Catching up with Former Beauty Queen Lorraine Maphala-Phiri

The modelling industry in Zimbabwe has for many years been subjected to ongoing criticism over the lack of accolade compared to other countries. Even Miss Zimbabwe, the most prestigious pageant in the country, has been struggling to survive over the years. 2013 in particular saw the trust fail to hold the annual event despite the outstanding natural beauties from the home land. Many will agree that once the beauty queen finishes her reign, we rarely get to hear or see them ever again. However as we went through the long list of the former beauty queens there was one woman that stood out, having been a household name in recent years after her win nearly 10 years ago.

This former beauty queen is now mostly known for being one of the hardest working young business women in Zimbabwe today. With a successful hair product line under her belt, Lorraine Maphala-Phiri is now looking into launching a handbag collection and hopes that her work ethic inspires other young women out there to always aim to reach their fullest potentials. We spoke to the former Miss Zimbabwe to find out more about her business ventures, what she is currently working on and what keeps her motivated, and she did give us an insight of what life has been like for her since being crowned Miss Zimbabwe in 2006.

It’s been nearly 10 years since you were crowned Miss Zimbabwe. Your title has since expanded to being a wife, mother, mentor and businesswoman. How easy was it for you to get started in new these ventures and what are some of the challenges that you faced? 

I found it quite easy for me because when I stopped competitive modelling, I had achieved what I wanted to achieve therefore I felt ready for change.

I knew that professional modelling would eventually come an end so I always had a clear picture of what I wanted for my life and I feel blessed that my life turned out exactly as I wished for. I am now a wife, a mom and a business woman and I manage to maintain a good balance.

The only difficulty that I faced during my transition is learning to be responsible for more than just myself. Luckily, I was blessed with a husband who loved me as I was. He was very patient and I found that very helpful.

How do you balance it all?

Balancing motherhood, being a wife and being a working mom is a skill. I’m still trying to be perfect but when you have the kind of help like I do at home, everything else comes into place. I priorities my work so that I can accommodate all the important things in my life like my family. I have the greatest support system at home, my husband is great help as well and that helps make things manageable.

There has been a lot of media interest in your life since you have been in the public eye. How do you manage to keep your life private and how do you handle negative media?

I didn't realize my life will be so publicised when I first started modelling. However, I have since made sure that l focus on what makes me happy and not dwell on negativity.

Now that you are not doing competitive modelling,what are you working on at the moment?  

I launched a hair line, the ‘’Real Hair by Lorraine (RHL)’’ which specializes on 100% human hair.  This includes Cambodian, Indian, Brazilian, Malaysian wigs, weaves and lace wigs.  I’m hoping to expand the brand to offer more products as well.

I have recently launched the Lorraine Maphala Mentoring Program which aims at inspiring young women and motivating them not to give on their dreams.

I’m also working on the launch of my handbag line ‘’LMP’’handbags, it is inspired by powerful and hardworking career women which is why our logo on the bags is a power button, a symbol of POWER. A sample of these bags can be seen on my face book page. 

I also work with my husband in our finance company which provides small business loans. The company also offers assistance to women trying to start their own businesses.

There is definitely a lot going on for you at the moment.  How can your fans living outside Zimbabwe purchase your hair products, LMP Hair.?

I’m currently in the process of designing the website which will have all my merchandise. We do currently we have a lot of clients overseas particularly in Europe who contact us via our Facebook page 'Real Hair by Lorraine'. We are doing our best to get the website up and running as soon as possible to be able to cater for our clients internationally. 

Do you feel pressure in the way you look and present in public as a former Beauty Queen?

When I started out, I did it for the love of modelling.  I didn’t realize how much I would be in the spotlight and the fame that came with it. Thankfully, I never allow myself to be pressured to be what I’m not or what people expect me to be. I have always done what felt right for me and that has helped me live a normal life.

Your presentation is always flawless. Can you share some of your beauty must haves?

Thank you, I drink a lot of water, it’s amazing what water can do for your skin. Every woman should have a good perfume, my favorite at the moment is Givenchy’s Very Ïrresistible.  Lipcolour is a definite must have, I use the Hot Raspberry by Bobbi Brown as I prefer bold colors. A nude lip gloss from MAC is also one of my favorites, it works particularly for professional women that prefer a more natural look.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

Having a clear vision of where I want to be and what I want for myself and my family. I believe in prayer and God’s faithfulness and I know that everything I have achieved has been a result of my prayers therefore I know more will be done as long as I keep working and praying.

Check out more about the LMP hair range and Mentoring Program on Lorraine Maphala-Phiri's Facebook page.

Author: Mini

Images: LMP

Neo Pitso - Obsessed with Success

Neo Pitso is the walking billboard for success. With the mantra “obsessed with success” the name Neo Pitso has become synonymous with winning and the constant desire to live a purposeful life.

Born in Welkom, South Africa and raised in Adelaide, South Australia Neo’s interest in music and performing was obvious to his parents very early on. From a young age, he performed in talent shows where he always felt comfortable on stage. One of his fondest memories is a performance where he donned a cape and sang R. Kelly’s ‘I believe I can fly’ – sources say it was a performance carried out with great zeal!

Neo’s flair with words and undisputed rapping talent makes him one of the hottest up and coming artists in the Australian music industry. He has worked with International artists like the multi-platinum rapper Nas, the award winning Hip Hop artist The Game and rapper and founder of Maybach Music Group Rick Ross, to name a few. Despite his exposure to renowned artists thus far, Neo is striving to establish himself as a standalone artist.

With his award nominated hit single and video Veni Vidi Vici, Neo showcases his poetic ability along with his propensity to tell a story through the marrying up of powerful lyrics, a captivating beat and enthralling visuals.

Veni Vidi Vici is available to download on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/veni-vidi-vici-single/id859655284

In addition to the music, Neo is a motivational speaker and young leader, often lending his profile to worthy causes in the community. Most recently Neo was one of the speakers and performers at the Bring Our Boys Back Home rally in Adelaide. 

Despite his busy schedule, Neo was kind enough to share some of his story with us in an interview. 

What is your raison d’être?

In everything I do I want to win. I don’t do it for selfish reasons, I do it so that I can become a symbol of hope for all the people who look up to me. Many don’t know that the greatest source of wealth is between their ears and I want to help them find it and mine it. If my life serves as inspiration for them my job here on earth will have been done and I can rest easy. I’m obsessed with success.

Your mantra is “obsessed with success” - what is success to you?

Success to me is ‘…the progressive realization of a worthy ideal…’ as my good friend and mentor Earl Nightingale puts it. Waking up everyday with a purpose and living out that purpose is success to me.

You have refined your art over time & outdone yourself with each single; how has your journey been thus far and where are you headed?

Thank you very much that’s very kind of you. The journey has been rocky but enjoyable nonetheless. I have worked with my idols such as Nas, The Game and even local names such as Jessica Mauboy but, even after all that, I still feel incomplete. I want to establish myself as a stand alone artist and so far so good. Its hard to put the plan into words via an interview but the team I’m working with at the moment especially the producer (Chi) assists with the different steps we take as we carry on building the Neo Pitso brand. So for now I’m hustling until I no longer have to introduce myself.

I am loving Veni Vidi Vici at the moment, the video looks amazing. What is the inspiration behind the song & the video?

'Veni Vidi Vici' is a song set in the future with flash backs to the present, in other words it's prophetic. I know myself well enough to know that I'll become the success story I've always wanted to become, but will I succumb to evil? The definition of 'veni vidi vici' is 'I came, I saw, I conquered'. Now the music industry is said to be a very dark industry and people are always going on about how you have to sell your soul to become a success, so the question is: would I sell my soul if it meant I could conquer the world?

There are quite a few suggestive shots in the video and that’s all done with purpose. If you watch the video again consider the scene where I’m in between a character in all black and an angel-like character with my hands together in a praying position. 

At the end of the day I really wanted people to have their own interpretations; sometimes it’s better that way, because to define the video is to limit it’s potential to be something more.

I understand you are a motivational speaker & have your fingers in many pies. Besides music, what do you do for work & for play?

Yes I am, and if anyone reading this would like to book me to come talk at their school assembly drop a message on my website www.NeoPitso.com. On top of that I am also a connector of people and companies and a professional party-er.

You can stay up to date with Neo Pitso news and preview his upcoming singles by liking his Facebook page: Neo Pitso. You can also follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @TheOnlyNeo and subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/NeoPitso/feed

Keep an eye out for Neo’s new single We On featuring one of South Africa’s best songwriters AB Crazy; in the mean time be sure to get your copy of Veni Vidi Vici on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/veni-vidi-vici-single/id859655284

Author: Char

Images: Neo Pitso

Mimie Jolie - Makeup artist & stylist.

When going through the makeup counters at department stores, most women of colour often find that not all cosmetics lines cater to their beauty needs. In other words, it can be difficult to find makeup for African skin. Some brands simply do not have foundations that go dark enough, causing one to look washed out, while others may lack the colours that will show up on darker skin. When it comes to make up services for women of colour it gets worse.

It is not as easy for black women in Australia to access make up services as it is for white women. Some women of colour that have approached main stream makeup artists are often told to bring their own make up unless of course when one approaches make up counters in department stores such as Clinique and Napoleon Perdis as they have the capacity to browse through a few colours before finding your match. That is why we couldn’t help but get excited when we heard about Sydney based Michelle Majuru.

She is slowly becoming Sydney’s most sought after makeup artist that not only works with all skin colours but has a high speciality for working with women of colour. She focuses on make up for all occasions including bridal make up and I had the pleasure of working with this women in February for my wedding. Her skill and experience is definitely superlative. 

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Australia, Michelle also known as “Mimie Jolie” is a self-taught make up artist, that fell in love with the world of beauty and fashion at the age of nine. While at University Michelle was the “go to girl” amongst her friends and relatives for makeup, and soon after finishing her degree she also then realized she wanted to go professional with make up  artistry and began setting up her business and doing freelance work . I had an opportunity to meet with Michelle and discuss her insight into what inspires her, the challenges of being in the industry and some of her beauty tips.

As a recognized makeup in our community, what was your inspiration to become involved in the beauty business?

My inspiration to be in the beauty business was something that I realized when I was 13. I have always loved fashion and make up and grew up and surrounded by artistic things. I had a different fashion sense than most of my friends. They would come over to my house on the weekends asking me to do their hair and makeup, and ask to borrow clothes to wear. Friends & relatives suggested that I do something along with what I loved but at the time I chose sport which I was always good at and loved. While I was studying I was doing makeup on the side as a hobby and then when I finished Uni, I decided to take it further by becoming a freelance and creating a YouTube channel and showcasing my work.

A bride’s special day is so important and can end up being  rather stressful. What are some of the things that you do to minimise added stressors?

I would try to include personalized services individually and be flexible to attend their homes or venues so that they don’t become stressed about what they need to know and how they going to get thing done. I usually set up trial makeup prior to the wedding (several months before) so to give them an idea of what they will look like also I am always open to suggestions of what they had in mind. We will do different looks so that when it does come to the wedding day it’s less stressful.

 What are some of the challenges that you have experienced as a professional makeup artist?

Uncooperative clients ..you will always get these.

Can you share a few ideas about creating a look that will have our readers on the “cutting fashion” edge for any special events?

As we all know, fashion is always changing. I would suggest finding a latest trend that’s in style and re-creating it to make it your own, without trying too hard. Personally, I always like trying new things from classy old school, vintage, etc and there are a lot of these styles out there at the moment that can be modified to your own. 

Today’s woman is busier than ever. What is the easiest/quickest way to turn a day/work look into something that works for night a out?

I would recommend wearing an outfit that can easily be turned into a night outfit.  Adding some accessories, lipstick, hair down or a simple ponytail or bun, these always work for any look.

Some trends can feel a bit out-there for the average woman. Especially style-conscious women of “a certain age” (aka me) who wish to remain current but fear looking as if they’re trying  too hard. What are some comfort-zone-friendly ways to rock the latest trends?

Wear what you feel comfortable in. There is no point of trying too hard and wearing something your body doesn’t feel comfortable in. Keep it simple but edgy.

How can people contact you or see your work?

Instagram and Facebook page “Styled by Mimie”

Subscribe on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/StyledByMimi

Kim Kardashian’s wedding makeup 2014: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yql0jf1uSQI

Author: Mini

Images: Michelle Majuru.

#Mimie Jolie #Michelle Majuru  #Mini and Char #August 2014