Building with

One of the most glamorous rites of passage for women around the world are beauty rituals that are shaped during childhood and evolve with each stage of life. From playing dress up with mom’s or an older sister’s cosmetics, to devotedly following and adhering to trends during adolescence, to developing a go-to look for day or night as an adult -- many experiences are built around beauty, and a local makeup artist is shaping El Paso’s beauty landscape one face at a time.

Salathia Graham Tankuh is a U.S. Army veteran whose love of makeup is enhancing the Borderland while also developing confidence and inner beauty with her makeup studio, The Face Architect.

“My earliest memories are of playing in my mother’s makeup when I was a little girl,” says Graham Tankuh. “Even though it used to get me into trouble with her, I couldn’t stay away from it. I love being able to do different things with makeup. Growing up, I was tomboyish but I was the only tomboy girl with a face full of makeup. It’s something that has been with me ever since I was a little girl and has followed me all the way up into adulthood.”

Originally from Savannah, Georgio, Graham Tankuh first came to El Paso when she was in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Bliss in 2001. She left in 2006 but later returned with a goal to create positive change.

“One of the things I do love is to build,” says Graham Tankuh. “Whether it’s building something physically or helping people to build their confidence and belief in themselves wasn’t built into the beauty industry. That’s where I got the concept of the face architect.”

Graham Tankuh says that she craved a creative outlet to express herself during her time in the U.S. Army and that applying glam makeup on herself was a way to decompress.

“It felt good when I wasn’t in uniform,” she says. “I wasn’t on duty, and was able to express my individuality.”

During her time of service, Graham Tankuh recalls facing strict limits regarding selfexpression and grooming.

“Back when I was in, you couldn’t wear red lipstick in uniform. You couldn’t wear certain