Are tattoos wearers gangster? What about genital piecing? Isn’t it weird. Couldn’t it be sex-piercing? The answer to all of these, from Mary Charles, is a resounding ‘No’. The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Twinkle, a leading beauty company in Nigeria, Charles is a top female tattooist sold out on body art that many will consider odd. But she is without any reservation or an apology writes YEMISI OLUSINA.
It takes guts and an independent mind to be Mary Charles in the Nigerian society. A beautician with special focus on body tattoos, body piercing, no matter where you want it and permanent makeup for ladies of class, Charles has refused to look back since about 19 years ago when her business took off.
Her beauty home, Twinkle, is situated conspicuously on Allen Avenue, in Ikeja area of Lagos. Charles’ words, “We took off precisely in 2001 and honestly it wasn’t as rosy as we have it now. Way back then, it was relatively new and entirely strange in Nigeria. In fact, people believed that tattoo wearers were gangster and rebels, and so, no one would want to associates with them. Not many people wanted to be seen wearing tattoos, in fact many parents disown any child found in the passion.”
It is no doubt then that hers was quite a brave stance, considering the criticism and persecution that come with this kind of adornment, especially from, perhaps, the generality of members of the public.
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Meanwhile, being tattooed herself gave her a major break in the unique business. “A lot of people, who later fell in love with it in those early years, at least those I know around here, got the clue from me. The admiration was ignited by the ones on me. Because the love and taste for this fashion hasn’t ceased from increasing, I got propelled into spear-heading the business in Nigeria. Then, I was merely visiting Nigeria, but when the desire kept increasing unusually, I couldn’t but get thinking about the prospects in it. This I did and there have not been any regrets since then,” she said
Although, Charles would not reel out the names of her clientele, for confidentiality reasons, she admits only the bold and weird would dare venture into wearing tattoos. The reason for this are, of course, very obvious. Tattoos are lifelong marks, meant only for well convinced persons.
Trained at Tinny’s Beauty School in New York, Charles has over time, worked largely for celebrities as well as people from all walks of life. Her words: “At the initial stage, there were some specific set of people who dared into art. I wouldn’t want to mention their names here. They are people at the top, well- meaning but weird people. They range from musician to beauticians, beauty pageant contestant and winners, actors and international business people. There are daring ones who wouldn’t care of how people feel and what they say. They wear it on different parts of their bodies and are very proud of it. However, this has changed overtime because a lot of people are now in love with it. Then, people were wearing it at the kind of job they did. But now even housewives wear tattoos, a lot of celebrities are my clients, old and young, married and single.’’
With her art as she prefers to put it. She has made a positive mark on her generation and this, to her is no small achievement. “Twinkle, to the fashion conscious, both men and women, has become a household name and I am happy about this. It is not like a hair-do that you do today and you wake up to loosen tomorrow for one complaint or the other. I always counsel my clients, especially young ladies who have just fallen in love to desist from engraving their partners’ name on themselves because anything can happen and life must go on,” Charles affirms.
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Out of unwavering commitment to her clientele, Charles prevents her workers from handling her numerous customers and does most of the work by herself in spite of the stress involved. Even the sight of the blood that comes from each piercing does not put her off. “This is what I have chosen as a career and I am expected to live by its peculiarities, so, I cope. Once the person is not struggling, we get going. And since is actually takes two to tango, we feel good doing our job. Besides, I am a trained nurse and so I am used to seeing blood.
Beyond piercing of ears, noses and lips that are common among ladies, Charles said there are bolder women who even have their clitorises pierced. Explaining the advantages of all of these, Charles said they are numerous as well as compelling. “For the permanent make-up thing, one is opportuned to wear a particular colour of lipsticks, eyebrow and lash-linging permanently. The advantage of this is that, the wearer is saved from having to re-touch or wear the make-up all over again; especially in the kind of climate we have here. But for a more outstanding beauty statement, one can pierce one’s nose, navel, ears and even the clitoris and wear studs on them.”
When asked if the presence of stud on the clit would not hinder the fun of sex, the beautician’s response was in the negative. “It can only make it more fun and not otherwise,” she observed.
Warning the general public of the danger inherent in patronising roadside tattooist, this rare gem noted that there are some hidden health hazards. “One can contract HIV/ AIDS in the process, because the procedure involved bloodletting. One can also contract Hepatitis, Sepsis and other skin infection. That is why it is mindful for people to be mindful of where they go for tattooing and piercing.
