Makeup is not just some cosmetics that we use but, it is, in fact, a necessity. Every woman is indeed beautiful in her way. What makeup does is, it uplifts the natural beauty of a woman. There are two types of people in the world of makeup – makeup enthusiasts and makeup artists.
The field of makeup artistry is no less than any creative artwork. A successful makeup artist has passion, diligence, and a love for makeup. One such successful celebrity makeup artist in India is Meenakshi Dutt, who has made quite the name in the industry in our country and globally. She is known for her spectacular makeup skills that make us fall in love with the idea of makeup, itself. Meenakshi Dutt is a makeup queen; there is no doubt about it.
This Delhi based celebrity makeup artist has established several salons as well as academies in the cities of Delhi, Noida, Agra, Kanpur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Rohtak.
Interview with Makeup Artist Meenakshi Dutt
So, The Voice Of Woman recently got in touch with this successful, charismatic and hardworking makeup artist to get a sneak peek on her life as a makeup artist, and some tips about bridal makeup and skin care routine.
We would love to know how your journey as a makeup artist began?
Makeup Artist Meenakshi DuttMy journey as a makeup artist began about 23 years ago when I was modeling. I was trying to change my career, then, someone suggested that, as a model, I should have good makeup skills as well and that I should take up doing makeup as a hobby. So, for starters, I helped with the makeup and hair for the models during shoots. Then, one day, I got paid for my makeup work, which encouraged me to pursue this as a profession on a serious note.
My husband was not very keen about my decision and wanted me to keep trying for more acting options, or become a choreographer or become a photographer. But I was adamant about my decision because I finally knew that I was good at something. I did have my doubts about being able to do the work professionally, but I knew that I did have good hands for makeup. I trusted myself and decided to try in this field for a few years. So, this decision eventually helped me find my inner calling, and I really started to concentrate on my makeup skills.
How do you maintain your work-life balance?
Initially, maintaining a work-life balance was not easy physically. But mentally, it was easy, as you know, when you are determined to do something in life, nothing seems difficult.
In between all these, I already had one child, and just when my career started to take off, my second child was born. So, definitely, there were a lot of problems, but I had a lot of support from my husband, my parents who were always there. Most importantly, I also had very good domestic help, who further helped me a lot.
As a mother, we all know there are a lot of responsibilities, but I have a lot of energy, willpower, and multitasking skills, which helped me manage everything. The idea of hard work never ever scared me!
Which profession would you have pursued, if not a makeup artist?
Becoming a makeup artist was never a profession I really chose. Maybe If I kept on continuing my modeling, I might have pursued my acting career.
Makeup Artist Meenakshi DuttWhat is your skincare advice to the brides-to-be before a bridal makeup routine?
Skincare is the most important part of everybody’s life, especially for brides-to-be. Makeup indeed does magic, but its effect is temporary, and eventually, everyone will see you without makeup. Skincare routine is very important so, start taking care of your skin at least 6 months in advance!
Eat healthy, drink juice, concentrate on positive thoughts, and try doing exercises or yoga, which helps in healing your skin.
You can also go for face cleanups once a week, and facials once a month. Avoid too many chemical treatments, and stick to home remedies. Don’t get any laser treatment or anything that involves strong chemicals before your marriage, as it will take quite some time for your skin to heal. You can go for such treatments if there is a time of one or two years or even after marriage.
What is the skincare mantra that you religiously follow?
I wash my face with water first thing in the morning and then use my toning mist. You can use any brand, and the use of toning mist is essential as it hydrates your skin.
After the toning mist, I use either serum or oil or moisturizer along with sunscreen for further hydration and skin protection. Also, I do love to use a homemade face pack thrice a week and have my facials done once in twenty days, which clears my skin and relaxes my face muscles.
My night skincare routine does have more steps than my day skincare routine. In my night skincare routine, I clean my face with a makeup cleaning product to remove any traces of makeup and then use a face wash, followed by my vitamin C serum, eye serum, and then, at last, I use my night cream.
Our readers would love to know which bridal makeup look is in demand?
As far as I have seen in my salon, out of ten to fifteen brides, one or two brides wish to have a soft bridal makeup look. The glamorous decked up bridal makeup look is more in demand with more emphasis on the eyes with mostly red lipstick.
Why do some girls have skin breakouts after putting on makeup? Any advice for such situations?
In most cases, girls have skin breakouts after putting on makeup because of very sensitive skin. You must apply a pre base using a moisturizer, sunscreen, and a good primer on your face before applying your makeup.
A primer is very important as it acts as a barrier between your skin and the makeup. What the primer does is, it prevents the seepage of makeup into your skin pores and makes your makeup long-lasting.
The use of clean brushes, sponges for applying your makeup is also a must. The reuse of brushes and sponges without cleaning is the main reason for skin breakouts. Using expired products or not using products according to your skin type also leads to skin breakouts.
For Oily skin – water-based or gel-based products are recommended.
For Dry skin- oil-based products are recommended.
Apart from these, we all know that skin outbreaks also can occur due to other reasons such as bad eating habits, anxiety.
How are you spending time during this lockdown?
With the lockdown, as we have nowhere to go and with a lot of free time to chill, I start my day as per my liking. I try to be active on social media, do some makeup tutorials, and interact with my fans. I have been cooking for my children as well during this lockdown, something which I haven’t done for a long time. Other than that, I stay busy most of the time watching the news about everything that is happening around. I also do meditation and breathing exercises if required, as I feel anxious sometimes during this lockdown.
We would love to hear from you about any effective beauty home remedies for a natural bridal glow.
Effective beauty home remedies for natural bridal glow can include the use of lemon, honey, tomato juice, curd, papaya, banana, dried orange peel powder, milk mixed with honey, and the list goes on. Applying any of these on your skin daily for a few months will give a natural glow with no skin breakouts.
If you all have noticed your grandmothers, they all used to apply simply malai, ghee, or coconut oils on their faces, which used to make their skin shine with minimal wrinkles or acne problems. Following home remedies regularly results in a fresh and glowing skin.
What beauty tips would you like to share with the girls who are eagerly waiting for the lockdown to end to get married?
For the girls whose weddings got postponed and are waiting for all this to end, this is the perfect time to take care of your skin and hair, and the only chance you will ever get to pamper your skin and care properly. Try using hair packs and face packs on alternate days as much as possible.
Even, I am taking care of my skin, hair, and my wellbeing during this lockdown for a month now, and I can already see the positive effects on my skin.
What are the hurdles that you have faced as a makeup artist?
There have been some ups and downs. I think there are hurdles in every profession. As a makeup artist, firstly, I wasn’t well paid initially due to the low popularity of the profession. Gradually with the increasing importance of the idea of makeup, I started receiving better payments.
Moreover, on achieving fame, along with the appreciation for my work, I had to face some criticism as well. For instance, even if 95 percent of my clients would appreciate my work, there would be five percent of clients who would criticise, which can be damaging for my image as a makeup artist. Also, in today’s time, where everyone uses a lot of social media, amongst thousands of positive comments, it takes only a single negative comment to capture everyone’s attention, a fundamental human nature.
Lastly, the increasing competition in the field with many newcomers as makeup artists is another hurdle. However, I caught up with the competition evolving my style to suit and meet the demand of my clients. I do thank god for everything turning out well and good for me.
How is your experience with your daughter, Shivangi Dutt who is as well on board in the makeup artist field?
Meenakshi DuttMy experience with my daughter in this field is pretty good. She is trying her best, working as a freelance makeup artist for celebs, magazine shoots, and working with me as well to further hone her skills.
Any messages that you would love to share for our readers regarding skin care during this lockdown.
For the readers of The Voice of Woman, I will suggest that this is the right time to take care of your health, hair, and skincare and your mind as well. With so many tutorials available on social media nowadays, you will definitely find a suitable regime for you and do follow it religiously. If you try following a simple skin care routine during this time, eventually, it will become a part of your daily routine in the future, which will keep your skin healthy.
Also, take care, stay safe, and do follow the government norms set to fight this pandemic situation. I also want to say that let us all be responsible citizens and help each other out by staying at home so that we can return to our normal lives. Bye-bye♥
` Meenakshi Dutt