If the infinite scroll feature of Instagram’s explore page is anything to go by, every other user is an expert in the art of make-up. How many times have you come across a beauty influencer who could achieve a perfectly symmetrical cat-eye on their eyelids with just a flick of their wrist and an eyeliner? Or someone who can carve out cheekbones and a sculpted jawline using make-up within seconds? On the face of it, make-up may seem daunting and inaccessible to those of us who, on a good day, manage to get mascara on our lashes without poking ourselves in the eyeballs or find the shade of foundation that works for us. But celebrity make-up artist Arti Nayar wants to disprove us of the notion immediately.
“If you haven’t dabbled with make-up before, and you want to learn, and you see all these people on Instagram and actors on screen and you think ‘Oh, I can’t look like that’, you should understand that it’s not about looking like someone else,” says Nayar, “I think that if you have the right tools and the right information, you can totally use make-up to enhance your most-loved features to bring out your best self.”
Nayar has been the artist responsible for some of the most stunning looks from celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Sara Ali Khan, and Jacqueline Fernandez.
It was during the lockdown that she started reflecting on how the art of make-up may seem inaccessible to a lot of people. “Everyone has had so much time and that has given them a chance to reflect on what they’re interested in. A lot of people, including men, women, and young girls, found their love for make-up,” she says, adding that the fact that make-up seems so technical and unaffordable, made a lot of people reluctant to explore it. This is what motivated her to start Easy Beauty By Arti Nayar.
“Beauty should be easy for everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are or what products you’re using, it could be a luxury or a drugstore product, you should have the right information to use whatever product or tool you want to do your best make-up,” she says. Easy Beauty By Arti Nayar is a platform where the make-up artist uses simple tutorials and product recommendations to demystify make-up. “I wanted to empower young women to feel confident and sexy by using make-up. It’s not about looking like someone else. It’s about loving who you are from within, loving all your features as they are. Whether you’re dusky, or fair, or whether you have big or small eyes, it doesn’t matter. You can use a little bit of make-up and you can easily enhance those features and feel beautiful and confident.”
Through the platform, Nayar also seeks to inform people that they don’t need to splurge on expensive products in order to look like a celebrity. “If you want to achieve a smokey eye like, say, Kareena Kapoor, and you only have a drugstore product on you, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Generally, people assume that she would have used an expensive product and you won’t be able to get the same look using the cheaper alternative that you have. But you can easily get the same look. You just need to know the right technique and the right tool to use, and you can easily achieve it.”
She recalls the testimonials she has received from her followers and friends on how her videos and posts have made them enjoy using make-up again. “It really motivates me because there was a point in my life when I had to save every penny that I made to buy products for my kit. So I understand the importance of making beauty and make-up accessible to all.”
With more and more people following Easy Beauty every day, Nayar feels confident and optimistic about the future, especially with the parallel rise in homegrown skincare and beauty brands that are doing their part in making make-up more attainable to the masses. “We have so many brands and start-ups in our country right now doing amazing work in beauty and make-up, and the products are great and affordable too,” she says.
So if you’re hesitating to pick up that eyeshadow brush next time, remember Nayar’s words: Beauty is for everyone. You need to feel confident from within.
