Beauty Interview: Farishtey Ahlawat
Beauty Interview: Farishtey Ahlawat
In a recent Toronto Photoshoot I had the pleasure of working with an absolutely stellar hair and makeup artist: Farishtey Ahlawat. The photos you see in this post are of myself, modeling her work, and of the lovely artist herself! I sat down with Farishtey to get some insider beauty tips. It’s my pleasure to share them with you here! Read on and follow Farishtey on Facebook to keep up with her glamorous career….
Tell us about your background and how you became a makeup artist:
Ever since I was about 5 years old, I’ve always had a talent and love for drawing, painting and being creative. I always stood beside my mom and look at her put on makeup. By Gr 5 I started doing makeup on my family and friends back home in India. Growing up and after moving to Canada in early 2005, I finally got a chance to explore all kinds of makeup brands. I was getting more and more into cosmetic industry each passing day. By the time I got to high school, I was already doing makeup and hair for relatives, friends etc. It was evident that I was interested in a career in cosmetics. My most children my age were ready fiction, I was engrossed in makeup and skincare reviews with the expectation of learning, understanding and then becoming a part of this industry. At age 18, I completed schooling for makeup and hair. I have been doing freelance makeup artistry ever since for weddings, proms, fashion, photography and pursuing my dream job !
What’s the best part of your job?
Being my own boss has to be one of the best part of being a makeup artist. But the thing that I love the most about my job is transforming people, making them feel beautiful. I just cannot explain in words how grateful and happy I feel when I see my clients look in the mirror, smile at themselves and walk out the door fully confident.
What are your favorite cosmetic companies and why?
When it comes to choosing makeup and my most favorite cosmetic brands, I always end up going back to MAC, Makeup Forever and CoverFx. I have tried a ton of different brands but nothing really stands up to the brands I have mentioned above. Why? Because MAC is just so versatile, you can go in and find anything & everything there. Its a one stop shop ! Makeup Forever and Coverfx are my favorite brands for foundations. They both carry very high quality, full-medium-sheer coverage foundations for all kinds of skin and skin tones. CoverFx in particular is amazing for skin with alot of scarring, be it acne, burns, hyperpigmentation etc. Makeup Forever HD foundation is amazing for Brides and photography!
What makeup mistakes do you see most often?
Choosing the wrong foundation color has to be the #1 most common mistake people make. Always, always, always get a sample first and try out the foundation in the natural day light! Lighting in the department stores is completely different therefore, WRONG foundation color when you step outside in the day light.
#2 has to be caking the make up on to cover up acne or hyperpigmentation on the face and I’ll be honest, I am guilty of this one too! However, best technique that I have found that works great on myself and on my clients is using a medium coverage foundation with damp beauty blender sponge all over your face. Once you are done with step 1, only then start to cover up scarring with a very small precision brush with your favorite concealer only where its needed. Following with a translucent setting powder and your favorite blush for a very natural finish.
#3 is highlighting and contouring !!! Its really in right now but a lot of people do not realize that its not for everyday makeup + they end up using very very light concealer under eyes and wrong shades for contouring + do not blend properly = not too pleasing to the eye !! If you do want to go this celebrity route for everyday makeup, always choose a concealer that is only 1 – 2 shades lighter and a foundation or a powder 2 – 3 shades darker for contouring but make sure to BLEND BLEND BLEND !! I personally prefer doing wet contouring with concealer + foundation blending it all in very well and once I set it with a translucent powder, I go over the contour with a taupe contour powder to create a very natural looking shadow !! STAY AWAY from bronzers, orange, brown colors for contouring.
#4 Extremely thin brows and extremely made up brows. Eyebrows frame your entire face, why play with them? I just dont get it.
Recommend a few favorite beauty products:
1: MAC Prolongwear Concealer – Great for concealing as well as using as a full coverage foundation 2: Makeup Forever HD powder 3: Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra Fine Precision Brow Pencil – Comes in a universal shade, very handy
Tell us about your inspiration for the latest look you created with me for our shoot “Maharani Queen”:
I have always been inspired by the pictures of the Maharani’s that I saw when I visited many different Palace’s and Forts in India. I even tried to create the look of a Maharani on my Wedding day. (Photos Below)
Finally, where can we follow your career online: You can follow me @ www.facebook.com/magnifiquemakeupandhairbyfarishtey My website is currently under construction but I will be updating about it on my Facebook page so go and hit LIKE !! 🙂
—
