Today we’d like to introduce you to Maimoona Shaikh.
Maimoona, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up, my mom tried to keep me away from makeup as much as possible. Her ideology has always been “natural beauty is the best type of beauty.” But once I turned 15, I begged her to allow me to play with makeup for just weddings. And since then, I fell in love with the art of makeup. I would sit and perfect my eyeliner for hours. Then, when wedding time came, I would do my own hair and makeup and then get my older sister ready as well.
As I got older, my techniques got better and better and I started to get compliments on my makeup. So decided to dig a little deeper into my dreams and while going to college, I got a part-time job at Sephora. Since then, I have created an Instagram page @mimsmakeup to showcase my work and to broaden my clientele.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. There are many obstacles to overcome. The first thing was to grab the courage to put me out there on social media. The world of the internet can be a scary place when you open yourself up to the possibility of getting criticism which can result in getting discouraged. Also, sometimes, it is easy to hide our insecurities with makeup. So, to broadcast yourself barefaced and makeup-less publically on social media can take quite a bit of courage.
Second, it is difficult to start off as a makeup artist and get an audience and clientele. But you have to start somewhere. So, I just push myself to continue to post photos as consistently as possible so slowly but surely everything else will fall into place.
If I were to give someone advise on starting their journey, I would say that if you believe in your work then others will believe in you as well. If you keep practicing and practicing then you will achieve. I started off practicing on my older sister and would get other family members ready for free for events, so others would see my work. Slowly from there, I got more comfortable and knew the cost of my efforts to apply to future clients. So, even though in the beginning you might not get noticed or recognized, pushing yourself to continue and strive will eventually take you to your goal. And lastly, there will be points where you get discouraged. But when you pursue something you love to do, it becomes easier to strive through the low points.
We’d love to hear more about MimsMakeup.
I specialize in makeup, however, I also know how to do hair as well. Personally, I feel as though makeup is my strong arm, although over the years of playing with my own hair and other family member’s hair I have picked up hairstyles too. What I love about my work is that I prioritize the client’s happiness over anything else. Being a makeup artist does make me an expert in the makeup field. However, the canvas I work on is someone’s face and the most important thing is for them to be happy with the end product. So, through the process, I make sure my client is comfortable and satisfied. Also, nowadays, social media has many photos of other artists’ work. So, I offer my client to provide me with photos of work they like or would like me to copy. I also like to talk with my client as I work with them to make them feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Lastly, my main goal is for my client to walk away happy and feeling beautiful. I priorities client satisfaction over anything else and love to see my clients walk away with a smile on their face.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
The only app I use to assist me with photos is the Layout app to create a collage of photos to post on Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 781-354-7385
- Email: maimoona.shaikh96@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mimsmakeup
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