If you’re one of Sonam K Ahuja’s many Instagram followers, you’ve seen Namrata Soni’s name pop up on your feed. The make-up and hair expert is the hand behind the style icon’s most trend-sparking beauty looks, like the rose gold eyeshadow she sported on the 2017 Cannes Film Festival red carpet and the mogra-entwined braid she wore at her wedding. The profession however, wasn’t Soni’s first calling. “I was assisting hairstylist Coleen Khan during my boarding school days to keep busy, and she advised me to attend a make-up course to groom myself,” recalls Soni. “I signed up for a short five-day course at Marvie Ann Beck Makeup & Hair Academy, and my interest was sparked. A year later, I moved to London to study at Delamar Academy Of Makeup & Hair.” Today, with her ability to constantly learn and evolve with trends, she is one of the most prominent names on the circuit, and is numero uno on the list for brides-to-be. She tells us what it takes to build an empire:
MY BEAUTY PHILOSOPHY:
“To keep it simple and make people look their best, without altering their appearance.”
FIRST BEAUTY MEMORY:
“Sitting on my mother’s bed and watching her get ready with the gold make-up palettes from Yves Saint Laurent, Estée Lauder and Dior.”
MILESTONE MOMENTS:
“Winning the IIFA Award For Best Makeup in 2008, for my prosthetics in Om Shanti Om, and the ELLE Make-up And Hair Icon Award in 2015. This year, I opened my own academy to train and give back to the future generation of artists.”
MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION:
“My mum, my nani, Sonam K Ahuja and Rhea Kapoor, for always letting me push boundaries, and Farah Khan for always supporting women artists in her films.”
FAVOURITE RED LIPSTICK:
“Dragon Girl by Nars. I spotted it on my aunt before I started my career, and it has been my go-to for brides ever since.”
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MY SUCCESS MANTRA:
“Work hard, be punctual, think out of the box and never gossip—it’s a small industry.”
