Makeup as a storytelling tool is not the problem. Its misuse, however, quietly strips Nollywood of authenticity.
Today, Nollywood has mastered spectacle. Visuals are sharper and more polished, and productions increasingly boast large budgets. Amid this growing cinematic ambition, there is a subtle concern about the industry’s pursuit of beauty and perfection on screen.
The issue arises when characters are prevented from appearing real, and overdone makeup becomes a distraction rather than a storytelling tool. Heavy foundation, lashes, and perfectly shaped brows in scenes of grief, poverty, or captivity can disrupt believability.
In Brown Sugar, Only Good Films’ debut project, veteran actress Tina Mba played a 60-year-old executive who unexpectedly falls in love with her 29-year-old intern, Eronini Osinachim. Towards the third act, a scene shows Mbawhose character is supposed to have finally slept with her intern with her makeup perfectly done and wig intact.
While the scene delivers the narrative, it loses realistic impact. Scenes like this highlight the unspoken pressure on actresses to remain camera-ready even when their characters demand otherwise, prioritizing aesthetic perfection over narrative truth.
Makeup should serve a character’s psychology, not trends. Moments of crying, mourning, waking up, or shock require rawness, and misused makeup mutes facial realism, making performances feel staged. Nollywood often explores emotional struggles, vulnerability, and survival, yet some of these experiences appear glamorized on-screen.
There is little authenticity in a woman mourning her husband with flawless brows and glossy lips, or a struggling man whose clothes remain pristine despite hardship. These examples illustrate how visual perfection can undermine the emotional and psychological depth of characters.
To explore how filmmakers approach this balance, The Nollywood Reporter spoke with industry professionals who highlighted the critical role of intentionality in makeup design. Shedrack Salami, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, said, “Intentionality should drive filmmakers to balance character truth through makeup and authenticity. Makeup should support the character and the story, not unnecessary perfection.”
He added, “Some Nollywood characters who are supposed to be struggling or living in difficult situations appear overly polished. That is where authenticity starts to feel lost.”
Citing another example, Salami said, “A farmer, a market woman, or someone going through emotional stress should not look like they just stepped out of a beauty campaign. Filmmakers need to allow characters to look like the lives they are living in the story. ometimes authenticity means allowing a face to breathe. It means accepting imperfections, sweat, tiredness and roughness on screen. Those details help the audience believe the character and connect more deeply with the story.”
Benneth Nwankwo also weighed in, asserting, “Makeup and special effects are storytelling tools. Like any tool, the problem isn’t the tool itself but how it is used. When makeup is overused, the audience stops seeing the character and starts seeing ‘an actress wearing makeup.’” He cited additional examples, including bad blood effects, unrealistic wounds, or cheap CGI, all of which can pull viewers out of the story if not properly explored.
Tobi Hassan, whose short film The Cry won Best Film Editing at The FilmJoints Awards 2026, said, “Filmmakers should approach makeup from a character-design perspective rather than a beauty perspective. This means asking questions like: Who is this character? What is their lifestyle? What environment do they live in?” She added, “Film is a visual medium, and makeup helps communicate character details such as age, social status, health, fatigue, or emotional state. But sometimes, it can be overly relied on.”
Hassan further emphasized, “When telling a character-based story, it is important for the viewers to see characters in all forms. Sometimes makeup might overlook this or misinterpret this, which defeats the purpose of storytelling. Especially when an actor is focused mostly on how she looks on screen or the makeup department is more focused on aesthetic perfection rather than character truth.”
Stephanie Necus (Spaviba), an indie filmmaker credited for Psyched, Kiriji, and 3 Cold Dishes, said, “As filmmakers, we are not creating beauty campaigns; we are building worlds. Because I studied production design, I tend to think about film holistically, how the set, the costume, the lighting, and the makeup all work together to shape the character’s reality.”
She added, “Sometimes the story demands glamour, then perfection can make sense. But if the story is grounded in everyday life, the visuals should reflect that truth. Sometimes the most powerful thing on screen is imperfection, a tired face, a subtle scar, sweat, or the natural texture of skin. Those details make characters feel lived-in and believable.”
Nwankwo reinforced the point, saying, “People are more likely to stay engaged when the world of the film feels honest and believable.” Salami added, “Makeup helps define a character’s age, mood, time period, and even social class. Sometimes, before a character even speaks, the audience can already understand something about them just by how they look.
But like every other element in filmmaking be it lighting, costume, or production design makeup has to work with the story. The goal should never be to make characters look perfect, but to make them believable.”
Spaviba further noted, “A small change in makeup can subtly signal growth, stress, wealth, or transformation. When it is used thoughtfully and collaboratively with other departments, it enhances the world of the story. But when it is used purely for aesthetic perfection, it can sometimes create a distance between the audience and the character.”
Quadri Adewunmi (Adunblack), Creative Generalist and Production Designer known for We Have Rats, said, “A skilled makeup/production designer knows that authenticity isn’t just showing poverty or being local. It’s about visual truth.” She continued, “When a designer meticulously recreates a 1970s Ibadan parlor or a specific shrine, they are preserving culture more effectively than a low-budget point-and-shoot attempt.”
All the contributors emphasized that Nollywood filmmakers must take authenticity seriously. Beyond the quest for perfection on screen, the real question should be: what emotional impact would a character’s truth leave on viewers?
Makeup is not the problem; misused makeup is. Sometimes authenticity requires uncomfortable honesty. Characters should appear bare, imperfect, and vulnerable. Farmers should look sunburnt. Sick people should appear weak. Struggling men should show their hardship. Filmmakers must recognize when beauty needs to step aside for truth.