Sandye Lomax has lived the fabulous life. She’s traveled the world from South Africa to witness the opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, to traveling the Mediterranean with hip-hop’s royal couple. But, something was missing. “I felt I was losing myself. You can lose yourself when you are catering to and uplifting someone else. I woke up one morning and asked myself, ‘What would I do for free in life? Who is Sandye? What does Sandye like?’,” recalls the self-proclaimed former tomboy from Baltimore.
A professional model, Lomax has worked for one of the leading beauty brands in the world and has been the face of a popular relaxer for black women. “I started modeling for Paul Mitchell and was fascinated with the makeup. I knew eventually as I grew older they wouldn’t want me as a model. Right before I appeared on the cover of the Dark & Lovely box, I felt lost. What do I do?”
Lomax comes from a family of beauty and fashion professionals. Her sister and aunt were models and her grandmother owned a boutique.
She continues, “I have always loved hair and makeup. When my grandmother was in her last days, dying of cancer, I would visit her in the hospital and make her face up. I saw how it made her feel. I thought, if I go and get a license, no one could take it away from me. I can take the skill anywhere in the world that I want to. I continued to travel, but this time, I took my books to study. I finished the course and earned my license as a master cosmetologist: makeup, cosmetology, nail tech, esthetician. I wanted to cover all the bases. Eventually, I studied with Novalash to learn the technique to do eyelash extensions.”
Beauty Fetish, LLC., a premier beauty brand and salon, was born.
So you left a fabulous life as an entertainment mogul’s girlfriend in New York to find yourself?
“I have been in Atlanta for about three years. I had to find my way. Nothing is by accident. I am building a brand, doing what I love to do. God said, “This is your time. This is what you need to do.” And everything started to line up. I am in a happy place.”
In this “happy place,” Lomax finds herself doing nail art, makeup for photo shoots, runway, weddings, films, and eyelash extensions. She’s currently accepting applications for makeup classes and extension courses. “I still do hair from time to time. I specialize in natural hair and blowouts. I am creative across the board,” she shares.
Lomax clients include Grammy Award-winning artists Mary J. Blige, who she affectionately calls her earth angel, and Kandi Burruss.
What’s her vision for Beauty Fetish?
“First, I want to share our motto ‘True Beauty Starts Within.’ In the next few years, I plan to brand my own products: eye lash and nail polish line, and watch the company become a household name. When you turn 40, you can really live out your dreams and I have done it with limited resources. I believe that with hard work and dedication, you can build your own,” she closes. –yvette caslin
