MEET ASHA - OWNER OF NEW BRIDAL SALON IN ISLAMABAD
‘Shaadi’ season is here, and we give you the best bridal makeup artist in the twin cities. After running a successful home-based salon for four years, Asha is now opening a lavish bridal salon in the heart of Islamabad, F-7. Read her full interview as she talks about her work-life balance, her passion for running her own business, her future plans and much more.
Hey Asha, pleasure to have you here. Let’s start with your personal life, can you tell us a bit about you?
Thank you for reaching out to me. Belonging to a military background, I spent my earlier days in various cities locally and abroad. I studied my bachelors and masters in marketing and started off my career initially in the banking and telecom domain. I’ve been based in Islamabad since and lead a happily married life ‘Alhamdulillah’ with my wonderful husband and three children. Having a strong desire to explore the world of makeup is what led me to change my career path.
What was your inspiration to step into the world of makeup? Did you always want to pursue this career as a child or were you inclined towards something else?
I always had an inclination towards having a business of my own in the makeup space. I started off my business a few years back mostly through word-of-mouth and scaled it substantially in recent years through consistent hard work and customer satisfaction. Allah has been very kind and work has been flourishing since.
In the world of makeup, trends don’t take time to change; how do you keep yourself updated with the latest trends?
I use multiple social media platforms for keeping myself up to date, taking into account and aligning with what my clients ask for and making sure I analyse and adapt to the latest fashion trends in Pakistan as well as on the western front.
Your niche is bridal makeup and making a bride feel beautiful on their big day is pressurising, how do you deal with stress during work?
I focus on work and work only while listening to my clients and ensuring I deliver the results that they are looking for. It’s their day and I’m responsible to make sure they get the look that they want.
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We all have heard that ‘makeup is a girl’s best friend’; apart from makeup, how do you spend your free time?
Any time I don’t spend at work is dedicated towards my family. I try to keep a healthy balance on both fronts.
As a bridal makeup artist, all the products are important; personally, what are your go-to three products which you can’t live without?
Moisturizer
Tint
Gloss
You’ve worked with a lot of people, what’s your most favourite memory you would like to share? Anyone whose makeup you would like to do?
My work is mostly client-oriented and there are loads of good memories in that respect. The good part is that we get to know each other and over time I’ve made some good friends through my work. My happy brides are what I look forward to the most.
You’re opening a salon in Islamabad after being a successful makeup artist for years, tell us a bit about it.
I’ve learnt that consistent hard work gets you where you want to be eventually and there is simply no shortcut. I started off professionally four years ago and operated through a home-based studio. Opening a bridal makeup studio is a milestone I wanted to achieve and am grateful to be able to accomplish it sooner than I thought. I also learnt that using premium products is critically vital in this line of work.
Being a young artist and opening a salon in the capital comes with a lot of challenges, how did you overcome them and who has been your support system?
As I said earlier, consistency and hard work are two factors which contribute to the success of any person in any domain. I kept my focus on what I wanted to achieve by having time-sensitive goals and making sure I do not compromise on customer satisfaction. This led me to attain a number of recurring satisfied clients which in turn helped me to get to where I am today. My support system has been both my clients from one perspective and of course my family on a personal level which has been crucial to my success.
Where do you see your salon in five years?
Based on how quickly and positively things have been moving till now ‘Alhamdulillah’, it seems I’m heading in the right direction.