Here at TG, we are starting a brand new segment where we will be featuring makeup artists, fashion designers, stylists, and everything in between that has something to do with the beauty and fashion industries. We will be asking questions related to their profession, including what inspires them, where they will see themselves in the near future, and what lessons they have picked up along the journey. By doing this, we get to learn from each other as well as inspire future talent. Hope you'll enjoy this new part of The Glambassador. And if you are in the beauty or fashion industry, get in touch, we would love to hear your stories!
For our first article in this segment, we sit down with celebrity makeup artist Kamni Syed from the beautiful city of London.
"I am a Celebrity Make up Artist and Skin Therapist who has been living in London for the past 18 years, but I have grown up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. My parents are from South India and Pakistan who are both teachers and poets and as a result my whole life has been influenced by the Saudi, Egyptian and Indo-Pak cultures and fusion of educational knowledge, which I consider a very unique blessing and exceptionally educational in every sense of the way. I consider myself culturally lucky to have been exposed to all these beautiful ways of living and customs."
TG: How did you know you wanted to be a makeup artist?
"Well I have always been very much into anything related with arts, creativity, colours and fashion from a very young age, I have always been an artist in my heart of hearts. My inspiration has always been my mother, she was, is and will always be very artistic, creative and fashionable in our whole circle. She carried herself with such elegance and grace. If I look back into my childhood, I see my mother's curly long hair, kohl eyes and her 'statement' maroon-ish red lipstick. I was always inspired by her beauty. Also I must mention even with all that fashion around me I was never allowed to use make up at all except kohl even that only occasionally with a lot of persuasion and requests to my parents until I was 17 years of age which was funny.
Among my friends I was always ahead and ready to get them ready for weddings and parties. Do the designing of the dresses and never ending shopping trips selecting the whole outfits, jewellery and deciding styles of make up and hair styles. So I think it was inevitable that I started doing this as a profession. I did my training and graduated as a skin therapist from DERMALOGICA Institute in London and trained as a make up artist for media, (specialized film and camera) make up."
TG: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
"The highlight of my career was working on a 'Diet Coke' advertisement with puppets, assisting with the hair and make up. That was the most amazing project from start to finish. We had to look after these most delicate puppets and they were treated like little celebrities and we did their hair and looked after their clothes and little socks. It was just the most cutest job ever but so tiring and required so much attention but worth every minute of it. Then the celebrities like Atif Aslam, a sensational Bollywood Singer, along with a few other big names in British Music Industry. I am an official make up artist for Kee, which is just great! She is the most amazing and talented girl to work for."
TG: Where do you see yourself in five years?
"In five years time I am hoping to retire on some beautiful Island, near an ocean and palm trees. (smiling away cheekily) But before that I would like to have my own brand skin products, make up and perfume line. And I would love to teach skin therapy and make up specialized for media. Which is something I am actually looking into right now."
TG: What is the best advice you've received when beginning your career?
"The best advice I got in the whole of my life was from my 7 year old son, 10 years ago whilst playing with him was that 'Mummy you have to love the 'game of scrabbles' before you play it, otherwise you become bored and start making up useless words and start to look for excuses for not playing!' and that was pretty phenomenal and hilarious. But from a 7 year old's point of view its so true. Therefore it is SO SO IMPORTANT to love what you do in life that you are faithful to yourself and your job or any project. Otherwise it becomes meaningless and you cheat yourself."
TG: What advice would you give to inspiring makeup artists that are just beginning their careers?
"My advice to aspiring Make up Artists who are beginning their careers in this industry would be, be creative but keep an open mind and ears and 'listen' to the person you are working with. Be gentle and respect your decisions. Be hungry but know your limits. Know your worth and importance but be kind to yourself too. And LOVE what you do and create MAGIC and most importantly ALWAYS SMILE, it keeps people wonder what you'll do next!”
For our first article in this segment, we sit down with celebrity makeup artist Kamni Syed from the beautiful city of London.
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| Kamni Syed: Celebrity Makeup Artist |
"I am a Celebrity Make up Artist and Skin Therapist who has been living in London for the past 18 years, but I have grown up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. My parents are from South India and Pakistan who are both teachers and poets and as a result my whole life has been influenced by the Saudi, Egyptian and Indo-Pak cultures and fusion of educational knowledge, which I consider a very unique blessing and exceptionally educational in every sense of the way. I consider myself culturally lucky to have been exposed to all these beautiful ways of living and customs."
TG: How did you know you wanted to be a makeup artist?
"Well I have always been very much into anything related with arts, creativity, colours and fashion from a very young age, I have always been an artist in my heart of hearts. My inspiration has always been my mother, she was, is and will always be very artistic, creative and fashionable in our whole circle. She carried herself with such elegance and grace. If I look back into my childhood, I see my mother's curly long hair, kohl eyes and her 'statement' maroon-ish red lipstick. I was always inspired by her beauty. Also I must mention even with all that fashion around me I was never allowed to use make up at all except kohl even that only occasionally with a lot of persuasion and requests to my parents until I was 17 years of age which was funny.
Among my friends I was always ahead and ready to get them ready for weddings and parties. Do the designing of the dresses and never ending shopping trips selecting the whole outfits, jewellery and deciding styles of make up and hair styles. So I think it was inevitable that I started doing this as a profession. I did my training and graduated as a skin therapist from DERMALOGICA Institute in London and trained as a make up artist for media, (specialized film and camera) make up."
TG: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
"The highlight of my career was working on a 'Diet Coke' advertisement with puppets, assisting with the hair and make up. That was the most amazing project from start to finish. We had to look after these most delicate puppets and they were treated like little celebrities and we did their hair and looked after their clothes and little socks. It was just the most cutest job ever but so tiring and required so much attention but worth every minute of it. Then the celebrities like Atif Aslam, a sensational Bollywood Singer, along with a few other big names in British Music Industry. I am an official make up artist for Kee, which is just great! She is the most amazing and talented girl to work for."
TG: Where do you see yourself in five years?
"In five years time I am hoping to retire on some beautiful Island, near an ocean and palm trees. (smiling away cheekily) But before that I would like to have my own brand skin products, make up and perfume line. And I would love to teach skin therapy and make up specialized for media. Which is something I am actually looking into right now."
TG: What is the best advice you've received when beginning your career?
"The best advice I got in the whole of my life was from my 7 year old son, 10 years ago whilst playing with him was that 'Mummy you have to love the 'game of scrabbles' before you play it, otherwise you become bored and start making up useless words and start to look for excuses for not playing!' and that was pretty phenomenal and hilarious. But from a 7 year old's point of view its so true. Therefore it is SO SO IMPORTANT to love what you do in life that you are faithful to yourself and your job or any project. Otherwise it becomes meaningless and you cheat yourself."
TG: What advice would you give to inspiring makeup artists that are just beginning their careers?
"My advice to aspiring Make up Artists who are beginning their careers in this industry would be, be creative but keep an open mind and ears and 'listen' to the person you are working with. Be gentle and respect your decisions. Be hungry but know your limits. Know your worth and importance but be kind to yourself too. And LOVE what you do and create MAGIC and most importantly ALWAYS SMILE, it keeps people wonder what you'll do next!”
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Kamni,you're not just an amazing friend but as a professional, I've always been impressed by your talents. I think in this day an age, people in your field are not recognised enough, your profession is the reason all those models that grace the covers of our magazines look stunning.
ReplyDeleteMadiha
Hi Madiha,
ReplyDeleteYes she is amah-mazing! That's why I chose her as the first person to be a part of this brand new segment. She is a beautiful inside and out.
-Alia