Women and beauty are somehow synonymous. The vast, expansive and always expanding beauty industry has been privy to some amazing beauty stories, trends and entrepreneurs. If I had to re-christen the beauty industry I would call it the Women In Arms. Sure, there are men in the industry who are flourishing too, but statistically, women are the largest providers and consumers in this industry today. On the occasion of Women’s Day, let’s celebrate these amazing women who have made a lasting impact in the field of beauty. #WomenForWomen
1. Falguni Nayar
This banker-turned-founder and CEO of Nykaa.com is nothing short of amazing. Her company Nykaa has become synonymous with online beauty shopping. From drugstore to luxe brands like Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown and M.A.C – Nykaa has it all. With an estimated value of approximately 280 crores, Falguni’s drive has brought her company to new heights in just a matter of 6 years.
2. Huda Kattan
A finance graduate, Huda was always in love with beauty. She started wearing a full face of make-up at the age of 14 and also started helping her older sisters do their make-up and brows. After working for a while in the finance space Huda found her calling when she went to study make-up in LA. In 2013, she started HUDA Beauty with her sisters. She was customising her lashes for a while before her sisters decided that others needed it too! It started with falsies and expanded to eyeshadow quads and lip kits, which are the most bought products in the past 2 years. After expanding in the Middle East and the US, HUDA Beauty recently came to India.
3. Namrata Soni
You really need to live under a rock if you do not know who Namrata Soni is. Every other picture on your feed would probably have make-up done by her. She is one of the most well-known make-up artists and hairstylists in the wedding circuit as well as the Hindi film industry. She always does make-up on her favourite muse, Sonam Kapoor, but is also one of the most sought-after make-up artists in India.
4. Dr. Neena Chopra
The founder of Just Herbs, Dr. Neena Chopra, is a force to reckon with. A former banker, she’s a certified naturopathy professional and biochemist who decided to venture in natural beauty space with plant-based beauty products. In 2002, after some much-needed RND, she founded APCOS Naturals, a certified Ayurvedic company by Ayush – the department of Ayurveda in the Indian Ministry of Health. Following which, Just Herbs was launched as a standalone brand in 2010. Her idea behind starting a line of natural products was simple, “a woman shouldn’t have to choose in between a product that is great for your skin and one that is safe for your health.”
5. Deepica Mutyala
A college internship at L’Oreal catapulted Deepica into the make-up world. Most recently, she worked as the Senior Manager of Brand & Product Development at Birchbox. With her product expertise and on-camera experience, by late 2014, Deepica was filming multiple make-up tutorials each week for Birchbox, in addition to her day job. After starring in her umpteenth video, she thought ‘why not create my own channel where I can share everything I’ve learned through the years?’ What started as a hobby quickly turned into much more, when her second video on how to mask under eye circles with lipstick went viral, garnering over 10 million views from women all over the world. A flurry of broadcast and editorial opportunities followed, including appearances on The TODAY Show and Dr. Oz.
6. Sapna Bhavnani
She does more than just change her hairstyles and hair colours. If she is not chopping away at celebrity hair or generally at one of her illustrious Mad O Wat chain of salons, she is donning the hat (literally sometimes) of a producer, DJ. writer and actor. She humbly refers to herself as a glorified barber but there is so much to her than just that. She has managed to get a double major in management, run her own business(es), have a glitzy client list at her disposal, publish a book called “Style-o-wot,” and make appearances on TV shows. As easy as snip-snap, we think NOT!
7. Natasha Moor
Well known make-up artist and beauty entrepreneur, Natasha Moor, founder and CEO of Natasha Moor Cosmetics, feels pure joy in her field of work where she can empower women and help them feel confident with the help of make-up. Her range of lip colours add the much needed final touch to every girl’s beauty arsenal. She has also started the #DoMoor initiative that gives a part of the profits towards supporting women who are victims of domestic abuse around the world. Now that’s beauty with a cause!
8. Adhuna Bhabhani
She opened her first salon in 1998, and then after a few bumps on the road, she is now a proud co-owner and partner of BBLUNT, a brand that has salons, retails one of the best hair products, provides hairstyling training and of course, handles film projects. But more than that, she has played an important part in changing the way urban India thinks about hair and experimenting with different hairstyles.
9. Jamuna Pai
A well-renowned aesthetician and celebrity dermatologist, Dr. Jamuna Pai is a medical graduate. She made a switch to aesthetic medicine in 1994 to follow her lifelong passion for beauty. Dr. Pai’s pursuit to offer the best skin care treatments led her to envision a state-of-the-art facility, offering the latest in skincare at a time when there were a few takers. After completing her training in the UK and with acclaimed dermatologists from all over the world, Dr. Pai started ‘Blush’, in Mumbai in 1994, now known as SkinLab.
10. Farah Dhukai
This Toronto-based beauty maven is the undisputed home remedy queen. Her videos, short or long are like a Pandora’s box of home remedies and natural skincare, you seriously just can’t stop at one. From showing us how to effectively make use of an entire aloe vera plant to using garlic to cure zits, Farah brings together modernism and grandmother’s remedies. She then went on to launch FARSÁLI, to bridge the gap between make-up and skincare. Since its launch, the brand quickly reformed the beauty world, with its innovative formulas, and has become a staple in every beauty routine! The rose gold face oil and lash enhancing serum are cruelty-free and delivers on promise too.
Are you feeling inspired yet?
