Even as the women sip on bubbly and bite into finger food, their attention is focussed on the tall girl in pink who holds court with a flat makeup brush and well-used palette of eye shadow. Seated next to her is the model on whom she demonstrates the technique of blending two shades of eye shadow. The women ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the visible results. Akriti cautions “Your mascara is a breeding ground for bacteria. Never share it with anyone and change it as often as you can,” and continues to work on the model. “Wiggle the brush against your eyelash and lift,” Akriti instructs as she moves the brush back and forth against the model’s lashes and follows it with a quick upward flick. For the second coat she suggests vertical upward strokes with the brush. The women look on impressed, and quickly rush to her side to confirm what they’ve just learnt. Chatter fills the air, and Akriti answers questions with patience and poise.
“A number of women that wants to improve makeup skills is older, but a lot of youngsters want to learn the art as well. Makeup is not only about weekend parties, but is a way to help you look and feel beautiful every day,” says Akriti Sachdev as she celebrates one year of Mesmereyes Makeup — her effort at making makeup easy and accessible to women all over the world through YouTube tutorials.
A Business graduate from the University of Manchester, Akriti entered the glamorous world of makeup after joining MAC cosmetics. “While I was trotting around with a brush belt around my waist, I decided to take a chance and share my knowledge with everyone,” she says. The leap of faith led to a YouTube channel where Akriti gives makeup tips ranging from choosing the right brush to getting the perfect set of red lips. Her videos that are simple and precise can be seen being shared on Facebook. Akriti also gives out tips on her blog and has been signed on by Hindustan Lever for the Lakme Fashion Weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Mesmereyes Makeup is the love child of my passion for makeup and my Business degree. It aims at making today’s empowered women learn, understand and love the art of makeup,” she says. Champion sailor Rohini Rau seated next to me agrees, “I like that her tips are meant for daily life and tell us those little things about cosmetics that we never really knew.”
So when Akriti decided to celebrate the first anniversary of Mesmereyes Makeup, she did it with style at B Bar recently where friends and fans turned out to support her and pick up a trick or two.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT