In conversation with Farzana Shakil - makeup artist extraordinaire
"I have grown up watching movies and observing heroines and their get-up. My love for movies probably inspired me to be passionate about fashion, beauty and makeup. But these were the early years of my life. Later on when I learned more about the subject, I was taken by Kevyn Aucoin and his fine work with high-end professional make-up."
Trends in the global scene have been continuously changing and no one knows it better than a beauty expert like Farzana Shakil. Enquiring her about the fall/winter trends of 2016, she beamed, "This year, the trends have been magnificent, with dark lipstick in the hues of plum, garnet and marsala (wine), natural coloured rouge on the cheeks, thicker and more defined eyebrows and light foundation." After affects of these trends will see the styles carried over to this year.
Discussing more about makeup, the whiz shared some of her secrets, "A woman should never leave home without a lipstick, neutral coloured compact and a decent eye pencil that can both be used as a kohl pencil and an eye-liner." As, she was divulging beauty suggestions we wanted to know more about the average working woman and style tips for her; to which she said, "Most ladies prefer to wear light make-up at work, but the problem arises when they have to attend night parties, commuting directly from work. I'd recommend few make-up hacks for these working beauties - smudge the kajal over the eyes and blend it nicely with the help of a compact powder. Use natural toned lipstick in the shades of pink and peach as rouge, and use a darker shade of lipstick over the lips. It might sound odd but lipstick can be perfectly substituted as rouge – it is a widely acknowledged makeup hack."
Some trends can feel a bit out-there for the average woman. Especially style-conscious women of 'a certain age' who wish to remain current but fear looking as if they are trying too hard. We wanted to know from Farzana Shakil, some of the comfort-zone-friendly ways to rock the latest trends. She said, "Confidence is the secret. As long as you are confident about yourself, you will look always be able to pull off any look."
Make up and tips never end, so we moved on to the person that she is, and what her aspirations are.
Smiling coyly she said, "I am really interested about health and wellness products, maybe in the future I might work in this sector and introduce a new line of cosmetics, based solely on natural products."
We had already learnt from the artist about makeup must-haves for every woman, and we wanted to know whether they were the same for a professional makeup artist like Farzana Shakil. Breaking out in an abrupt chuckle she said, "Of course, they are. Why would not they be? I'd probably add one more item to the list and that's a perfume."
We were preparing to wrap up our conversation when Farzana Shakil provided vital advice to the new generation of makeup artists, "I am really glad that many people are venturing into the field of makeup artistry, but I would recommend all of them to get some kind of formal education on the subject matter. Self learning is good, but a professional degree is better as it will season them, making them mature and conscious of the details."
By Mehrin Mubdi Chowdhury
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Mili & Doyel
Make-up: Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon
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