A string of firsts for Pearl Thusi

Despite the obvious link between Lip Sync Battle Africa, the Comedy Central Roast of AKA, Quantico and Queen Sono, they all share one very special common thread: Pearl Thusi.

Thusi was the first African to host and star in MTV’s Lip Sync Battle Africa and Quantico, the first woman to host a Comedy Central Roast in Africa and she is currently the star of Netflix’s first African original, Queen Sono.

Additionally, she is the first African celebrity to collaborate with MAC cosmetics firm on a special range.

Given her recent success, it is safe to call her career one of firsts.

“I’ve never highlighted those firsts because they were very gender-based, or colour-based,” Thusi told Saturday Citizen.

“And those kinds of firsts always make me sad because I realise how much of a way we still have to go that we’re celebrating things like ‘the first woman’ or ‘the first black’ to do this.

“With the work I’ve put in to be a part of these particular firsts, what happened in this last month for me is a lot more powerful… and I appreciate those particular boundaries that I broke. But there’s something about male and racially set boundaries that bothers me. Why can’t we, as Africans, create our own firsts that are the [first] ever?”

That is what she believes will inspire people, especially children, across the continent to strive to create different ways to challenge the rest of the world with a view to improvement and innovation in various arenas.

“That’s the story I want to sell to the young child of Africa and that’s the kind of impact I hope to have with these kinds of collaborations,” she said, referring to her MAC kits.

MAC Cosmetics brand manager Kerry Hochfelden said her team’s anxiety about approaching Thusi disappeared once they saw how natural the partnership was.

“When you’re one of the biggest brands in the country, you’ve got to look at someone that’s just as powerful and meaningful who can get the message across.”

And so the MAC x Pearl collaboration was born, consisting of two limited edition product kits called Power and Me.

Thusi said she went into the collaboration looking to choose products she can’t live without.

“There are days where you want to look natural to express that you feel good in your own skin, but accentuate the features you’re so very proud of and that’s what Me is about.”

Thusi said the Power kit was inspired by her preference for drawing attention to her eyes and that she gravitated towards lip colours of the wine variety when she’s at her most confident.

“We wanted to be able to take what Pearl uses on a daily basis and get a message across about something that can attract two different consumers or the same consumer, depending on what she wants to get out of the day,” said Hochfelden.

– kaundas@citizen.co.za

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