What India’s top makeup artists are really saying about viral beauty trends

Step inside the vanity van and you’ll find more than just powders, palettes, and hairspray. Amid the glaring warmth of mirror lights, there are artists shaping beauty, one contour at a time. From magazine covers, campaigns, and memorable editorials to red carpet moments, their work is a reflection of instinct and intention. This story spotlights four such artists as they decode trends, challenge sameness, and talk about their most memorable work.

Sandhya Shekhar

“Sleep. It’s the biggest beauty hack. You can see it on the skin immediately when someone’s well-rested.”

Honestly, it’s not just about looking pretty anymore,” says Sandhya Shekhar over a call. She has just returned from a quiet retreat, a welcome and much needed departure from the bustle of daily life as one of India’s top beauty professionals. As someone who has worked in the industry for decades, Shekhar is a seasoned artist who knows the importance of individuality. “People are expressing themselves. Might be through a bold graphic liner, a statement lip, or even a full-blown blush moment. But, it’s less about the trend and more about the personality they want to channel.”

Known for her work with stars like actor Deepika Padukone, Shekhar’s first tryst with the industry was on the sets of 3G (2013), an experience that taught her the importance of balance. Shekhar remembers her days on set like it was yesterday. “The brief was natural, everyday glam. But the heat in Fiji, where we were shooting, meant I had to keep it real and make skin look like skin.” In simpler words, lightweight textures, strategic blending and restraint. Today, for the artist, beauty is becoming less about keeping up and more about tuning in—to the face, personality, and energy. “I see an increasing number of people shunning trends. Instead more of them, celebrities included, are just following their inner desires,” she explains. “And I hope to keep seeing more of this!”

When I nudge her to share some behind-the-scenes beauty practices, Shekhar’s voice turns firm. But it is the simplicity of her response that puts a smile on my face. “Icing the face before makeup is non-negotiable,” Sandhya Shekhar she says, adding: “Also, sleep. It’s the biggest beauty hack. You can see it on the skin immediately when someone’s well-rested.” Shekhar acknowledges recent trends like sheet masks, eye rollers, and brow grooming rituals—from feathering to microblading—to ensure one appears fresh and full. And a look that is close to her heart? Padukone’s 2018 Cannes appearance, where she wore a bold, extended liner with muted lips and luminous skin. “There was nothing else on the face. Just that graphic black liner. It was simple, but powerful. That’s the kind of beauty I love,” Shekhar concludes.

Mitesh Rajani

“These buzzwords? Coffee look, mocha glow...I find it all very flat. Beauty shouldn’t be reduced to a filter.”

Known for his signature minimalism, Mitesh Rajani is a beauty professional for all seasons. Whether it is collaborating with Cannes winning actor Anasuya Sengupta or a campaign for couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the makeup artist and hairstylist is all about individuality, instinct and that elusive thing called taste.

We connect over Zoom from his Mumbai apartment at noon, a time Rajani usually devotes to spending time with his pet dog and cat, away from the madness of vanity vans and red carpets. “I was never school taught,” he tells me with a laugh. “Everything I know, I learnt on the job or from obsessively watching artists on YouTube,” he adds. Rajani learnt by observing viral beauty legends like Mary Greenwell and Val Garland. And, it was their love for softness, subtlety and technique that resonated with him.

For Rajani, makeup isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula but a personal narrative. “When I’m creating a look, I always want a story. It’s never just ‘apply this and blend that’. I’m thinking: who is this person? What are they wearing? What energy are they walking in with?” That approach recently shaped a look for actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, who wore a diaphanous sari to an event. “When I saw the look, I recalled images of (erstwhile members of royal families) Sita Devi and Gayatri Devi. Women who espoused quiet luxury, and did not dress to be seen. They dressed because they knew who they were. That was the mood I went with for Kareena: a pared down, pinned-back hairstyle that whispered elegance,” he explains.

Rajani’s relationship with trends is complicated. He quickly acknowledges the blush renaissance, the floating eyeliner experiments (not making any attempt at hiding his dislike for overdone eyes), and the obsession with “latte makeup” looks. “These buzzwords? Coffee look, mocha glow...I find it all very flat. Beauty shouldn’t be reduced to a filter,” he says. He’s also not shy about his aversion to certain “Instagram beauty” tropes. Case in point? The mutinous matte lip.

In fact, his words are laced with a yearning for the rawness that dominated the heady ‘90s. At a time when the internet finds itself divided over British actor Aimee Lou Wood’s front teeth, Rajani could not be clearer about the Indian beauty industry’s urgent need to step up its game. So what does he want to see more of in 2025? Texture, softness and the courage to leave things undone. At a time when the crisis of sameness threatens to drown creatives all around, he wants us to find confidence in owning our imperfections. “That,” he says, “to me is real beauty.” 

Namrata Soni

“That glowy, post-hot-yoga flush? That’s the goal. Contour is back too, but soft and subtle underpainting, not Kardashian carve-outs.”

Namrata Soni has had a front-row seat in shaping the beauty narrative of Indian fashion and cinema for over two decades. She lights up at the memory of her first big film project. “I was 21, freezing in Darjeeling, doing hair extensions from scratch for Zayed (Khan) and Amrita Rao,” she laughs, referring to Main Hoon Na (2004). Fast forward to today, Soni is among the most sought-after makeup and hair artists in the country and co-founder of beauty brand, Simply Nam. Her work goes beyond the confines of contour and colour, and is grounded in a kind of storytelling that immediately makes one take note. “There are moodboards, multiple look tests, approvals, and if I am working on a film, my job can begin as early as nine months before we start shooting,” she says, as I stare into our Zoom screen, flabbergasted. “You’re not just making someone look good...You’re helping them tell a story and co-creating a visual language that defines the characters.”

And while the screen glam is incredible, Soni is equally excited about what’s happening in beauty right now. And yes, the blush renaissance is more than just another TikTok trend. “It’s all about blush-highlighter hybrids now,” she explains. “That glowy, post-hot-yoga flush? That’s the goal. Contour is back too, but soft and subtle underpainting, not Kardashian carve-outs.”

She’s also seeing a shift toward skin-first beauty. “We’re stepping away from cakey foundations and heavy shimmer. Think dewy, hydrated skin, soft brows, balmy lips with a luscious bitten tint like the French-girl-meets-K-beauty vibe.”

Soni’s prep game is legendary. Every session starts with a sheet mask and some good old lymphatic drainage. From hydrating serums to lightweight moisturisers, her pre-makeup ritual is meditative—and non-negotiable. “Even if my celeb doesn’t want it, I will find those 20 minutes,” she says.

As our conversation veers to a close (with this writer making scribbled skincare notes on the side) Soni indulges me for an extra minute. “Now with the sequel (to The Devil Wears Prada), I just want someone to give me the chance to work on a Miranda Priestly look,” she says, with a twinkle in her eyes: “I promise you, I’ll give you power glam like never before."

Bari Khalique

“People are getting more creative, less formulaic. There’s a return to blacks, greys, cooler tones, but it’s not just about recreating the ‘90s.”

A first-generation, Bangladeshi immigrant, Khalique left his hometown of Glasgow for the promising newness of London at the age of 21. Today, as we connect over Zoom from his New Cross apartment, the young boy has metamorphosed into a familiar backstage sight at every runway of consequence from Milan to Paris. Armed with his carefully curated kit of makeup and—wait for it—a polaroid camera.

“I bought the camera in Paris for seventy euros from Châtelet, at a time when I wasn’t getting many jobs during fashion season,” Khalique says, adding, “The Polaroid became my thing — something tangible that reflected a moment and a mood. I’ve stuck with it since.” The growing archive of these black-bordered images, capturing his muses in moments of vulnerability, seconds before paparazzi shutters flicker, are a testament to his craft: A mix of soul and sharpness.

Khalique’s turning point came shortly after signing with the talent agency, The Wall Group, when he was unexpectedly confirmed to do actor Sienna Miller’s makeup for the Prada menswear show in Milan, in 2023. When it happened, inside the storied corridors of the Mandarin Oriental no less, the resulting look—fresh skin, subtle lines and a delicate lip—was widely celebrated. Miller even improvised by using a brown-toned lip liner to draw on freckles—a detail that would later become a leitmotif in Khalique’s work.

His obsession with skin is reflected in Rhode cream blushes—one of his favourite new products. “I use them as an underpainting technique, laying them down before applying foundation so it looks like the colour’s coming from within,” he explains.

A trend Khalique is particularly excited about is the return of lip stains, especially peel-off formulas from brands like Wonderskin and Sacheu Beauty. “They’re super practical and long-lasting, especially for women on the go. It gives that ‘flush from within’ look without constant touch-ups,” he says.

His appreciation for innovations is balanced by a deep nostalgia, which is reflected in the thrill he experiences in seeing the comeback of ‘90s-style cool-toned lip liners, like the once-ubiquitous MAC Spice. “It just disappeared for years! But now those muted, cooler shades are coming back,” he says with excitement.

Khalique also predicts a revival of soft, lived-in smoky eyes and unconventional eyeliner. “People are getting more creative, less formulaic. There’s a return to blacks, greys, cooler tones, but it’s not just about recreating the ‘90s,” he observes, “it’s about building something fresh out of those references."

Images: Shutterstock, Getty images, Instagram/Sonam Kapoor, and Instagram/Bari Khalique

This article originally appeared in the print edition of Cosmopolitan, July-August 2025.

Also read: The best spot-proof concealers that won’t clog your pores

Also read: Face sculpting tools to invest in if sleeping in a face wrap isn’t your vibe