This Bollywood make-up artist to stars like Sonam Kapoor has started a platform of content and community in the beauty space

The pandemic brought many industries to a standstill, and the film industry was no exception. Shoots came to a halt, and several people were left without work.

Arti Nayar, a make-up artist in Bollywood for the past 15 years, was left with a lot of time on her hands for the first time. A make-up artist for films like Wake Up Sid, Neerja, and Aisha, and one of Sonam Kapoor’s favourites, Arti hit upon an idea to launch a beauty platform for women focusing on content and community.

“It was a tough time. After years of working and not having a minute for myself, I didn’t know what to do. I started making videos and posting them on Instagram. I got a lot of inquiries from women who wanted me to give them tips and tricks, and the whole thing kicked off just like that,” she says.

She aimed to impress viewers that though make-up was an art, it’s not difficult to have the right tools and know what to do with them. With the correct information and knowledge, it’s not difficult to pull off a good look.

After brainstorming with a group of close-knit girlfriends, Arti decided to launch Easy Beauty this month for all things beauty - from content, building a community of professionals, collaboration with brands, and ultimately having a make-up line of her own.

“We live in a world where everything is expected to be perfect – body, skin, and looks. It has its positives, and I am riding on them. But I also wanted to portray that there is beauty in simplicity, in being yourself and easy. You cannot hold yourself to perfection all the time,” she says.

Easy Beauty will encourage women to make makeup efficient by decoding different looks, help them in their careers, and provide opportunities to bloggers to showcase their work.

Arti also plans a series of Masterclasses during the festive season for small groups of women. “It will be a two-three-hour session where I will take the participants through an entire make-up routine and also curate looks for them,” she adds.

Targeted at women between the ages of 25 and 40, Easy Beauty content is available for free on its website. Arti also receives many queries on her Instagram page and is also open to partnerships with brands.

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The journey of a make-up artist

Born in Assam and raised in Kolkata, Arti completed her undergraduate degree from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. She wanted to start working as soon as she finished college and was always intrigued by the beauty business. Added to that was an obsession for Hindi films, and what better way to combine both than join the film industry.

Call it fate, at that time, Arti’s mother, who was in advertising, worked with director Farah Khan. She encouraged Arti to try her hand at make-up. She started as an assistant stylist, had a chance meeting with celebrity make-up artist, Namrata Soni and the rest, as they say, is history.

After working with Namrata for six years, Arti branched out on her own and went on to do make-up for films like Neerja, Aisha, Thank You, and others.

“My first film as an independent make-up artist was Neerja. I learned the passion for filmmaking, how a story comes to life and how the entire look of a film is created. It taught me a lot about discipline and hard work and the passion needed to survive in the industry,” Arti says.

Sonam Kapoor is Arti’s favourite muse.

“I have grown and worked with her for so many years now. The kind of risks she takes with make-up is amazing; it pushes you to be more creative, to do more. Sonam has been very encouraging, and this has motivated me through my career.”

Personally, Arti likes a simple look – just a bold lip is her favourite. She points out that the hot trend to pick on right now is “very lightly filled super-brushed eyebrows.”

“With Easy Beauty, we want to celebrate women across the world by encouraging them to pursue their dreams, feel confident, and claim what is rightfully theirs. It also speaks to their style of make-up; quick, easy, and bold,” she concludes.

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