Lola Maja

Background and early life Maja was born in Lagos, to a Yoruba father and a mother with Itsekiri, Italian, Scottish and Lebanese ancestry. She is the granddaughter of Nigerian founding father Akinola Maja and his wife Comfort, who was herself the Erelu Kuti of Lagos. At the age of 2, Maja and her family moved to the United Kingdom where she was raised. She moved back to Nigeria in 2010, after getting married.

Career Maja started working as a makeup artist at age 14 whilst still in high school and continued into college. By age 18, she was made to choose between continuing her degree or leaving to take a role as a makeup artist on the launch team for Iman Cosmetics at their flagship counter in London. She decided on the latter and launched Iman Cosmetics in 1997.

Maja returned to school to get formal qualifications in beauty therapy. She graduated from the London College of Beauty Therapy, then went on to St. Mary's University College, Twickenham where she obtained a Teaching Diploma. She launched a "Beauty Academy" in 2013.

Maja's make-up work includes special effects, bridal, and creative fashion. In music video My Darlin, she transformed singer Tiwa Savage into an old lady using makeup. She did Genevieve Nnaji's make up for the photoshoot of her clothing line St.Genevieve. including The Figurine (2009) and October 1 (2014); Tonio and Lola got married in 2010; together, they have two children, Tega and Tallulah, born in 2011 and 2013 respectively. She once shared that whilst she was in labour with her first child, listening to "Bumper to Bumper" by Wande Coal helped to ease her labour pains.