In conversation with Make-up Artist Ambreen

A summary of my conversation with UK’s Celebrity Make-up artist, Ambreen. We talked about all things makeup and some amazing beauty tips & tricks.

interview with makeup artist ambreen

When it comes to bridal makeup or makeup in general, we all have various questions. We are always looking for some tips from the experts of the beauty industry, especially during this time when the world is going through so much. With this thought in mind, I recently did an Insta live chat with Make-up artist Ambreen, where she shared her insights on all things makeup. Ambreen is a celebrity make-up artist based in the UK, she has worked with various top celebrities and brands like M.A.C, OK magazine, etc. So, here are the things that she shared with me on the live chat. You can checkout more such blogs here.

Celebrity makeup artist

I started the conversation by asking her how the lockdown has been and how it has impacted the beauty industry, and she gave a very positive answer. According to her, it has been a tough time, but social media has played a very important role during this time and has helped people connect more. It has allowed people to know and get in touch with people we don’t usually have a chance to speak to. She thinks now people are doing more things online. Everyone is doing lives, online tutorials, sharing their daily routines, their favorite products. It has given a lot of make-up artists a great platform and a chance to connect with their audience.

Bride in red lehenga

She also thinks that the way we look at weddings will change after this. According to her weddings will be lavish and beautiful but, they’ll become more intimate. People will focus more on who they want at their wedding, rather than inviting 400-500 people you don’t even know. She believes that the lockdown has given us all a new perspective on a lot of things, and we have started to look at life differently.

simple bridal makeup

The work of a make-up artist has always fascinated me, so I asked her about the best thing about her job, and she says, “The job of a make-up artist is a very feel-good job. When you get someone ready, be it for their wedding, shoot, or an event you make them look a certain way that they want, and when they look at themselves, they feel more confident, and it gives great job satisfaction. Especially for weddings, as it is the most important day of a woman’s life and it feels amazing to be a part of it.”

makeup artist uk

She also gave some great advice for all the aspiring makeup artists out there. She asks them to always be prepared for early and long hours. She advises them to remember that things take a while to build up, to get to a certain stage where you are comfortable with the work you are getting, but you must not give up. It can take weeks, months, years, but you will get there if you are determined. She asks them to focus on what you have as an artist and to always stay on trend as people are drawn to what’s trending.

glittery eye makeup

I was very curious to know one make-up tip that she would like to give to people and she emphasized that one should always prep the skin before doing makeup, as it gives the makeup a good base and helps it last much longer. Her suggestion was to use a moisturizer, primer, eye cream, and something to condition your lips. And when asked about the 5 must-have product in a woman’s vanity, these are the products she recommended, “For me its concealer, mascara, lip liner, blush and something for your brows. With these 5 products, you have got the whole face covered.”

wedding portraits

On being asked about the one product she can’t work without she said, “I will have to say my brushes. If I didn’t have my brushes, I wouldn’t be able to apply any product on my brides and I can’t apply it with my fingers.”

uk makeup artist

Looking at Ambreen’s amazing skin, I couldn’t resist myself from asking her for some skincare tips and she advices to read about your skin type, try a few products and brands to see what works best for you. She recommends following a skincare routine, using a good face wash, eye cream, moisturizer, toner, and exfoliating followed by a mask once a week.

indian bridal makeup

I really love all the bridal makeup looks she creates, so I wanted to get her insights on the key bridal make-up trends of the year to which she says, “I think less is going to be more.” According to her brides nowadays are already stepping away from the flamboyant makeup that we had years ago, they want to look more natural. And with weddings getting more intimate brides are going to opt for less makeup than they normally would.

My chat with Ambreen really helped me gain an in-depth knowledge of the beauty industry  and I would like to thank her for that. I hope it is helpful for you too.

Women’s Day- Let’s Celebrate Woman Power!!

March 8 marks the International Women’s Day, the day to celebrate the woman power. Although the celebration is perpetual, this is a day that symbolises the pride and glory of womanhood.

It has been well-said by African-American poet Mary Angelou-“How important it is for us to recognise and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” Women’s Day is the opportunity to recognise the achievements of she-roes across the globe- the famous ones and the unsung ones alike.

Women have achieved a lot more than men today. We are born to multi-task, which gives them the amazing ability to juggle their domestic and professional responsibilities so effortlessly.

I believe we all have a life of our own and the right to live it the way we want to. Let’s come together and be the change! Make Your Own Choices – Take the first Step to fulfill the dreams we dream and make them a reality!

 “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous”. Coco Chanel
Whether it is about what you wear or where you work, it is you who should be empowered with these choices. Why should anyone make the decisions for you? And while you make these choices, let them reflect class and dignity.

Chase Your Dreams
“Give a girl the right shoes, and she will conquer the world”. Marilyn Monroe
You are as capable as your male counterparts, and you have proved this everywhere. You just need the right opportunities and confidence and capabilities will take you right on the top.

Learn To Rise after You Fall
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” Oprah Winfrey
You have the resilience to rise after you fall and the courage to take failures in a stride. You learn from failures rather than let them stop you from going ahead.

Break Conventions
“Well behaved women rarely make history.”  Eleanor Roosevelt
Be brave enough to swim against the tide and break conventions. Dare to be different and do what you think is right.

Value Your Independence
“A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” Melinda Gates
Aspire to be independent- financially, emotionally, and physically. You don’t need to depend on a man to live your life.

Be Yourself
“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are. Ellen Degeneres
And most importantly, love who you are and just be yourself!

Let’s wish the most special women in our lives- the mother, the wives, the daughters, the sisters, the friends and the colleagues. Happy Women’s Day!<Motivat

Sheetal Sharma Stylist for Raees, shares his Experience of Working With Sharukh Khan

This time I got an opportunity to get an insight into Bollywood. I had a brief chat with Sheetal Sharma, the man behind the looks of SRK and Mahira Khan in the upcoming movie “Raees”. Talking to Sheetal was an amazing experience as I realized how important is the contribution of people behind the curtains and the efforts they put in to make a movie successful. We swoon over the looks of the film stars but hardly ever give a second thought to the people whose efforts make those characters life-like.

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The interview with Sheetal Sharma was an eye-opener in many ways as there was so much I learnt about the research that goes behind making a movie successful. Sheetal is a very approachable person and I was super-excited about talking to him.
Sheetal, tell me about your career….how did you start as a costume designer?

SS: I started my career in 2010, with a film called “Miss Lovely”. It was a great start for me as the movie was appreciated all over and acclaimed at several international film festivals including Cannes. I also got a chance to design costumes for “Don 2”, “Bobby Jasoos” and “Katti Batti”. “Raees” is my latest project and probably one of my best till date.

Tell us something about working with Rahul Dholakia?

Working with Rahul Dholakia was a great experience. He is a wonderful director with an eye for detail. It was actually Rahul himself who offered me several references for the look he wanted for Shahrukh. Being a Gujarati, Rahul had a fair idea what exactly he was looking for, a blend of modernity and old school style from the eighties. And the best part was that he never let me know that I was designing for SRK so that the look would not be stereotyped, so he gave me synopsis so that I could create a small town guy look for the hero.

And what about Mahira Khan? How was it working with her?

Mahira is a natural, I got some samples done for her before we started and she loved them all. Her looks were supposed to be kept organic, as she portrays a charming village girl from the 70s ad 80s. Her outfits were mostly in malmal and other natural fabrics embellished with delicate embroideries, with matching bangles and a diamond nose pin. There are Ghararas and short kurtis, most of them casual and simple. We decided to keep the makeup simple and gentle too and Mahira loved her look in the movie. Her outfits for “Zaalima” are being appreciated and the black ghagra is my favorite.

So how was the experience of designing Shahrukh’s “Raees” look? And I must say that you’ve created quite a stir with this one…..

Designing Shahrukh Khan for “Raees” was a pleasure because he is one such actor who is very open to experimenting with his looks. He even came up with some suggestions during the trials so that we could make the character as real as possible. He dons Pathani suits most of the time and looks cool in them. The surma or kohl gave him a menacing look and it is catching on with the youth. It was great that SRK was ready to try my suggestion with the eye makeup. His Sunglasses were custom designed, exclusively for him after creating a 3D model of his face so that they can fit him perfectly.

We see SRK in different looks in the movie promos. Tell us something about these looks.

Yes, SRK has three looks in the movie. His character sees transition from a young guy to that of a mature politician. He starts with casual looks, all basics like pant-shirts and jeans. And then comes, the Pathani suit look, which is well complemented by his surma clad eyes, glares and neat, masculine stubble.  SRK is quite a perfectionist and he works at ground level when it comes to getting into character. The styling sessions with him were very detailed.

What research did you put in while designing all these looks for the “Raees” actors?

As I told before, I conceptualized the looks from the 70s and 80s. Also, I asked some friends and their friends for their family albums to get a feel of those typical Gujarati characters of that era. For Shahrukh, I was inspired by a relative of a friend, someone I spotted in a wedding album. I shared the look with SRK and he was ready to try it out. And when I came up with all the ideas, Rahul was more than happy with them.


Share your experiences about working for “Raees”.

With a theme film like “Raees”, costumes play a vital role in capturing the spirit of the movie. Whether it was styling Shahrukh, Mahira or the 60+ cast members of the movie, the entire experience was amazing. We worked hard for almost 9-10 months on the costumes, without any holidays or weekends. But I would say that it was an enriching experience. And it feels good when people appreciate the work we do.

What about your future plans?

I have a few more projects lined up for the future and hope to continue with the good work.

I am sure your other projects will be equally interesting, Sheetal and I look forward to watch Shah Rukh and Mahira in action this weekend. With this, I ended my conversation with Sheetal Sharma and wished him luck for the release of “Raees”. I also told him that I loved Shahrukh’s and Mahira’s looks in the movie and hope that the audience would love it too.

In Conversation with Nakuul Mehta

After having written mostly about fashion, places, products or food, this time I want to write about an interesting conversation with a popular TV personality. I recently had the privilege to meet the versatile and creative Indian TV actor, and now a budding content creator, Nakuul Mehta.

Recently in London with his charming wife Jankee, to spend the New Year’s Eve at Newland Manor among a vibrant Indian community, who then went off to explore the local sights and enjoy the exquisite flavours of London.

Being in the television industry for 4 years and earlier a theatre performer, acting is now engrained in his DNA. So much that he can play an array of roles with ease. Whether it was the boy next door ‘Adi’ of ‘Pyaar Ka Dard’ or a proud and arrogant Shivay Singh Oberoi of ‘Ishqbaaz’; he can play both the characters with equal ease. According to him, the impact of television is such that you not only end up taking a bit of character back home, but people also start assuming that you are that kind of a person in real life. Not that he is complaining, it just shows how evolved is his acting now, over the years. We may perhaps need to ask the Mrs. on who is Nakuul Mehta after all?

Apart from acting and hosting shows like India’s Got Talent, he has also made a mark as an excellent content creator. He has, through his own production company, produced his first and fairly popular web series called ‘I Don’t Watch TV’, which is one of my favourites too, as it unravels the rollercoaster ride undergone by TV actors, much like a behind the scenes kind of a show. By the way, he coined the title himself for his lack of time to watch TV; isn’t it ironic for a TV actor?
Click Below to watch the Full Interview

It was a lovely surprise for me when I heard about his Rajput royal lineage from Mewar of Rajasthan. Talent runs in the family, with his Dad writing his first coffee table book called ‘Guns and Glory: Rajputana Chronicles’ for which he had put years of research into the rich and colourful culture, arts and foods of the Rajputs. I can’t wait to lay our hand on this one!!

An optimistic Nakuul believes in taking each day as it comes and considers life as a journey which is to be enjoyed. Being ever so present and connected with his fans and followers, on social media handles like Twitter and Instagram, gives him an opportunity to make an engaging connection with them as an artist. Though he did admit to being less active on Facebook and very new to the whole social media community, we gladly offered him some tips on mastering this complex web… 🙂

It is often interesting to connect and understand the lives of other creative people like Nakuul and Jankee. I was happy to recommend them some awesome places to visit, while the couple was in London for a week. I am sure that after this well-deserved break, he is all set to return to Mumbai with a bang. Here’s to a great start of 2017!

Here is also a fun video from Behind the Scenes on the Interview Day

A Chat With Maral Yazarloo

maral yazarloo
These days, I find myself coming across these wonderful, talented people from the fashion industry and am amazed at just how highly accomplished they are. I recently interviewed Maral Yazarloo, an upcoming designer of Iranian origin, who has now set shop in India, having fallen in love with the country. I first saw her collection at the Fashion Scout Show, London, in September 2015 and couldn’t help but gush over her how lovely and distinctive it was.

Fashion-Scout-London-Maral-Yazarloo(Snippets of Maral’s Fashion Showcase at London Fashion Week SS16 2016- Fashion Scout Event)

When I got the opportunity to chat with her, I was impressed at how multifaceted Maral’s personality and life is! Though she is now very passionately involved in the fashion industry, that’s far from what she was academically trained to do. She first came to India to do her MBA from Pune and now has a PhD in marketing as well. Aside from managing her fashion brand, she is currently also the head of marketing for a realty company called Panchshil.

So, you’re probably wondering how she ended up having an exclusive fashion store in Pune? It doesn’t seem to fit in, does it? Well, even though she was academically pursuing business studies, she had a keen interest in fashion, right from when she was a little girl. She laughs as she remembers how she always had an opinion on what she would wear, often designing her own clothes so they were completely unique. That little girl’s fashion sensitivity led the young Maral to finally take up fashion seriously; she signed up for a design course at IED, Milan, following which, she began her experiments in fashion with a team of just two other people in Pune.

maral yazarloo 3(Maral’s JW Marriot Fashion Store – which houses her collections in India)

Once Maral started designing her own line, it was sheer hard-work and uncompromising determination that led her to where she is today. Just think about it; she created a whopping 600+ designs before launching in Paris! I think there couldn’t have been a better reward than to be debuting internationally in the world’s fashion Mecca. She has also showcased her collection in Rome and London ever since, and is now gearing up for a show in Dubai on February 6.

While this long list of achievements in such a short span of time is certainly commendable, it is her slightly-bohemian, very adventurous take on life that fascinates me. Ask her to describe herself and she says “Being an avid traveller and having visited over 60 countries, I am tough and adventurous by nature and this justifies my hobbies like biking, karate, bag-packing! I am a frank person by nature who loves children, enjoys visiting new places and I make memories wherever I go!”  What she didn’t mention here is that she excels at her hobbies too! She holds the record for Harley Davidson Lady Rider in India and was also the first lady owner of BMW and Ducati here. I mean, I’m forced to ask, does Maral also moonlight as Wonder Woman?

maral yazarloo 7

Maral is a dedicated person who believes in hard work and following her passion, while designing beautiful clothes. One major portion of her work that requires much personal attention is the unique custom clothing made for Indian brides. These one-of-a-kind pieces she designs are truly stunning. When I saw her work at the Fashion Scout Show, the brilliant colours and exquisite thread-work, really had me going gaga. As I mention this to her, she admits that the vibrancy in her designs comes from a fusion of Asian, Middle-Eastern and Western styles. She borrows the western notion of cuts, designs and silhouettes and brings them to life using fabrics and hues from Iran, India and Turkmenistan. No wonder her pieces are so unique!

Today, Maral has an extensive range of clothing with a variety of styles. She even has a range for women bikers who can enjoy their city travels in chic, comfy clothing from her collection. My personal favourite is her fusion line; the clothes are so striking yet elegant, you could wear them almost anywhere. The bridal lehengas she makes are also spectacular, with lovely detailing using pearls, Swarovski or Zari work. Here’s the full list of her current collections:

maral-1

Maral Smiles: Casual line with lower-end pieces, priced between 2000 – 15/20k INR.

Ma/Ya – Bridal line

Maral Peace – Resort wear

Maral Platino – Accessories

Maral Junior – Kids-wear

Maral Loco – Leather collection (for bikers).

Needless to say, I am mighty impressed with Maral’s fashion journey. She mentioned that she will be soon embarking on a long bike ride from India to Alaska to experience different cultures and get inspiration for her new pieces. I can’t wait to see what wonderful designs this adventure trip inspires!

Hand Stamped Phonetics Greeting Cards by Sew Bloom

Before I get into the crux of the matter that’s on my mind today, I have to say; I’m one of those people who loves meeting new people and getting an insight into their dreams and aspirations. I recently came in contact with a talented lady who wants to capitalize upon her art and crafting abilities with a very unique idea.

The catch however is that Hannah Bloom needs some funding. So she has posted her project on Kickstarter and hopes to get sufficient positive response to see her project through. If you don’t know what Kickstarter is all about, let me give you an idea. It’s a platform where people publish their project outline, requesting those interested in “rewards” (products/services) offered therein to pledge funds for the same. If the project is able to receive its target funding within a specific time period, all the pledges need be paid in exchange for the promised rewards. But if the target funding isn’t met, the project doesn’t go through – no pledges paid, no rewards received. So, essentially, with a Kickstarter project, it’s all or nothing; either you make sure you raise funds, or well, better luck finding funds elsewhere.

SewBloom

When I went through Hannah’s project on Kickstarter, I was instantly taken in by her idea and spirit. She is basically a crafts aficionado who makes various kinds of novelties under the brand-name “Sew Bloom”.  Her current venture is a range of Hand-Stamped Phonetics Greeting Cards for which she need some support. I am really eager to bolster her efforts because I found her project to be very different, creative and fun.

So here is what Hannah’s trying to do; she wants to make eco-friendly greeting cards which are hand stamped with simple messages in their phonetic transcription. She got the idea while flipping through an old dictionary and got fascinated by phonetic transcriptions’ of simple words. Interestingly, her first experiment was an “I love You” card, which in my personal opinion, looks incredibly striking and chic. Though the current greeting cards are a limited range, she would like to expand it with custom-made messages if her project is successful. These cards would be great for gifting to a loved one – they can be framed, set up on mantles, hung on the wall – the possibilities are endless. Since they are handmade and stamped personally be her, each card is unique too. I personally extend my wholehearted support to Hannah for I love the idea behind it; beautifully engraved messages, in an off-beat phonetic expression. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Check out her work here at

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sewbloom/hand-stamped-phonetics-greeting-cards-by-sew-bloom

Just like me, you’ll love it too!