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Grooming three presidents
Not everyone gets to be up close and personal with three presidents. Adrienne Cohen has done just that. Before your mind goes to places it shouldn’t, it’s important to note that her interaction with them was strictly professional. Cohen is a senior make-up artist with 30 years of experience. She was called on to groom Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa, Thabo Mbeki, and Jacob Zuma over the years.
TALI FEINBERG
“Mbeki was very friendly, diplomatic, and polite. Zuma was also friendly and genial. He made us tea, which he poured himself. Ramaphosa was a combination of both – diplomatic, polite, warm, and genial. He didn’t behave differently from any other person, and was happy to chat,” says Cohen.
Cohen has groomed and done make-up for celebrities, models, actors, statesmen, and even schoolchildren in advertisements. But once they are seated at her table, she tries not to treat them any differently from each other.
“I have only about three seconds to gain their trust so that they feel comfortable with me in their space. I put them at ease by talking about commonalities, for example, mutual acquaintances. One teenage boy said I reminded him of a friend from school. Then I know I’ve done my job well!”
Getting into the head space and physical space of the client is half the work of the grooming or make-up artist, says Cohen. For men, her work includes removing blemishes and shine, providing lip balm and hand moisturiser, and even giving a man eyebrows, as many don’t have any! “This can transform a face. I once groomed Al Gore and he asked me to do this. He knew the importance of looking your best.”
When working with presidents, she has to hand in her cell phone, and technically is not allowed to talk to them, although they have all happily conversed with her. Because she had to put them at ease, it was difficult to follow that rule. She worked with Zuma and Ramaphosa on election campaigns, and Mbeki on a TV message. After working with Ramaphosa, she was glad that a colleague had a cell phone to snap the memorable occasion.
Cohen worked hard for that opportunity. The make-up and grooming world is a tough one. While it might seem like a glamorous career, the reality is long hours, working overnight or on weekends, lots of waiting, and lots of competition, even at her level of experience.
But in spite of the physical demands of the job, Cohen loves it. “Even after thirty years, I still find something magical about working on a film set.” Also, she says, “Male grooming is a growing industry. Make-up artists are even offering it to the groom at weddings.”