IN PICS | Tyla’s makeup artist Painted By Esther in Johannesburg for two-day masterclass
· Citizen
Ngozi Esther Edeme delivered a two-day makeup masterclass in Johannesburg, powered by NYX.
Although the event was announced long before the Patrick Ta controversy, Edeme arrived in the country weeks after the hype died down, and made a shady reference or two to the drama during her masterclass.
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On day one, the brand invited influencers, media and pro makeup artists for a taste of what the general public would experience the following day.
Keitumetse Naomi Phakathi at the NYX Cosmetics x Painted By Esther Masterclass in Johannesburg. Picture: Supplied, Gorealr Studios for NYX CosmeticsGuests enjoyed welcome drinks and a chance to get social before going shopping for masterclass supplies in a dedicated branded area where brand-affiliated pros were on hand to educate beauty lovers about blush, bronzer, gloss and the brand’s signature foundation.
Guests shopping for products at the NYX Cosmetics x Painted By Esther Masterclass in Johannesburg. Picture: Supplied, Gorealr Studios for NYX CosmeticsWith products in hand, guests were allowed into the masterclass area to choose their seats for a day of fun and education.
Musician and reality star Anele Zondo served as the day’s co-MC and stepped up onto the stage to welcome Erika Guinn, Vice President, Brand Marketing and Community at NYX.
Erika Guinn at the NYX Cosmetics x Painted By Esther Masterclass in Johannesburg. Picture: Supplied, Gorealr Studios for NYX CosmeticsGuinn got the party started with a musical entrance followed by a mini fashion show featuring some of South Africa’s most popular TikToks as they modelled signature products from the brand. This was followed by a welcome address by Denee Peterson, NYX’s Global Brand President, who joined Guinn on stage for a brief Q&A with Edeme.
Denee Peterson, NYX’s Global Brand President, alongside Ngozi Esther Edeme and Erika Guinn at the NYX Cosmetics x Painted By Esther Masterclass in Johannesburg. Picture: Supplied, Gorealr Studios for NYX CosmeticsThe makeup juggernaut talked about her pre-makeup career, which saw her caring for cancer patients as a nurse, before she felt inspired to pivot to a more inspiring career, despite how fulfilled she felt being of service to others.
“I have not seen talent like that, I mean the playing with colours,” said Peterson, gushing about Edeme’s talent and the striking looks she has created for former Love Island contestant Olandria Carthen.
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“When you had her coming out looking like a Barbie, I was like ‘who did her makeup?'” she said, recalling a conversation she had with Guinn after the look went viral.
“And then when we found it was you and got to know you and saw your long body of work, you’re not new to this, you’re true to this, we were like ‘yes, this is what artistry needs to be like.’ So, that’s the type of makeup artistry that I think we deserve.”
Expanding on her process, Edeme says she starts by doing a deep dive into her muses to discover her idea of what she thinks their most elevated version is. She begins this by looking through their entire Instagram profile to discover their best photos before mapping out a way to highlight those features in her signature style.
“I’m very type B, I don’t know how to plan, I just let God guide me,” she added, when asked how she approaches doing these looks for stars like Viola Davis, Naomi Campbell, Tyla, Doechii and Olandria.
The panel was later joined by local pros like Mbali Christina, Precious Xaba and Lloyd as a symbolic conversation, marking the brand’s commitment to building relationships with local makeup professionals before the official masterclass began.
The Painted By Esther method
Model Nomazizi Phakamile at the NYX Cosmetics x Painted By Esther Masterclass in Johannesburg. Picture: Supplied, Gorealr Studios for NYX CosmeticsNomazizi Phakamile served as Edeme’s canvas on both days as the pro showed attendees what really goes into an official Painted By Esther. For the sake of time, she skipped all the basic prep, which was done backstage and got started with a wash of glitter, covering the model’s neck, chest and upper arms in glittered highlighter.
This was followed by eyebrows, foundation, concealer and contouring to shape the face and chest.
She picked three of the NYX Buttamelt blush shades to craft the look, which she sealed with an Ultimate I Know That’s Bright eyeshadow palette, which doubled as the shades for her unique, iridescent highlights. These were applied with two brushes – one to stipple and another to blend.
The anchor shade is applied to the apples of the cheeks, avoiding the perimeters of the face where bronzer was applied, contrary to popular belief that she pulls the colour all the way into the hairline. She then extends the colour across the most prominent part of the cheekbone.
“You sit the brush right on top of your cheekbone… Your more muted shade should always just live on the outer part of your face, and the fun shades live in the centre.”
Once the base blush shade is applied, Edeme uses the other “fun” shade to create a seamless transition by blending upwards using the colours. She ties it all together with a pigmented highlight – this time choosing purple and decides to top it all off with some shimmery green accents at the last minute. She completed the look with mascara on the top and bottom lashes and individual lashes added at the ends of the eyes, before sealing it all in with the brand’s setting spray.
@kay_tatyanaThe #paintedbyesther method | Part 1 #makeup #paintedbyesther #makeuptutorial #southafricatiktok
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Tyla’s World Cup takeover
Tyla is heavily featured in the 2026 FIFA World Cup festivities thanks to multiple high-profile spots. The South African star is set to perform at two opening ceremonies – one in Mexico City (11 June, ahead of Mexico vs. South Africa) and the main U.S. one in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium (alongside Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, and others).
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She also teamed up with Future on the track “Game Time” for the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album (an 18-track global project and their collaboration is one of the lead singles and an official anthem they’ll perform live.
Edeme will be the star’s official makeup artist for the performances and will likely do her makeup as she tours in support of her upcoming A-Pop album.