From Journalist to Professional Makeup Artist: Abigail Wade Is Working Her Way To The Top

Abigail Wade is a Guyanese Professional Makeup Artist and Stylist who currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. A creative being, Abigail is working hard to achieve the “American Dream” through her craft. The quality of her work speaks for itself and has even attracted the attention of some big retailers in New York like Macy’s.  She’s also the go-to makeup artist for Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta cast member Grace Hamilton popularly known as Spice, whenever the Jamaican dancehall superstar is in New York.  Before moving to Brooklyn, Abigail worked as a journalist and television news presenter and was well known for her work by many in Guyana. Being an industrious and ambitious woman, she is making a name for herself in New York and continues to boost the confidence of every woman’s face she touches.

Abigail was born on December 6^th, 1986 in the beautiful capital of Guyana, Georgetown and attended the Sacred Heart Primary School.  She later went on to one of the most prestigious learning institutions in Guyana President’s College.

”I attended Presidents College for six years, where I completed both the CXC and CAPE Exams…I truly believe without a shadow of a doubt that Presidents College has played a great part in moulding me into the person I am today.”

After spending a brief period at the University of Guyana, Abigail later moved on to working in the Media as a Reporter, Assistant Producer, News Anchor, and Video Editor. She also worked as a Communications Consultant.  When she migrated to the US in 2012, it was very hard to adjust since for many migrants,  prior education or work experiences are no recognize and they have to basically start over from scratch. “I understood that and was prepared to work hard to build a name for myself all over again,” she told Guyanese Girls Rock.

Abigail currently resides in Brooklyn New York where she continues to build her brand as a Makeup Artist and Stylist. She has always had a passion for the arts and grew up loving fashion and hair styling.

“A woman can reinvent herself as many times as she likes”.

She explained that “one day at home I was thinking about ways to make the most of the “American dream” I stumbled upon YouTube tutorials and was stuck on them for hours. That’s when I decided this is what I want to do. I’m basically a self-taught makeup artist and my artistic talent and skills play a great part in me creating my own techniques.”

She added, “fast forward to today, I currently have my own YouTube channel “Chocolate Abby “with 4272 subscribers which are growing rapidly and I’m very grateful to my supporters.”

When growing up there was this saying, “a woman can reinvent herself as many times as she likes”. She believes her life is the perfect example of this quote.

Her words of advice to women are, “we should never have one option there is always something we can fall back on and turn around any situation for the better, just believe in yourself and never give up.”

“Being a makeup artist is very exciting. I get to meet people from a lot of different countries. I enjoy listening to their accents and stories about traditional beliefs and basically just life growing up in another country. I hope that one day I will be able to visit all those countries they talk about. I’m planning on visiting all the carnivals around the world doing makeup. My clientele ranges from all over the US and the Caribbean. I recently added Internationally known Jamaican Dancehall Recording Queen, Ms. Grace Latoya Hamilton a.k.a “Spice” to my Clientele. She loves my work and always books me every time she is in New York.”

One of Abigail’s biggest accomplishments and the most exciting and unreal for her is being recognized by Macy’s, the biggest retail store in the United States.  Macy’s invited Abigail to collaborate with them on their VIP event, where she was able to do makeovers and showcase some of her unique techniques.

“I’m motivated by a lot of things, one of which is being able to provide for my children. I’m a mother of four and like every mother, they are my heart in human form walking around outside of my body. So, making sure that everything is in order where they are concerned is very important to me. Therefore, I only work on weekends while on weekdays I’m a stay at home mom taking care of their needs dropping them off to school, picking them up, making sure homework is done etc., and that’s like a job in itself,” she added.

Abigail also spoke of what her profession does not just for her, but for her clients as well.   Doing makeup is my therapy, I get lost in my work. The anticipation of what will be the finished product and the smile on my clients’ faces when they look in the mirror motivates me.

“You can basically change someone’s whole mood by changing their appearance.”

“I’ve had women sit in my chair burdened with the troubles of life and at the end of their appointment it’s like a whole different person. It’s like the depression just went out the window. This often brings tears of joy to my eyes, just to know the difference a makeup artist can make in someone’s life.”

When asked if she has ever received an award, this was her response, “I have not received any honors or awards as yet but seeing the looks on my client’s faces is quite rewarding.”

Abigail describes herself as, “very dedicated. Some weekends I would go three days straight without sleep because of the influx of clients and they are depending on me so I have to push myself extra hard…I’m an open book …as we Guyanese would say “me story deh pon lantern post “

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in life?

A lot of people who I’ve trusted and put my faith in have disappointed me so I have learned to only trust in God and rely on myself.

Who are some of your most influential mentors?

Other than my mom there isn’t anyone that comes to mind.

Are there any major challenges or obstacles that you’ve had to overcome?

Other than giving birth four times …there is none I can think of, lol.

What advice would you give a young girl/woman who wants to pursue a similar career?

It’s a very exciting career but the key to being successful is: love what you do and do it with all of your heart and to the best of your abilities not just because it looks cool or its going to make a lot of money. Also, mind your business.

What would you say is the essence of being a woman who rocks?

I think the essence of being a woman who rocks is inspiring and motivating other women when they need it most. We all feel insecure sometimes and less than the Queen we are. So, motivate someone to make them smile. I do this through makeup. I’m sure you can be creative and come up with ways to do the same.

What’s next for you or what are you most looking forward to?

I’m just looking forward to seeing what life has in store for me. I dream of doing makeup for ‘A’ list celebrities like Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Beyonce. Hopefully God’s willing that’s next.

In the meantime follow me on Instagram @chocolateabby,  YouTube Chocolate Abby and Facebook Abigail Wade.