
Cerinah Tugume’s Journey from Corporate Life to Building Serene Beauty
Cerinah Tugume, the founder of Serene Beauty, has navigated a path from corporate employment to entrepreneurship, building a business centred on bridal beauty and makeup services in Uganda. Born in Kampala, Cerinah is the third of five siblings, known for her outgoing and friendly personality. Her journey into the beauty world began at the age of 10, following her diagnosis with vitiligo, a skin condition that encouraged her to explore makeup as a means of self-expression and confidence.
“I came into this industry because of a condition called vitiligo, and because of it, I learnt to do my makeup,” Cerinah recalls.
From these early experiences, Cerinah’s skills grew through practice and experimentation. As she became proficient, friends and family began requesting her makeup services, especially for weddings and special occasions. This small side activity gradually developed into a passion for helping others feel confident and prepared for significant moments. By 2008, she had her first major experience in bridal makeup, doing makeup for a friend’s wedding.
“I found so much joy in being part of the start of a woman’s wedding day by doing her makeup and helping her to look beautiful,” she notes.
While her beauty work grew, Cerinah’s academic and career path followed a different route. She studied Statistics at Makerere University and later pursued a master’s degree in Economic Policy and Planning. Cerinah entered formal employment, holding positions such as Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Ministry of Education, a corporate social responsibility and marketing role at Hima Cement, and a brief time with Rift Valley Railways. Her final corporate position was as Head of Corporate Communications at Vivo Energy, where she spent six years. Throughout her career, Cerinah continued with her side work in makeup, a pursuit she maintained on weekends while balancing the demands of her corporate responsibilities and family life.
In 2019, Cerinah decided to leave her corporate role and focus fully on her makeup business. “I was a new mother, juggling family, work, and a side hustle,” she reflects, acknowledging the difficulty of managing multiple roles. The choice to exit a stable job in corporate communications was met with mixed reactions from family and friends, who were uncertain about the timing. However, Cerinah’s husband Andrew, whom she married in 2015, supported her choice.
“My husband knew I was leaving Vivo for the best and he had agreed to support me through the thought process,” Cerinah says, adding that she had prepared him for her career shift over time.
Three years before officially stepping away from Vivo Energy, Cerinah rented premises for her growing side business and registered it as Serene Beauty. Her long-term planning allowed her to gradually scale up the business while balancing her corporate job. By 2016, she had also partnered with Priscilla Mutanda to help manage the expanding workload.
“Partnerships are excellent,” she notes. “You cannot do everything, but you have to know the person; they have to be honest and dependable even in hard times.” With shared responsibilities, the two grew Serene Beauty into a full-service bridal beauty business, offering makeup, hair, manicures, pedicures, massages, and even accommodations to meet the needs of bridal clients.
In the years since its inception, Serene Beauty has faced various challenges common in the beauty industry in Uganda. Many local businesses in this field rely on employees with limited formal training, which can affect service quality. To meet client expectations, Cerinah invests in training for her team, aiming to bring their skills in line with industry standards. “Our beauty industry is not well developed, so we have had to inject a lot into our employees to take them to the standards our customers expect,” Cerinah explains.
Additionally, the high costs of quality cosmetics and the taxes associated with them present financial hurdles. Cerinah approaches these challenges pragmatically, choosing not to compromise on product quality.
“I do not waste my money on poor quality or cheap makeup because it does a bad job and is bad for your health,” she remarks.
Another factor in Serene Beauty’s growth has been Cerinah’s involvement in Business Network International (BNI), a group that fosters networking and business referrals. She believes this network has been instrumental in expanding her client base through recommendations from other members.
“You can’t lose when you deliver quality and build networks,” she says.
Looking ahead, Cerinah has plans to expand Serene Beauty’s offerings, particularly in the area of wedding services. She envisions the salon becoming part of a larger network that can provide comprehensive services for weddings, aiming to ease some of the stress typically associated with wedding planning.
“I want to be part of a large team that offers services across the board to eliminate wedding stress,” she explains. Her objective is to streamline the wedding experience, addressing areas that often place pressure on couples and families.
Cerinah’s commitment to her business reflects a mix of personal motivation and practical planning. Beginning with an interest born out of her own experience with vitiligo, she has developed a career focused on offering services that help others feel prepared and confident on significant days in their lives. As Serene Beauty grows, Cerinah remains focused on quality and consistent service to solidify the salon’s position in Uganda’s bridal beauty industry.