Posted by The Vanguard on
AMONGST the new generation movie actors, Empress Njamah stands out. Not only as an actress with style, but one who takes her job with all seriousness. Shot to limelight with the movie ‘Girls Hostel' in 1999 where she played a major role (Tunika), her profile has steadily risen from the upcoming actress to ‘Nollywood"star.
AMONGST the new generation movie actors, Empress Njamah stands out. Not only as an actress with style, but one who takes her job with all seriousness. Shot to limelight with the movie ‘Girls Hostel' in 1999 where she played a major role (Tunika), her profile has steadily risen from the upcoming actress to ‘Nollywood"star.
Born 25 years ago, of a Nigerian father and Cameroonian mother. With her brothers John and Aquila Njamah already in the movie industry. Her foray into the Nigerian home video was first met with stiff opposition by her Mother who had some reservations about all her children taking a particular line of career to a field. 'She wanted me to do something else. But when she saw a movie I did, she liked it, she felt I had what it takes to be a good actress and she encouraged me to go on."
The dark skinned delectable actress currently combines acting with a degree programme at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, where she is studying English and a six months drama course in London 'I've done the first part and will return to London next month to complete the course."
Sprawling on the couch in her Festac home where we met for this interview, the ever lively actress opens up on her personal style.
'I am not a vogue person, I don't really follow the vogue, I just wear what is comfortable. The linen for instance is one fabric that I really like. It goes for all occasions. I am not a skirt person. I am more into trousers, jeans especially because, it makes me look smart. I am really very playful and jumpy. Skirts are not for people like me. I had so many which my mother bought for me but I gave them out.
I just like looking smart. I hardly go for weddings, And if I have to, I avoid the church and attend the reception so I can wear the kind of outfit I like."
Is it because her clothes are often times revealing? 'No, not really" she says. 'What you wear speaks for you. If I have to wear something revealing, it has to be for a reason. The Most Beautiful Girl show I attended for instance, you don't expect me to go all covered up, because it's kind of a dinner outing. I was wearing a black pant and an open top. If I was going to dress like everyone else, I would have worn a dinner gown. But I refused to wear it, because I am not a gown person and I don't want to look like other people, I want to be different.
'Apart from that, I love to wear simple clothes that would make my skin breathe. Not that I want to wear things to reveal my skin, cleavage or show my flat tummy but, I love to wear things that I am very comfortable with. I can get into any atmosphere and be comfortable.
Each time you see me wear revealing tops, it's either I just got into the country. You can't compare the weather here with the one outside. When you come back here, even with the air conditioner on, you still feel very uncomfortable. So it's not about exposing myself but, a matter of comfort.
'I think style is something you're frequent with. It's really nice for people to have their own style. I am known for my Afro hairstyle. I love the Afro look a lot. And I love it very full. Usually, people use two, three weave-ons on their hair but, I use four or five. I am wearing three right now and I am going back to add two to it" Won't that be too much? I asked. 'It cant be too much for me. Normally, people use two three weave-on because, like they say, they want it to look flat and natural. It's obvious that it's not natural, so, why don't you just do your thing the way it should be. If I have to wear the Chinese weave-on, I use three because I love it really full, that's my style."
'Talking about beauty routine, I don't really have any. I am comfortable anywhere I go. If I come to your house, I can use your soap. I'm not particular about blemishes. I use any thing for my skin. I know once in a while we need to cleanse, tone and moisturize but, I am not too into it. I use the Clinique cleanser but, not everyday. I use it mostly after shooting, to make sure I remove every trace of make-up. I do the facial myself with cucumber and the normal facial scrub. But I don't do that all the time.
'I wear make-up only when I am going out for an occasion. I love my face to breate. If you wear powder a lot, you get bumps because, the face needs to breathe. I hardly wear foundation, I just use the powder, eye pencil and lip gloss. And wearing make-up to sleep destroys a lot of peoples' face, but not me. Sometimes I get home very tired and sleepy and I go to bed with my make-up on. It's not like it's the right thing to do, but, it hasn't done anything to my face. So I think it has to do with the texture of one's skin"
She continues: 'I do not stick to a particular body cream. The oldest cream I would say I've used for a long time was Visible difference. It was really nice. Sometimes I mix my cream with glycerine to moisturize my skin. But I am not particular about a cream, I can use anything."
For jewelry, she says: Ï am not really into accessories. I love to wear gold but, I don't wear them all the time. Me being a jean person, I can't wear jean and gold, it won't go. I wear silver accessories too. I love very bold earrings, and I don't wear one earing. I have two holes, I wear one bold and a smaller one, I love my ear to be full. But silver goes better with my colour because I am dark. I wear my gold'only on chiffon top.
I love my bags big. Carrying small bags around doesn't make sense. An average woman should have her powder and make-up in her bag, to touch up after every meal." Asked her choice of perfumes, Empress screams excitedly 'Ha, I have a shrine of perfume. I am a perfume freak, all my friends know that. I can use my last bucks to buy perfume. I hardly use the feminine perfume, I use more masculine perfume, if it's really very harsh, I tone it down with a sweet perfume, but, I hardly use feminine perfume. I don't have a favourite fragrance. I mix them, so you can hardly tell what I am wearing.
What's her eating habit like? 'I do not eat breakfast. I am not really a food person, I love to take sweet drinks, and my favourite drink is Sprite, if I can't get it I take water.
Her only form of exercise she says is dancing. 'I'm a very good dancer. If you've seen me dance you'll understand why I say it's enough exercise for a month.
With stardom comes fame and money, however, Empress does not see herself being in the Nigerian movie industry for life. 'I have a large dream, I don't think I'll be doing this all my life. I see myself doing other things that I really can't tell right now."