Cynthia Gwebu is in her best era yet
She’s been making content for years, and by now we know that she means business. She’s sharp, sunny and delightfully unfiltered. When she speaks, she makes you instantly think, “Okay, she knows what’s going on.” She has that rare mix of beauty authority and best-friend humour, making you want to instantly share your most chaotic winged eyeliner story with her.
She makes beauty feel like a celebration of womanhood, and her audience loves her because she turns those everyday moments in front of the mirror into little pockets of self-love. We sat down with Cynthia as she enters her next era, experimenting, evolving and taking us along for the ride.
@cgwebuofficial a quick beat for the gworlz. // #fyp #grwm #makeuptutorial ♬ Soweto - Victony & Tempoe
Building blocks
Born in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe, Cynthia moved with her family to Cape Town when she was just five years old. Growing up, she recognised that she had a knack for the written word, which led her to the University of Cape Town after matric to do a degree in Film and Media Studies, specialising in writing and editing for media.
The next step was to take her skills to the next level, completing a postgraduate certificate in Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism at the London College of Fashion. Inspired by beauty tutorials on YouTube, Cynthia decided to try her hand at lifestyle vlogging as a hobby during her time in London.
Once she returned home, she interned as a junior beauty editor for a year at a magazine, networking with industry leaders and honing her digital marketing skills. She then decided to take the leap and concentrate on her YouTube channel full-time.
Cynthia has had a front-row seat to how quickly the digital landscape can change. What began as a platform for her to share her passion for make-up techniques has expanded into much more. The box she once imagined she belonged in doesn’t quite fit any more.
“I feel like there’s a push for lifestyle content that’s more diversified and not just focused on beauty. So for me, getting that transition right was quite important. I always thought that I’m going to make tutorials forever. And what you don’t realise at the time is that by the hundredth tutorial, everyone now knows how to do their make-up from watching your tutorials! So the next step is your audience learning about the ins and out of your personal life.”
These days Cynthia’s approach to make-up is less experimental and a whole lot more intentional. With motherhood sharpening her lens and priorities, she’s less focused on “buying six new eyeshadow colours simply because they are trending” and more interested in “finding and refining” the looks that truly work for her.
Read more about Cynthia Gwebu when you subscribe to Jet Club magazine today!
Words: Rughsaar Bibi Ismail
Photography: Zhann Solomons
Styling: Mia-Tess Smith
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