I have always been a makeup lover; I picked up my first kajal eyeliner (thanks Mom!) at age 9 or 10 and was super intrigued and obsessed with makeup ever since! Despite that, I’ve only recently felt most myself and most confident in makeup. Growing up, finding my shade of foundation, eyeshadows that flattered my brown skin, and lipsticks that were compatible with my complexion was always a struggle – and seeing myself represented in the beauty space was frankly improbable. As a content creator now, one of my biggest goals is to be a pocket of the internet that can help my community feel most themselves and authentic in their identity.
When I started venturing into creative makeup almost 2 years ago, I played around with so many different styles until I started coming into my own self-expression. I’ve discovered how makeup, skincare, and the beauty community can help me feel more connected to my roots, my culture, and I’ve found the most amazing people who can also resonate with my mission. Over time, I’ve loved expressing the uniquity of who I am more and more through my makeup looks by incorporating inspiration from my South Asian heritage, whatever anime I’m binging at the time, my favorite music, etc. Through that self-exploration, I’ve also been lucky enough to find and work with brands who also incorporate inspiration from their cultures and take representation just as seriously. I think finding brands that also feel really authentic in their missions and incorporate genuine representation in their campaigns is a huge part of feeling like I truly belong in the beauty space!
My holy grail routine
I always start off my makeup routine with skincare because skin prep is the best primer for a full glam face, which is almost always what I’m going for! I love using South Asian skincare brands that incorporate ayurvedic ingredients and practices into their products. I always feel more confident and secure in my skin knowing that I’m using formulas with ingredients that are validated by thousands of years of practice in India, and genuinely feel like ayurveda has transformed my skin!
- Aavrani Vitamin C serum – uses Amla fruit as a source of vit c for a more potent and stable formula! I love using their rollmate to help this absorb and take a few extra minutes to focus on myself.
- Zaila skin silk smoothie moisturizer – This is a powerhouse of ayurvedic ingredients (amla, licorice, reishi, sandalwood, cardamom) that give the perfect soft finish to the skin.
- Live tinted Hueguard – This sunscreen is attached at my hip 24/7! It’s a mineral SPF that has NO white cast and doubles as a primer. I always feel so excited to apply spf because of this product.
Now that we have the skin prepped, we can jump into our blank canvas!
- Youthforia Pregame Primer to protect the skin from environmental damage
- Live tinted huestick in Rise to color correct
- Kulfi Beauty Main Match concealers to give some coverage & brighten up dark circles (I use shades Mango Drop and Extra Elaichi) – also has amla, saffron, & rose extracts!
- Danessa Myricks yummy skin serum foundation (shade 13N) – medium coverage that gives such a pretty glowy finish and has super hydrating ingredients
- Danessa Myricks balm contour in Medium 2 to add depth back to the face
- Rare Beauty liquid blushes – I don’t think I have to explain why this one has a chokehold on me :)
- Kimchi Chic loose powder to set and brighten for the most flawless airbrushed finish
From flawless base onto eyes! My eye makeup products are always in rotation but here are the products I rarely switch out because they’re just that good!
- Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajals – these come in 5 colors and they all look so beautiful and are actually so long-lasting, I don’t trust any eyeliner as much as I trust these! Even when I’m going for crazy graphic liner and paints, I still have these on my eyes.
- Doe Lashes – the RANGE! There’s always a perfect lash style to finish off my makeup look no matter if it’s full glam, creative makeup, or a no-makeup vibe. My current fav is Fairy Dust!
My lip combos are usually the wild card in my routine because I love trying new colors and seeing what works on my skin tone. I love repurposing my Kulfi kajal in Cheeky Chiku as my lipliner though, it’s the perfect neutral brown for me!
These products make me feel as comfortable in my skin as I feel when it’s bare! I am so thankful that my journey as a makeup artist and content creator has led me to the most amazing community and to brands who celebrate unique identities and support their audiences. I hope to continue making space for myself and my community in the beauty world and to continue sharing more of what I love through my craft! <3