Hair and Make Up Studio's Saliha Baig speaks exclusively to HELLO! about what motivated her to set up her salon and how that makes her different.
Tell us a little about yourself and The Makeup and Hair Studio.
I have a degree in business management and training in professional makeup from London College of Fashion. I felt the need and demand in Islamabad for a salon offering quality services and products while following the highest standards in hygiene. This motivated me to respond to this need and launch my own salon that met these high standards that I have set for myself. Our aim is to ensure that all our clients feel truly pampered in a relaxing environment. We offer value for money because we use the most high-end products at an extremely competitive price. When I entered this business, my focus was to offer quality products that are not currently available elsewhere in Islamabad to meet the needs of my clients. For example, we only use tools from GHD to ensure that we protect our clients’ hair.
How long have you been in the beauty industry for? How has it changed since you began?
We are a new business and it has only been a little over a year since we launched. But thank God, the response has been amazing and things are only looking up for us ever since we came into this industry. This is a highly competitive sector and we are constantly trying to evolve and keep up with new trends, products and research. With access to social media and the Internet, clients are more aware than ever and at The Makeup and Hair Studio we are constantly striving to increase the choices available to them. We also try to ensure that our team remains current and up to date. We recently organised a training workshop on hair colouring with Color and Salon Director of Vidal Sassoon, New York, USA. and intend to continue with this practice.
What are the services that you offer?
The Makeup and Hair Studio is a full-service salon from haircuts to facials, manicure pedicure to makeup. Our wonderful and experienced staff caters to all your beauty needs, covering everything from skin care to hair and makeup.
How would you describe your signature look?
My signature style is pretty classic. For me less is more and I aim to help my clients be the best version of themselves.
What are your favourite makeup tools to work with? Any secret beauty hacks?
Beauty tools I swear by are:
- GHD Curve Classic Wave Wand
- Refa S Carat Massage Facial Roller
- Skin Gym Face Sculptor
- Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
For glowing skin, I recommend using retinol every night - start off with .5 concentrate and then gradually build yourself up. Lots of water for hydration, nutritious balanced diet and an active lifestyle.
What are some of the top three common mistakes women tend to make while doing their makeup?
The first one I would say is not prepping their skin before applying makeup. The other two would be choosing the wrong type and colour of foundation and concealer for their skin type.
Three beauty myths that you haven’t been able to make sense of?
- If you cut your hair frequently it will grow faster
- Wearing makeup every day will cause your skin to breakout
- You don’t need to moisturise oily skin.
What inspires your work approach?
Client satisfaction is extremely important to me and drives me to do better than the last time. I also want my business to keep evolving and staying up to date with the developments in this sector not just in Pakistan but internationally.
Three must have in your beauty bag at all times?
My lip balm, a small sized perfume, and these days my hand sanitiser.