began.
The plan for House of Rheevo to become an actual house where there are a number of makeup artists and people can come in to have their makeup done anytime. But for now, it’s a one-man business where we do bridal makeup, party guests, editorials (photoshoots, runways), set makeup (movie and music videos), online classes, and one-on-one makeup training classes. We also have the product aspect of the business, presently we have one product that we are focusing on for the next one year. It is an instant makeup brush cleaner, called Queek. This helps you clean, remove stains from your brushes and sanitize your brushes instantly.
What’s been one of the hardest times in your business and how did you manage it?
Tosin: Covid. That period was two things for me because it was a pandemic and I was also in law school during that period. My anxiety was off the roof, I was anxious about law school, about covid and if my business will still exist after the pandemic. Because no one was sure of the future after and with how intimate my business is, it looked like everything was going into thin air. So, I decided to look to pick a skill and leverage the digital learning space. I noticed I’m good at editing pictures and videos, so I decided to teach people online. It was during the pandemic I knew anything could be taught digitally, and I’m glad I was able to leverage it. My classes had a great turnout that I was so surprised, then I developed an interest in digital marketing and brand strategy. These helped me navigate the covid period because there were no bridal jobs since we were on full lockdown.
How did you manage your finances before & after Bamboo?
Tosin: After the MMM scare and a series of happenings, I became unbothered about money. One day, I realized I had to be serious with money, going the full circle of saving, investing, owning stock portfolio and the whole yard. I did some research and signed up on Bamboo. Presently, I follow the 50-30-20 rule, so I try to save a lot of money because my business is very capital-intensive and I have major plans for it. I pay myself little and I have a job that pays me, so it’s easier for me to save. I use Piggyvest to save my money, Money Lover to track my expenses and Bamboo to invest. Even though right now my investment is not much but the fact that I have stocks and my money is somewhere working and safe just makes me happy.
What are some of the best things about your business that separates you from the competition?
Tosin: i will say the excellence of it. I always want you to look and feel better, I want the details to be immaculate. I will also say my customer service – I’m relatable, easy to speak with and also knowledgable about my job. When on my seat, everyone gets to have fun, I create a good atmosphere for my clients, pamper them and we use the best products always. I always make sure the makeup done is specific to the client’s skin type, skin tone and request.
That’s really good! Wishing House of Rheevo all the very best!
Thank you very much for your time, we enjoyed this.
Here’s Tosin’s business contact:
Website: houseofrheevo.com
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/house_of_rheevo/
Contact number: 08059298961
Email address: houseofrheevo@gmail.com
