Petals, power & pigment

Multi-award-winning creative and content creator Colour Me Simphiwe blooms bright as she spreads a new hue across Mzansi's beauty landscape...

- WORDS BY CHARNDRE-EMMA KIPPIE PHOTOGRAPHED BY ZHANN SOLOMONS STYLED BY MIA-TESS SMITH

Born and bred in Phoenix, in the fondly nicknamed 'Banana City' (also known as eThekwini or Durban), Simphiwe Mbatha is the youngest of four sisters and was always seen as the 'artsy' one out of the bunch.

From art and crafts in school to hosting singing concerts for her family and acting in school plays, she's always used creativity as a way to express herself and share her inner feelings.

When it comes to makeup, it isn't just about the girly vibes for Sim; it's a visual protest, a personal diary and a love letter to all things bold, beautiful and unapologetic.

This month, she's bringing all of that energy and more to ClubX HQ. Spring usually comes quietly, soft and subdued. But Colour Me Simphiwe doesn't believe in quiet. She arrives like a sunrise in motion: bright, intentional and impossible to ignore.

THE MAKING OF A MUSE

Sim's obsession with all things beauty started after high school, at age 18, working as a sales consultant for TFG. "I'd spend the majority of my lunch break talking to the beauty sales consultants, asking them about tricks, tips and everything makeup," she reminisces.

She went on to study at Durban University of Technology. Tertiary education comes with a lot of responsibility and various pressures, which is why Sim chose to take a mental-health break. And it was during this time that she decided to make beauty her career.

"A lot of people don't know I went to varsity to study civil engineering. And due to that break I took, I was able to create the brand Colour Me Sim," she says. "I'm comfortable with where it's at now, so I decided to go back to school to finish my degree, because even though I love makeup and content creation, school and education are very important to me."