Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalî Di’yanne.
Hi Dalî, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story begins in Abilene, Texas. I was born to two Air Force soldiers. My dad, a country man from West Texas, and my mom a resilient hustler who fled war in her home country Liberia. Shortly after my birth, my mom moved my older brother and me to Dallas and that’s where I have spent most of my life since. In my childhood, I preferred solitude or spending time with the women in my family. My Maternal grandmother, who would fondly tell stories from Liberia and embed our art in my head through intricate braid patterns, and my mom, who would take me on sets for her photo shoots. Where she would hold elegant poses and inspire me to spend the rest of my life becoming art itself. Throughout my adolescence, my time was occupied by the fine arts. I started dancing in high school and because of it, I was pushed to learn how to do stage makeup. The rest is history.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I first graduated from high school, I thought that I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a chef. She had taught me everything she knew about food and trained me from the ripe age 10 to become her Sous-Chef. We opened our restaurant “Monrovia Lounge” in 2019. This led me to start Culinary school but I quickly realized that my passion towards food was not cooking, but instead eating. After years of devotion to the culinary world, I decided to follow my heart. I took a leap of faith in January of 2025 and decided to go to school full-time to learn how to do makeup professionally. I was tasked with balancing school, unpaid gigs to build my portfolio, and my personal life. All while not having a solid source of transportation. I attended this program until the end of July, only 6 weeks from graduation when my education was halted. My home was struck by lightning. The bolt had hit the gas line, leaving seconds for my family to escape and dodge a gas explosion. According to the firefighters, the fire had traveled between the walls causing fires in places we couldn’t see. The city came and deemed the house unlivable. Forced to leave our beloved home, we were temporarily unhoused, and during that time my school kicked me out with no remorse for my situation and no option to continue my education. I am thankful for the path that has been paved for me. Most 1st generation Africans are pushed by their parents to pursue STEM. However, my mother broke that stereotype by becoming a chef. Always encouraging me to forge my own path.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a makeup artist, my makeup artistry is based on using faces and bodies as a canvas to convey strong emotion. Makeup is not only a tool used to beautify oneself. It is so much more. In Africa, makeup is used to identify which tribe you belong to, how old you are, your standing in society, and mourning. Makeup is directly correlated to the state of the world and the political time that we are living through. The trend of “clean girl makeup” is the direct antithesis to my brand. What sets me apart is my rejection of modern beauty standards, by embracing the peculiarity of life and the individuality that society seeks to diminish. I am known for having a dramatic asymmetrical winged eyeliner at all times. The asymmetry representing the duality of life. A common motif throughout many cultures similar to yin and yang or Ra and Horus.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I am very intentional about the media I consume. My thirst for knowledge makes it easy to fall down rabbit holes if I’m not careful. Like many artist, Pinterest is one of my favorite apps! Other than that I’m currently in an era where I seek to produce more than I consume.
Pricing:
- Full glam $90
- Editorial $100+
- Just the eyes (editorial only) $60+
- Tattoo cover-up $40+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://diyannedidit.booksy.com/h/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddiyanne?igsh=MTVvNG5naDl1aXlleg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1M6iqzQRaP/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Photographers :
Lenadro Jones @the.greatest.negative on Instagram
Kayla Middleton @photosbykaylasimone on Instagram
Emmanuel Chukwuma @mindofpoise on Instagram
