Beauty is an energy that we all possess - Anum Manzoor

beauty interview

Anum Manzoor has always been an ardent admirer of artists in the beauty industry. Having a knack for art during her childhood, she started playing around with makeup which eventually led her to pursue it professionally. “I was always good at arts, but what really inspired me to begin with was a supportive friend who pushed me to break all the conventional barriers and step out of my comfort zone. All of this led me to a professional crash course that I did from French Fashion Institute ESMOD Dubai in the year 2017. I’ve only done this one course and the rest is all self-taught,” tells Anum. About starting her business, she shares, “I began my professional career in October 2018. I was working with a Digital Marketing firm which gave me the stimulus and the know-how to bring to life my own sustainable Business/Art Profile @numsoli. I am being very ambitious these days; a full-fledged new studio/salon is under construction.”

This week with You! Anum talks about all that is trending in makeup, her best tips and what the future holds for her...

You! What’s your signature style?

Anum Manzoor: Playful, subtle and artistic. My work is very freehand; I don’t essentially follow the handbook of rules. I work very much like a painter works on their canvas, expressing my art with highlights/contours, textures and simplistic techniques.

You! What’s latest in makeup this season?

AM: The infamous no-Makeup look (that can be achieved with a concealer, lip balm and just a hint of mascara). Pop of colour with a coloured eyeliner/mascara is a quick and easy way to add some playfulness to your look. Glossy Lips! Slowly but surely we’ve seen glossy lips pop up more and more often as they’re undeniably sexy and make the lips look dewy and hydrated.

You! What makeup trends are totally over?

AM: Blunt contouring, matte and overdrawn lips.

You! What kind of hair styles are in this season?

AM: Romantic curls, effortless/soft beachy waves, bubble braids, textured ponytails and all sorts of creative braided hairstyles and buns.

You! What kinds of looks are popular among brides-to be?

AM: A huge trend that has been dominating for a while now is neutralising the makeup look and making it more profound and self-expressive. For the brides-to-be, an elegantly glamorous look with natural looking contour, luminous skin, va-v-voom lashes and subtly defined eyes is in this season.

You! Are there any trends that you absolutely love?

AM: One trend that I am absolutely in love with these days is graphic eyes and glowy skin. Different eye shadow colour combinations paired with translucent lip sheen and a healthy complexion are something that I love creating.

You! What are your three favourite makeup products?

AM: Benefit benetint, Ofra Beverly Hills highlighter and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

You! Three makeup brands that you love:

AM: NARS, Huda Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury.

You! Are women in Pakistan becoming more experimental when it comes to makeup?

AM: The new generation is definitely becoming more experimental with makeup, but I feel there is still hesitation among women when it comes to experimenting and trying new makeup trends. Makeup is a form of expression to exalt your beauty and confidence, so experiment, make mistakes and enjoy the process!

You! What are some of the most common beauty mistakes that women tend to make?

AM: Not choosing the right colours for their skin tones, playing up both the eyes and the lips. Applying TOO much makeup - little goes a long way. Not prepping the skin before makeup and not blending. Blending is the key to makeup application whether it’s eye shadow, contour, blush etc.

You! What are the three must-haves products a woman should always have?

AM: A lipstick that makes her feel confident, a brow pencil and mascara. You can conquer the world with the right lipstick!

You! What are some of the colours a woman of regular Eastern skin tone should never try?

AM: Makeup is a personal preference but there are colours that complement skin tones better than others. When choosing a foundation never go for a shade lighter than your skin tone. The lighter shade must only be used for highlighting, not for concealing.

You! As we are approaching winter, what colours you suggest for women to wear when it comes to makeup?

AM: It’s all about small yet impactful uses of colourful eye shadows this winter. Soft shades like pink and purple are going to be the most common eye shadow colours in the fall/winter 2019-2020. It’s time to play around with soft, girlish makeup styles! The fashion smoky eye and glossy lids/lips are also going to make a huge impact this season.

You! A makeup tip you would like to share with your readers?

AM: Confidence. When you are confident everything looks good on you! LESS IS MORE!

You! What are the biggest challenges that makeup artists face?

AM: It’s not always glamorous! There are numerous challenges while choosing makeup artistry as a profession. Often 12-14 hours on a shoot set/location with many changes over a short period of time require you to be good with attention to detail and to move quickly. To be a great makeup artist you have to read people, their moods, their energies, likes and dislikes. There will always be difficult clients; but for every difficult client, there are 10 amazing clients that love your work and remind you why you love your work.

You! How do you wish to make a change in the beauty scene in Karachi/Lahore?

AM: To me, beauty is an energy that we all possess; that comes from the soul and radiates through the skin and face. Just the simple understanding of this concept is what I would like to impart through my campaigns, in not just these cities, but also every other city in this country. And hopefully, the world, where they would come to realise that complexes and unrealistic standards of beauty are pointless paths of no return.

You! What is the most important aspect of your job?

AM: Long hours of working in close connection with countless people makes you connected to everyone and gives you a sense of pride when they go out happy and confident to embrace their big day, their important events or to slay a shoot.

You! Do you think social media (especially Instagram) are good tools to popularise your work?

AM: They are the best tools for budding artists, especially beauticians. In this day and age, immediate appraisals, criticisms, connections, collaborations and conversations all happen with these tools like they never did before.

You! What are your future endeavours?

AM: I plan on making @numsoli a worldwide phenomenon; at least that’s the dream, like they say: “Dream, until your dreams come true.”