Being an ace beauty stylist of Pakistan since a decade now, you obviously have a lot of influence on makeup & hair trends. Who were your idols growing up?
My inspiration comes from individualistic looks and I am constantly inspired by people’s work whether new or old. Growing up and studying in a fashion school I was smitten by the genius of Coco Chanel and John Galliano, because their art is so different from each other yet so perfect in its form.
Please walk us through your journey in this field of colors n glam to date? The highlights being…?
I was a fashion student so I knew from very early on in my life that I wanted to do this and I worked With Frieha Altaf for 6 years handling Lahore and Islamabad for her and now JY-The Style Studio is home and honestly the highlight of the whole journey is the personal growth and the moments that happen behind the scenes and working with the star makers who are actually the most under rated.
Please share your experience with Pepsi Battle of the Bands…
Personally I and all the stylists at JY-The Style Studio have worked with the biggest stars in our industry but the challenge that really had us excited was styling Pepsi Battle of The Bands. Celebrities already have a look and most want to stick to it but coming up with looks that will help mold these talented musicians into upcoming stars is something that literally kept us up at nights racking our brains and designing looks that represent their personalities and their genre of music.
How was it working with Chuppan Chupaayi starcast and can you discuss the look that was given to them by JY-The Style Studio team? How fun was it?
It was one of the most fun shoots I have been to from Ahsan Khan dancing on the set to all of us experimenting with different looks. Our master makeup artist Eric wanted to do a sun kissed fierce, raw & earthy look on two people who are known for their flawless porcelain complexions. Neelum and Ahsan are real super stars for being a sport and letting us do our thing.
Do you think it’s important to stick to a signature look or even style of working in order to attract more projects and clients?
Every stylist has a signature look, it’s what comes naturally to them and what they excel in and what makes them individualistic However we have many stylist vanish over the time because they stuck to what they knew and didn’t venture out. I believe in keeping up with trends while maintaining your personal style.
What do you love most about makeup?
What I love about makeup is the freedom. There are no rules to makeup, you can experiment and be a chameleon and just be a new person every day. Makeup is fun and a very serious art form at the same time.
What’s in your vanity bag?
My friends joke that I can feed a small country if I sold all my makeup. I have too much to be honest and my favorites and every day makeup keeps changing. With the influx of so many new beauty brands, the makeup game has really upped their ante and it’s my job to keep up therefore my vanity bag is more like a vanity truck.
What are some common beauty mistakes that women make?
I feel it’s the extremes that are the most common mistakes. Women of Pakistan either play too safe or go overboard while there is no harm in doing what you are comfortable with, professionally speaking, its striking the balance between the two that is the most aesthetically pleasing and flattering.
Five products you swear by?
- Smash Box PHOTO FINISH PRIMER WATER
- Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple volume plumping lash prime
- YSL BABY DOLL KISS AND BLUSH
- Benefit brow zings kit
- Relentlessly Red lippy by Mac
Any local makeup brand you would like to recommend?
I think Luscious is an amazing local brand, their contour kits and eyebrow pencils are excellent and they are experimental and innovative and I keep an eye out for their next product. Mussarat Misbah’s liquid foundation is the Holy Grail of Pakistani makeup brands, it’s a great dupe for Estee Lauder’s double wear foundation and it’s a miracle worker for our skin types and local weather conditions.
Your favorite makeup trend of 2018 so far?
2018 is all about subtlety and striking the right balance. No crazy plumped up lips and Instagram eyebrows. Just toning the whole look to make it look more effort less and more natural and its very fairly easy to adopt, just keeping a lighter hand while applying makeup and applying it natural light will help you achieve this trend.
Weirdest makeup trend recently of the recent years have been?
Squiggly lips and eyebrows were hideous and while makeup is meant to be playful, I didn’t just get this certain trend at all and I am glad it was just a thing on Instagram and its died its own death there.
The one store you love to go makeup shopping most?
Sephora, Harvey Nichlos and Nordstorm are the most obvious choices abroad but what’s really exciting is the online stores that are operating locally which have all trending and essentials makeup products. Mimo by M is a local website that has a large collection of Korean beauty products and I was really excited by the prospect of having it so readily available.
Share a beauty hack relevant for all seasons with our readers ☺
Vitamins! What you put in your body is equally important as what you put on it! All year around your skin, hair and nails are adjusting to seasons and being exposed to sun damage and various makeup and hair products and Chemicals. Having the right nourishment helps them combat damage and keep them in top notch condition.
What’s the secret to get a glowing and radiant skin?
Water, Sunscreen, vitamin C and a nightly routine of moisturizing your face and neck. It takes exactly this to achieve radiant skin! Sunscreen even when you are indoors and keeping hydrated is basic foundation of heading towards healthy skin. Nourish your skin with Vitamin C, it actually brightens your skin ( ditch your whitening creams, this is your best friend) and brings glow from within and a night routine with age appropriate night and eye cream helps repair day damage and moisturizes your skin.
What products do you think should be a constant in every woman’s handbag?
Wipes, a water bottle, blotting paper, a compact and a lip and cheek stain.
Tell us things we don’t know about your highly talented team at JY Studio in the light of their specialties ☺
JY – Style Studio consists of young talent which is exciting because salon is brimming with ideas and innovation all the time. Our stylist last year traveled to Lebanon, Spain and Milan to be trained by the best stylist in the world and they bring all the international trends and incorporate it keeping in mind our hair and skin tones and textures.
We simply cannot end a conversation with you without mentioning the little rockstar of our lives! Your beautiful daughter Lanah! We all know she’s quite the style snob. Tell us a story on these lines please ☺
Lanah is a self-created fashion monster! She is surrounded by a household of stylists and that obviously influences her. However it’s quite nerve wrecking to deal with a 7 year-old declaring she is a Goth one day and a hipster another, she has a strong sense of style and already knows what she wants in terms of her clothes and hair.
And lastly, give us 3 reasons why we should be a regular at JY Studio?
I would say first and foremost our customer service. We consider our client’s time at our salon to be an experience. Our staff is kind and sweet and we have baby sat kids so their parents can have some down time and the atmosphere is really fun and buzzing. Secondly, we are inclusive, our salon caters mostly by appointments which means the salon is never insanely crowded and uncomfortable or the stylist’s attention is never divided. Thirdly, Our staff is highly skilled and trained in the technical aspect of the art of hair and makeup, we have daily morning briefings and training to provide best services in town!
