In Pakistan, December and weddings have been going hand in hand since forever now. There is at least one wedding invite lying on a table in every desi house this month. During this time, we all are on the lookout for a good and reasonable makeup artist who understands our requirements and concerns. While shortlisting a few good names, we have come across this talented woman who has a bit of everything that we want from our makeup artist, especially on our big and important days. We liked the fact that she is breaking the shackles of conventional makeup norms and moving along with time and trends. She is the super-talented, Wardah Usmani.
Wardah Usmani Interview
Let’s see what it is like to be on her vanity chair.
– How did Makeup by WardahUsmani come into existence?
To cut the long story short, my husband started the page and set it up with the logo as a birthday present to me. I posted on it 2.5 years later after I did my own bridal look, and Alhamdullilah my friends and family were very supportive in helping me build my portfolio. Once I started posting my work on Instagram, I had amazing clients who gave me a chance at their weddings.
It was a very gradual process of both self-belief and progress to reach this point.
– Define Wardah in three words in a personal and professional capacity.
Empathetic, passionate, and kind maybe? Well, you should ask my clients and I think they love me 😉
– One international makeup artist you are inspired by??
It’s so hard to name just one, but if I had to it would be Mary Philips from Hollywood. She is Hailey Beiber and Kendall Jenner’s makeup artist. And, from Bollywood, it has to be Makeup by Pompy. She creates minimal matte looks for celebrities and brides, they are so inspirational!
– A client is not happy with their look, how do you respond?
I never let a client leave my studio unless she’s happy with me. For brides, I hold a consultation and eye look trial where we discuss everything. Before starting the makeup, I always talk about the look, what she would want for her eyes, does she prefer a heavy or light coverage, and does she want to match her skin tone or go lighter. Once I fully understand what she wants, I start and make sure she’s involved in the final result before I set everything in place. Even then, if there’s something she doesn’t like, I take my time and fix it for her until she leaves looking 100% confident.
– What is your most recent favourite celebrity look?
So I loved iman Aly’s premiere look that I did for her. Maraam & Abroo nailed Humaima Malik’s look in Maula Jatt; the reverse cat eye, the skin, everything was to die for.
– What are your thoughts on “makeup artists turned influencers”? Do you think these two businesses should be kept separately?
Generating makeup content such as transition videos and coming up with creative looks is definitely not an easy job and there are so many makeup influencers who do it really well. However, nowadays with Instagram reels and creative content being a part of everyone’s lives, makeup artists too have become influencers of sorts. People want to see who the person behind the looks is like and what they do for their own faces. So, I think the domains overlap. I think creating content is part of a makeup artist’s job as well and it’s something they should not ignore.
– If you could work with one celebrity anywhere in the world who would it be?
Kendal Jenner! Her facial features are divine.
– Your first ever makeup memory from childhood?
My childhood best friend and I would lock ourselves in my mom’s room and create looks on each other. I remember this one time, I used blue and purple eyeshadow on myself to try and recreate my sister’s farewell look and I was so proud of myself for how it turned out.
– One veteran makeup artist in Pakistan who you think is still relevant and evolving with time.
Natasha Lakhani! She does everything right. During covid, she wasn’t taking clients but she pivoted and created her youtube channel as a source of income where she talked about skincare, evolving trends in makeup, and just everything we needed.
– One makeup trend that we are going to see everywhere this winter season.
Glowy skin and lots of blush! I love the ‘cold girl’ look that’s trending this winter and I think it’s here to stay.
– What is your take on cosmetic surgeries?
We have all seen some disasters when it comes to cosmetic surgeries and personally, I think that they are too invasive. I wouldn’t want to put my face through the pain or risk of it all. That being said, there are so many celebrities and influencers who do get them and look beautiful too. I do, however, like the idea of fillers and would want to get them as I age because why shouldn’t we always look beautiful?
Wardah Usmani Work Samples
Here are samples of some of Wardah Usmani work:
