Samina Malik, Founder – Samina Malik Makeup & Design
Samina is highly self-motivated and leads a thriving career on her own terms in the buzzing world of glamour & make-up artistes. She offers customized makeup services where she educates clients on latest trends and offers tips on how to apply the latest product, techniques and brushes.
Her natural ability, to make clients not only look beautiful but feel Beautiful, has made her a favorite among other make-up artists around. She took this up as a full time job when she realized the “Overwhelming satisfaction” of helping individual Women put their best face forward.
Team ABT reached out to Samina to know more about her entrepreneurial journey, captured in the interview below.
How did you begin your Career in the World of Beauty?
My Career began after realising the positive power of makeup following an uplifting experience that I had at the Benefit Cosmetics counter at Selfridges, London in 1998.
Unfortunately, in India & Pakistan, there is a perception that only fair skin is beautiful. I suffered from bullying and negative self esteem, due to my dark complexion but one day after school I walked past the Benefit Cosmetics counter and a Beauty Advisor approached me. She recognised that I needed a lift in spirits and offered me a makeover. When I looked in the mirror and really saw myself looking back at me. I saw me! Self-fascinating my beautiful image. I then became a believer in the power of makeup and its ability to make you believe in your inner & the real beauty.
When I was 19, I started working part time for Benefit Cosmetics as a beauty advisor and training others to be a makeup artist. Since then I have completed bridal hair and makeup course by Celebrity Makeup Artist Sana K of London and with a lot of self learning, experience and experimentation over the 20 years, I am very proud to have come this far.
How did you find your Passion for Makeup and Image design?
As a mother to 4 children I know how busy we mums can be yet I have always made time to look and feel great when I needed to. Being a makeup artist I have an advantage, as I know all the tips and tricks needed to get ready quickly. I saw my own friends struggle to find time to look good and they would often skip makeup and style, as they didn’t know what worked for them anymore. They also didn’t have the time to experiment with what would look good on them and going to the makeup stores scared them.
This is why I made it my mission to inspire women to rediscover their beauty again. I wanted to give them a chance to look and feel amazing just like I felt whenever I wore makeup. So I went out of my way to teach them this life skill, enable them to walk with confidence and love their beauty.
Tell us about your Journey to becoming a makeup artist and Image design? Did you get any professional training for the same?
Makeup and Image design came about after seeing my customers beaming with confidence as they started to believe in their own beauty!
The Personal Makeup Courses came about when I was living in Dallas, Texas in 2010. A lovely woman approached me for my product recommendations for her. I suggested taking her to makeup shopping and then offering her personal makeup lessons to help understand her features, colouring, personality and lifestyle by pairing makeup with her outfits.
Makeup and Image design has a very symbiotic relationship. Makeup is also part of your image as well as what you wear on your body. The whole idea of makeup needing to match your style came to me when I could see I would pick out certain colors from outfits and carry those colors into my makeup looks creating a continuing journey for the beholder to appreciate the subtle enhancements of both.
I moved to Singapore with my husband and 4 children in 2012, and set up my own company. I soon had many women appreciating the unique pairing of my makeup, which would sometimes match or contrast with my outfit. One’s makeup and style can tell you how you are feeling and it can create a confidence in you that you may never have known you had. The right makeup and styling can be truly liberating! Allowing you to be yourself, or becoming a persona you want to show in front of others. The ball is always in your court and its about learning to discover your confidence by understanding your unique personality through makeup, hair and fashion.
My Personal Makeup Courses have become a huge success in the Singapore Expat community, which I am a part of, and have continued to grow at a steady pace accumulating 5 star ratings and I have a reputable brand name among the community.
Samina Malik Makeup & Image Design had a fantastic 3 year anniversary party at Ce La Vi Marina Bay Sands in 2017. I was also the Diamond Life Sponsor for Ce La Vi for the month of February 2017.
I have worked with various industry leaders such as Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Nyx Professional Cosmetics, Guerlain, Essentials, Solehouse, Jones the Grocer, Indochine Group and have put on special beauty events such as my #tellher beauty lunches which are designed to bring together beauty brands and my customers over a delicious lunch. It’s a truly unique and new concept, which is proving to be very popular, and I created the idea to build a more meaningful connection between beauty brands and beauty consumers.
Best Advice you got from another makeup artist when you started?
Best Advice from another makeup artist was to never use shimmer highlighters for corporate photos. At my first make up photo shoot I was naturally very excited and I used highlighter on the model, when her photos came out she looked like a disco ball! It was a good lesson for me – no shine for corporates.
What 5 items do you always carry in your makeup bag?
- Precisely My Brow pencil by Benefit Cosmetics
- Perfection Powder by Marc Jacobs
- Concealer by Laura Mercier
- They’re Real Mascara by Benefit Cosmetics – it’s the best!
- Nyx Lipstick Suede Matt lipstick in Bella
How does being a Mom affect your management style at work?
As a mother of four children I have to find balance in my work life. I have very strict working hours, Mon – Friday 10 am – 3pm. Appointments are available within those times, weekday afternoons when the children are home from school and weekends are only for my family.
I have realised that I cannot do everything I want to or build an empire as fast as I would like to, but as long as I am moving forward and I am still being there for my family, I am happy and content. What is life if you don’t enjoy the very beings you are working for?
What elements of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy bringing something of true value to Women. The makeup lessons, the #tellher lunches and helping women embrace their beauty, bringing about a positive impact and also helping her feel super great about herself.
Love makeup and love getting made up. It’s all about boosting a fellow sisters self-esteem, just as another woman boosted my self-esteem many years ago. I suppose it’s my way of giving it back, that feeling of confidence that someone once instilled in me.
What Advice would you offer to new makeup artists & entrants in the industry ?
There is no cookie cutter method of becoming a makeup artist. You are an artist because of your eye and your natural talent. Go out there, make connections, build your portfolio, be creative, think outside the box and just focus on your own style. Be yourself and make your own mark.