Mamas we are over the moon to be teaming up with professional makeup artist Samina Malik to give away a one-to-one makeup consultation and shopping session, along with $250 worth of products from Sassy fave Benefit Cosmetics. (Head on over to Facebook or Instagram asap to make sure you enter!).
Just to get you extra pumped, we thought we’d tell you a bit more about Samina, a super-mama of four (her daughter’s named Sephora, by the way, so you know she must really love makeup!). In her native U.K., she worked on movies and professional cosmetics campaigns, including one for a particularly famous “WAG” (her lips are sealed as to which one!), while here in Singers she’s done events for the likes of Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty, and has also been featured in Cosmpolitan.
But despite all that glamour, she much prefers working one-to-one with women and seeing the transformation – both physical and emotional – that a great makeover can bring about. Read on to find out about her own personal “butterfly” moment and get her insider tips on the best products for you…
How did you become a makeup artist? What is your training?
I am a makeup shopper and makeup tutor today but 20 years ago I was a chubby, shy girl with darker skin tone that was not considered as beautiful as the fairer skin tones in my culture. Feeling a little down about my looks, I wandered through Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street and walked into a Benefit Cosmetics consultant who saw my sad face and pulled me towards her makeup chair and totally transformed me.
She made me smile as I looked into the mirror, I instantly felt good about myself and thought, “I can look beautiful!” That immediate boost of confidence made me want to become a makeup artist and help other women look and feel their best, just as I felt after my transformation. Helping women who have no clue how to put makeup on look and feel more confident is so rewarding!
Benefit Cosmetics was actually the first makeup line I bought, and after that I was hooked and started experimenting with other brands. My first job was with Benefit, and I was able to train with their global makeup artist, as I had become the most successful consultant in Dickens and Jones London and they had plans for me! I married young and moved to Germany and the U.S., and further self-taught and experimented until I received formal training from Celebrity Makeup Artist, Sana K of London. Oh did I mention I had four kids along my journey?!
You’re obviously a big believer in the transformative power of makeup and its ability to boost confidence. What is the #1 product every woman should have?
Hands down it’s your concealer. It’s the product that will take you from tired to well rested! It can take years off your face, jut make sure you consider its formula before you buy, because if it’s too creamy it can settle in fine lines. A great eye primer can help solve this problem, too.
How did you get started with your shopping and products consulting business?
In the U.S. I lived in Texas, and we all know everything is bigger and more fabulous in Texas! My neighbours heard through the grapevine that I was a makeup artist, and soon I had all the ladies coming to me for help! One day a group of mums asked me to show them which products I used, and what I recommended for them. I took them to Sephora, showed them how to use the products properly and showed them how to achieve different looks with their new purchases. And voila! It was a big hit, and soon word spread. I became the tupperware party alternative [laughs].
When shopping for products, what factors women should take into account and look for (skin type, eye colour, etc.)? Are there key questions that they should ask makeup artists?
- Keep in mind skin type; is it oily, dry, combination?
- Do you have sensitive skin?
- What formula are you looking for? Dewy, matt, moisturizing?
- Does the product have the right tone? Warm, neutral or cool? Will these oxidize?
- Do these colors compliment your colouring?
What are some of the stores that you visit during your shopping trips? Why did you select these?
I choose to shop at stores that have a variety brands…it saves time! My faves are Sephora and Robinsons.
Sometimes I need to go to boutique stores if multi-brand stores do not carry the right shades of foundation, for example. These include Benefit Cosmetics in Westgate Mall, Makeup For Ever on Armenian Street, and Inglot at Wisma Atria.
With makeup products, do you generally get what you pay for? Are there any great, super-affordable drugstore products that you use and/or recommend?
I do believe that one should invest in good quality products, especially considering that higher end companies are trying to use kinder, higher quality ingredients that produce a more refined finish.
But drugstore brands can certainly be great too! I like using Maybelline and Covergirl mascaras. Cream eyeshadows from Maybelline are pretty good. L’Oreal does great lipglosses. And Nyx is another brand that is very affordable with good lipsticks and eyeliners.
Thanks Samina! Don’t forget to enter our contest on Facebook or Instagram, mamas!
SAM.M Personal Makeup Shopper and Makeup Tutor, [email protected], (+65) 8661 1671, www.samproartist.com