Who is Vanessa Azar, the Cameroonian influencer appointed as the head of Fenty in sub-Saharan Africa?

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Half Cameroonian and half Lebanese, the new “Area Manager” sub-Saharan Africa of the beauty brand Fenty, created by Rihanna, announced the news on its social networks including Instagram, where she is followed by nearly 30,000 followers.

“FENTY’S REGIONAL AREA MANAGER ! (Pinch me 🫰🏽)Sub-Saharan Africa
I never truly did know who else to bet on when it came to purchasing my own dreams…. So I bet on MYSELF ! This is a new role I’m truly blessed to have, and count on you all, reading and supporting our continent & community to never hesitate to come to me for any suggestions you truly believe will make a change ! I’m humbled for today, as I know it’s a stunning moment in my professional and personal experience ! Humbled & Proud. (Mum are you reading ?)”, she posted on her Instagram account.

As Fenty’s “Area Manager” in Africa, Vanessa Azar is responsible for strategically managing Fenty’s business in Africa to achieve sales, marketing and organizational goals, creating and growing a sustainable and profitable Fenty business on the African continent.

The luxury brands, “Fenty Beauty” and “Fenty Skin,” are available, as of May 27, in eight African countries: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Among the Fenty products available for purchase in these 8 targeted African countries are complexion essentials such as the “Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear” foundation and the “Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle” highlighter ; best-selling lip products such as “Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer” and “Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color”; as well as must-have skin care products such as “Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen” and “Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser. In addition, customers in Africa will be able to immediately purchase all the latest products to be launched by both brands, such as the “Fenty Beauty Fenty Icon” refillable lipstick.

Expert in luxury product marketing

Prior to her appointment, influencer Vanessa Azar was, since August 2019, “Head Management Ella Afrique for L’Oréal Luxe”. In this position, she was responsible for L’Oréal Luxe’s performance in West Africa, maintaining close cooperation with local strategic partners, leading the operational team to ensure business performance, and finding new opportunities to grow L’Oréal’s business in this part of Africa. Since 2017, Vanessa Azar was also Marketing Manager for Inter Consulting, in charge of studies related to the research of new business opportunities, exclusive representation licenses, as well as the marketing of makeup and cosmetics brands in Africa. She also worked as a project manager for Trace Nigeria in 2017.

Holding a Master’s degree in Marketing from IICP pole ESG, the School of Communication, Journalism and Graphic Design in Paris, Vanessa Azar also holds a Master’s degree in Global Communication from the same training institution.

“Vanessa’s Secrets”

A fashion influencer thanks to her chic and casual street looks, Vanessa Azar is also, since 2012, the creator of the blog “Vanessa’s Secrets,” which she created, along with her sister, after moving from Douala to France. She shares beauty tips and secrets and has worked with brands like Estée Lauder, Giorgio Armani, Sephora, Sultane de Saba, Or’Normes, La Sultane de Saba, Walter Steiger, Divador, Elie Saab, Tod’s, Repetto, The Different Company L.K Bennett… The blog was originally a beauty site, but has since evolved to address lifestyle issues in general.
In 2013, Vanessa Azar was a beauty editor for the French magazine Stiletto, where she built strong relationships with a number of brands. At the beginning of her career, she used to email brands, but now they are the ones who contact her to invite her to product showcase events or to work with her for more visibility of those products, via her blog and social networks in particular.
Brands such as MAC, Jo Malone, Mizani, L’Oréal and Chanel have sent her nail polishes, perfumes, mascaras and foundations.

Promoting African brands

Vanessa Azar has not forgotten her home country, Cameroon, where, according to okayafrica.com, she created a sandal with the designer of the brand “Shoes by Vidal”. In Africa, in general, she has collaborated with African brands free of charge to give them visibility they could not otherwise afford. “We have a strong heritage and stories that we need to share. I want to show what the life, work and blog of an African woman my age looks like,” she explained in an interview with okayafrica.com.

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