Ashmeet Kaur Saini bags Lotus Make Up Artist of the Year Award

Taruna Sharma

Delhi resident Ashmeet Kaur Saini has bagged the first edition of Lotus Make Up Artist of the year Award. Held at hotel Taj Palace recently, it comprised three rounds, wherein make up done in the first two rounds had to be done and uploaded on the brand’s Instagram handle. Out of 5,300 applicants, 15 finalists were selected for an on-the-ground battle. Life & More spoke to Saini after the award:

How does it feels to be winning the award?
Honestly, it is a feeling that can’t be expressed in words. I am extremely happy and content, I feel all the hard work that I have put over the years into scaling myself has finally paid. The cherry on the cake is that my clients are also happy with my work, which is the most important validation for me and this gives me a true sense of achievement.
This contest has been a huge learning curve for me, competing on such a grand stage with such talented people and coming out a winner has made me more confident about my work and has given me added motivation to keep working harder. The Lotus Makeup Artist of the Year Award promises to be a huge career booster. It also gives me opportunities to network with so many people and apart from the cash prize of Rs One lakh I also get a year-long association with Lotus makeup, which is very exciting.

How did enter into this field? Anyone in the family…|
No, none in my family. Initially, my father was not much convinced about me entering this field but, my hard work and dedication made him confident that this is a good career option and I will be successful in it.
There is another things also: I have a crooked nose, which always worried me. I was feared that people would make fun of me. As a teenager, I was not at confident about myself. But after I started doing makeup on myself, I found a change in myself. It made me confident and happier. I then began practicing on my relatives and friends, and they too were happy with the outcome. This boosted my confidence further.
No matter what your skin colour is or even if you have a slight disfigurement, good makeup can always makes you look nice and keeps you happy.

Whom did you draw inspiration from?
I have grown up watching professionals like Guneet Virdi, Kriti Das, and Parul Garg. They all inspired me a lot. My Instagram is full of Makeup artists, I watch them regularly and this motivates me to work harder each day. I have a small studio at my home which is my space for client bookings, self-makeup classes and photo shoots.

What kind of make-up do you specialise in?
Bridal and Party makeup. Personally, I don’t like doing nude makeup looks so, I never suggest this to any of my clients. But yes, if they ask for it, I happily do it. I always love doing bold looks and this is what my specialisation is.

What are your future plans? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Coming from a middle-class family, we never went to luxurious salons or studios before. We have always taken services from low-priced salons where I have felt that the services were not up to the mark. I want to have a salon where the quality of the services will not be sacrificed. I want to build a team of people who are well versed with the services they are offering to my clients. My goal is to build a luxurious Makeup studio and a salon where we will offer luxurious services at affordable price.

Please share a few makeup tips for our readers?
Always ask the clients about what they want, like the kind of makeup and the hairdo. This should be the first thing a makeup artist should do.
If they ask for something which will not go with their outfit or face cut or skin texture then you should tell them then and there. Educate your clients about what will look good on them.
As a beginner, always respect the kind of work you are getting. Take the bookings even if you have to do it for free. Because you are a fresher in this field and you have to showcase your work to audience.
Never stop practicing, even if you are getting work or clients. Don’t ever stop practicing. Always focus on detailings.