close
You

My work allows a lot of creativity – Naureen Nawaz

By Erum Noor Muzaffar
Tue, 01, 21

In an exclusive interview with You! Naureen talks about her work and new trends in hair and makeup in 2021…

beauty

Naureen Nawaz is a trained makeup artist who has been in the beauty industry for three years now. Though Naureen is relatively new in this field, she has always been fascinated by beauty and glamour. “As a teenager, I always loved to dress up, I used to do makeup on my friends and women in my family, with time my interest grew and I thought to do it professionally.

I found this profession extremely suitable for myself since it allows a lot of creativity and complements my inborn knack for fashion and glamour,” says Naureen. In order to enhance her makeup skills, Naureen took basic training from Toni&Guy, Lahore and then went to M.A.C. makeup school in NYC for advance training.

She then took franchise from Peng and opened her salon in KDA, Karachi. In an exclusive interview with You! Naureen talks about her work and new trends in hair and makeup in 2021…

You! What inspired you to become a makeup artist?

Naureen Nawaz: I found Mario really inspiring; he just needs a brush to create all the magic. So, all the inspiration comes from it.

You! What are the makeup trends in 2021?

NN: Makeup trends have changed a lot over the years. Now, we keep it very subtle and minimal. In 2021, focus will be more on the skin; everyone wants their skin to look flawless and soft. So in my opinion, flawless skin, smouldering eyeliner with heavy mascara, a nude pink lipstick with a sleek tight bun would do the magic!

You! What is the easiest way to do a dramatic smokey eye for a party?

NN: Whenever you want to go out in evening or party, smokey eye is your thing! Smokey eye can be done really easily by only using an eye pencil or a kajal! You just need to put a transition shade, apply kajal and blend it!

You! What makeup trends are totally over?

NN: I guess colourful eyes and really dark blush is not in trend anymore! You don’t want to match the eye shadow with your dress anymore, it’s more about neutral tones now (gold, silver, bronze).

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

NN: I really like tight sleek buns, high pony tails and beach waves.

You! It’s shaadi season, what kind of look is in among brides-to be?

NN: I like brides, especially on baraat, to go with traditional look, gold or bronze eyes with beautiful red lips, a few brides choose to go with nude lips too these days, and I totally enjoy giving that look too!

You! The must-have beauty products - every girl and every woman should have?

NG: A good mascara, lip colour, concealer and a moisturiser!

You! What cosmetic products do you use on a regular basis?

NN: I use Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream, mascara and lipstick.

You! Scrubs and masks are everywhere. Do they really work or you recommend regular facials?

NN: Scrubs and masks surely gives you a good skin routine, you can apply them twice in a week, but I really do recommend my clients to have a good facial in one or two months depending on the age and type of skin they have.

You! What are some common beauty mistakes that women make?

NN: Mostly women don’t understand the importance of having a good skin while getting the makeup done, it’s really important to take care of your skin if you want the ‘flawless skin’. Sometimes they don’t use the right product according to their skin or the right order to use all the products. So it’s really important to know what you are using and how it has to be used.

You! When a customer asks you for a makeup style or hair cut that is unsuitable for them. How do you handle it?

NN: Usually I guide them that how is it going to look and clients listens to me, if there’s someone who doesn’t want to listen, I do what they like and later if they want to get it changed, I do it for them (at least then they know what I was talking about).

You! What is the biggest challenge makeup artists face?

NN: I think the biggest challenge these days is to convince clients to embrace themselves. Social media has set unrealistic beauty standards and it’s really difficult to make them understand that the picture is edited or it’s only for the Instagram! Nobody's is flawless and you need to embrace your flaws. That’s what makes you beautiful.

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

NN: Always apply a good moisturiser or primer to make your foundation look flawless.

You! What's your signature style?

NG: I love doing brown smokey eyes, with heavy mascara and nude pink lips.

You! How do you handle irritable clients?

NN: I listen whatever they want to say, explain them thoroughly and understand what they want to get done. So when they are done with makeup and like it, they appreciate me as well.

You! What fascinates you about this line of work?

NN: There is a lot of creativity involved in this line of work, every time there’s a new face and it’s always a challenge to make that face beautiful. My favourite part of doing someone’s hair and makeup is seeing her reaction when she looks in the mirror after I’m done. I love being able to make someone feel gorgeous, there is nothing that feels as good as making a woman feel good about herself.

You! Do you think social media is a good tool to popularise one’s work, especially for upcoming beauticians?

NN: Yes, social media presence is really important and useful these days, you can share your work and it reaches to your clients really fast, you can connect with your followers as well. It provides a great platform to market your skills and develop communication.

You! What advice do you give to your clients?

NN: I always ask them to feel confident in their own skin, embrace yourself and take care of your skin. It’s really important.

You! What are your future endeavours?

NN: Currently, I am working on my social media and trying to be more specific about my work. I just want my salon to be bigger and better with time, and want to be known by my work only.