Beauty industry set for face-lift

Unemployment has been a great challenge facing people worldwide.  With the unemployment rate going up and major layoffs taking place from firm to firm.

The beauty and cosmetics industry has however managed to keep afloat with clients looking to pay top dollar for the best skin and hair products.

Salons and barber shops keep sprouting all over town while other shops close down.

To fuel the industry, beauty schools have also opened up to create new job opportunities for the competitive market.

Lintons Academy held its first graduation for its first cohort in Nairobi on Saturday.

“In line with vision 2030 and the big4Agenda we are determined to create dignified jobs for fellow Kenyans,” said Dr Joyce.

Lintons Academy a subsidiary of Lintons Beauty World, a leading retail beauty company was started by Dr Joyce Gikunda a visionary passionate pharmacist.

After working as a pharmacist for nine years, Dr Joyce started Lintons Pharmacy in downtown Nairobi.

With her pharmacy background and enthusiasm about skin care, Dr Joyce put up a beauty shelf in her drugstore to sell make up and skin care products. This opened her eyes to the growing beauty industry.

She joined hands with her family to establish Lintons Beauty World an exclusive beauty company. It has since grown to 22 retail outlets across East Africa with a head office in Nairobi. 

The growing multichannel retail business houses over 15 Luxury Beauty brands from across the world such as Chanel, Dior, Lancome, Mac, Este Lauder, Clinique, Clarins, Jacque Mgido, Black Opal, Nimue, Bio Balance, Kalahari and Luxury fragrances.

There was a great need for professionally trained individuals to work for the growing business.

After 35 years in business, Lintons Academy a subsidiary of the beauty business was born to groom talent for the business and other competing brands that needed experienced Beauty Consultants and create jobs for entrepreneurs in the industry.

“This college was started by the growing need for properly trained individuals to work for our business. We spent about 100 hours to train each staff that we got from colleges in Kenya on make-up artistry and skin care which form the core of our business. We needed professionals who understood the business to run some operations such as retail management, specialised counter experience as per the various brands requirement, individuals who understand the formulation of product for different skin types,” said Dr Joyce during the ceremony.

In 2017, Lintons Academy opened its doors to 20 students. The college has since grown to accommodate over 100 students in one and half years and trains in make-up artistry, skin care, entrepreneurship and Retail management.

The students have opportunities to interact with international trainers from across the world such as Monaco, France and the USA where some of the brands are based. They have committed to partner with us to train students for the growing business in Africa and beyond.

The guest of honour at the event was Hollywood celebrity makeup artist and founder of Jacque Mgido Cosmetics.

She has worked with Hollywood A-listers such as John Legend, Morris Chestnut, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Sylvester Stallone among others.

Lintons Beauty World has absorbed 20 percent of the graduates from the first cohort while others have been seconded to partner organisations like Carrefour, Shoprite, Naivas, Goodlife, super cosmetics among others. 

"This has demystified stereotypes that beauty is for the academically challenged and failures," said Dr Joyce.