Photographs By Ashraf Uddin Apu
Many perceive makeup as a tool to hide imperfections. Nahila Hedayet believes that makeup must not be defined by perfection and that it is not a requirement, rather a choice. Owner at Prive Salon, the makeup artist sits down with Raisa Rahim to feed some of our curiosities about makeup.
Many perceive makeup as a tool to hide imperfections. What is your take on that?
From my perspective, makeup can be a form of self-expression and character and perhaps one of the only forms of expression that caters primarily to women. Women in general enjoying dolling themselves up and yes, makeup does facilitate that and enhances our natural features.
How do you prepare dry and oily skin before applying heavy makeup?
Preparing any skin type before applying makeup is the key to getting a flawless look.
If someone has dry skin, scrubbing the face with mild beaded facial scrub can help get rid of dead skin. Also, moisturising the face well after scrubbing will help to restore the moisture and create a nice smooth skin surface for your base makeup.
In case of oily skin, cleanse the face with an oil free cleanser to remove excess oils and apply a mild toner that’s suitable for your skin condition. Toner will help balance out the oiliness and help the skin stay matte longer. There are also numerous matte skin primers available nowadays that will help the skin look more hydrated.
What are the differences in products used for televised (television programs) purposes and recreational purposes?
Before the digital age, film and television makeup artists were able to get away with piling on heavy foundation to hide flaws. The thick layer was never noticeable until now. At the age of high definition technology, gone are the days of pancake foundation and grease paint. To make on-screen makeup look more natural, light and more pigmented high definition makeup range has been introduced. There is a lot of confusion out there about HD makeup containing some sort of magic ingredient that sets it apart from other brands that we use regularly, but it really is just a technique. Corrective makeup procedure that includes colour correction, highlighting, contouring, concealing fine lines are among few of the techniques that makeup artists are trained to achieve to ensure their clients are camera ready.
Unlike recreational purposes where only a good light to medium coverage foundation (oil or water based) will help even out the skin tone, contouring and highlighting will help enhance the features. Couple that with a little tint on the lips and you are selfie ready.
What are your all-time favourite lip colours?
I must say that “The Classic Berry Red” pout can never go wrong. Lancôme Velour Liquid Matte Lipstick, Mac D for Danger and Chanel Rouge Coco in Etienne are few of my favourite lip shades in berry.
What is your go-to eye makeup for brides?
Gold cut-creased eye with winged liner is my personal favourite. To make the look more dramatic, I prefer adding a hint of glitter on the centre of the eye lid. If someone is looking for a darker look, smoking up the lower lash line will also do the trick.
What makeup products do you always keep in your purse?
To be honest my bag is always full of makeup. I always carry a small cosmetic bag with all the essentials for the whole day. But the items that I do like to keep with me at all times are my compact powder, clear eyebrow gel, blush and lipstick that I have previously applied in the morning.
What are the top three tips one should follow before applying makeup?
The first must do is preparing your skin. This means that if you are a makeup lover, you must love your skin more and cleanse and moisturise on a daily basis. Secondly, tone your skin with a good alcohol free toner. This will remove excess oils from your skin and help your makeup stay put longer. Last but not the least, always apply sun block and then primer if you are doing a daytime makeup. Always remember – less is more.