We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chelsea Amadi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chelsea below.

Chelsea, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry after landing my first counter job at BareMinerals in our local mall. What i first thought would just be a fun job to get me through school, ending up being my first stepping stone into this field. Growing up as a tomboy, girly wasn’t really my thing, so being able to reconnect to my femininity was empowering and all i wanted to do is to give that light to others and grow their empowered beauty!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, I’m Chelsea Amadi. I am the owner of Dunadi: Garden of Slay. I’m 26 years old, a wife, and a mother of 2 beautiful boys. I’ve been in the beauty industry for 7 years now, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Growing up in a strict family full of boys, I never really cared about tapping into my feminine energy, and being a big girl in this society definitely didn’t help. Hiding behind my larger personality, I tried my best to navigate through it, yet there was a part of me that felt empty. I knew I always wanted to work with cosmetics and beauty, growing up in the glittery era of the early 2000s, but I didn’t know how to go about it. So, I chose to go to college for Cosmetic Science and Formulation. This was my way to test the waters.

I stepped into the beauty world working as a beauty ambassador for BareMinerals at our local mall. There, I learned the fundamentals of makeup application. From the importance of skin prep to color matching the perfect foundation, and overall empowerment, I instantly fell in love. What I thought would be a simple job to help me through college ended up being the stepping stone of my career.

After a year at BareMinerals, I chose to drop out of college and go to cosmetology school in hopes of one day starting my own beauty company. I worked hard and completed my 1500 hours before life and Covid took not only me, but the whole world for a loop. But I never let go of my dream and ambition. Due to the pandemic shutdown, I was not able to apply makeup, so I decided to start making it. I started a small cosmetic brand that sold handmade chapsticks, lip gloss, lip scrubs, lip oils, and lip plumpers. This was how I was able to sustain my business through Covid.

Once the restrictions were lifted, and I was able to start taking clients, I realized that there was a desperate demand for reminding women of their beauty and the importance of self-love and self-care. I started offering one-on-one services to teach people how to do their own makeup, how to properly use it, and most importantly, to help them embrace the beauty they already have.

What sets my brand apart from others is that the only purpose I’m here for is to enhance your empowered beauty, whatever that may be or look like! I always tell my clients that I have one rule while they’re in my chair: ‘You are not allowed to talk badly about yourself. Ever.’ I put this rule in place because I truly believe that we were all uniquely crafted and should be treated as the precious flowers that we are. My brand caters to your inner beauty wants, needs, and traumas so that you can confidently walk through this world every day.

The one thing I am most proud of is seeing the shift in energy and the increase in confidence after I complete my clients’ appointments. What I want my future and potential clients to know is that I am here to serve you. My only goal is your satisfaction and support. I want to ensure that you stand a little taller and smile a little brighter after leaving. Dunadi: Garden of Slay is here to nurture your empowered beauty.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I truly think that acceptance is the only thing society can do for creatives. I wish we didn’t have a social norm so we, as creatives and artists, could all feel comfortable being our true authentic selves, unapologetically. I believe that most creatives just want to be able to produce their work no matter how outrageous it may be and it is still deemed not only worthy of praise but accepted!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The one resource i knew earlier is how to properly organize a professional makeup kit and the importance of social media !     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dunadiaesthetics.square.site/
• Instagram: Gardenofslay_
• TikTok: GardenofSlay_

Image Credits
Photographer: Alissa Mauter Model: Jasmine Davis