( CNN ) Class is in session at schools across Nigeria , where students are learning to shape eyebrows , smooth foundation , apply eye-shadow , and -- perhaps -- defy economic gloom to grasp a glamorous future . Informed by the remarkable rise of their own `` head teacher '' to the summit of Nigeria 's cosmetics industry , the students -- for the most part young women in their 20s and 30s -- are being taught that makeup artistry can be their passport to self-confidence , independence , and a business of their own . Making a difference to young lives is all part of the mission for 37-year-old cosmetics queen Tara Fela-Durotoye . `` There are certain things telling you that you can not make it ; that you will not make it ; that Nigeria is not a place where people make it , '' says Fela-Durotoye . `` I beg to differ . '' Tara 's story . Fela-Durotoye is the CEO of House of Tara International , a household name in her native Lagos , where the company develops makeup , perfume and accessories that eschew the Western-centered tastes of the big cosmetic firms in favor of products designed specifically for Nigeria 's women . In 1998 , aged 21 , Fela-Durotoye was already on her way to becoming a qualified lawyer when she launched House of Tara as a makeup studio , at first specializing in makeup designs for brides and their wedding parties . Her artistry proved a hit with Nigeria 's booming middle class and , today , the company employs over 3,000 beauty reps across West Africa . She says she was drawn to cosmetics by her inspirational step-mother , by seeing `` what makeup actually does to a woman in terms of self-esteem and confidence . '' The Tara beauty range was born out of her frustration at the lack of suitable cosmetics available in Nigeria -- `` Importers did n't know exactly what was right for Nigerian women , '' she says -- and sense that her products could fill the gap while encouraging pride in home-grown glamor . `` A lot of the Tara products are named after either beauty icons or beauty philosophies in Africa , '' says Fela-Durotoye . `` For us it 's about sharing the world and sharing our culture to the world . '' The past few years have seen the company expand into catwalk and film makeup design as Lagos fashion and cinema scenes have flourished . When French pharmaceutical giants L'Oreal came to Nigeria looking for a partner to help introduce their Maybelline range to the West African country , they signed up with Tara , earning Fela-Durotoye a spot on Forbes ' list of `` 20 Young Power Women In Africa '' in the process . Playing teacher . As a child , Fela-Durotoye remembers visiting her grandmother , and gathering with the children from the local village to pass on lessons she 'd learned at school . `` She always teased about how she expected me to be a teacher , '' recalls Fela-Durotoye . `` And I would say that she was correct . Grandma was correct , '' she continues . `` I am still a teacher , the only thing is this time I 'm not teaching maths or English . I 'm teaching enterprise : I 'm teaching makeup artistry as a platform for enterprise . '' Fela-Durotoye 's 14 schools teach a range of courses , from short personal makeup courses to professional diplomas in makeup artistry . When she founded the schools a decade ago , she says few considered makeup to be a serious career prospect , with parents pushing children toward professions like law , medicine and accountancy . But with Nigeria 's economy growing , the market for `` little luxuries '' such as cosmetics -- and demand for trained makeup artists for weddings , film and everyday life -- has seen a rise . Today , Fela-Durotoye makes the lofty estimate that 80 % of Nigeria 's makeup artists were trained by House of Tara . Fela-Durotoye says she sees each student as a potential small business owner and her courses teach knowledge of the beauty industry , plus customer service and business ethics skills , in addition to practical beauty essentials . The aim is to equip graduates with everything they need to launch their own beauty store , and past graduates have gone on to start small firms that employ a handful of other makeup artists . If it seems strange for makeup artist Fela-Durotoye to be training thousands of competitors , she says you 'd be missing the point . `` What drives me is living purpose . I think my business is a vehicle to change lives . ''
House of Tara is Nigerian beauty brand that teaches makeup styling and business skills to budding Nigerian entrepreneurs . Founder Tara Fela - Ali says she sees makeup artistry as ` ` a platform of learning '' Graduates are taught all the skills they need to run a small business .