South Africa’s beauty lovers were in for a special treat when London-based makeup guru Uche Natori brought her expertise to the country for an unforgettable event. Known for her flawless, full glam looks and perfectly blended foundation, Uche made a splash by teaming up with L’Oréal Paris South Africa to attempt the biggest-ever makeup masterclass. Alongside iconic media personality Bonang Matheba, Uche helped break a Guinness World Record with 440 attendees at the class in Midrand, Johannesburg. Truly in her “winning era,” Uche took a moment to chat with True Love and share her top makeup tips.
When asked about the makeup trends she’d like to see dominate in 2025, Uche revealed her love for what she calls “quick beats”—glam looks that still pack a punch, but are much faster to apply. “I start with the undereye and kind of build from there,” she explained. “You do undereye contour, clean up with foundation, and then apply powders. It’s quicker, and if you use full-coverage products, it still looks very delicious.”
Uche also shared her thoughts on trends to leave behind, notably the minimalist “clean girl” look. “I’m the complete opposite of clean girl—I’m like, ‘Put the makeup on!’” she said with a laugh. Instead of sticking to the bare minimum, Uche encourages people to have fun with their makeup and experiment more. “I would love to see more people experimenting with makeup,” she added.
While Uche is known for her bold and glam looks, she confessed that she doesn’t always wear makeup when she leaves the house. “I’m notoriously known for not leaving the house with makeup,” she admitted. However, if she does wear makeup, her essentials include a powder puff, full-coverage powder for touch-ups around her undereye and mouth, a cute blush for a quick boost, lip gloss, and, of course, a good setting spray.
As for the go-to color of the season, Uche is all about pinks. “I’m a pink girlie,” she says. “I love different shades of pink—whether it’s deeper pinks or a soft baby pink on the cheeks. And mixing mauve with baby pink is just delicious.”
For aspiring beauty influencers, Uche has some valuable advice: “If you approach it with an analytical mind, you’re more likely to stay in the game longer.” She suggests paying attention to what your audience responds to—whether it’s specific types of videos or content style—and using that insight to guide your future posts. “My audience loves it when I just yap about literally nothing, then talk about the makeup,” Uche explained, revealing her personal approach to engaging content. “You need to find what works best for you and keep refining it by checking your analytics.”
