The artist behind ‘Photoshop’ make-up

Among 223 contestants from across the country, Hyderabad-based make-up artist Tamanna Rooz won the National Competition for Bridal Make-up, organised by All India Hair & Beauty Association at Ahmedabad recently. “For the competition, we had a time limit of 40 minutes and it’s a great feeling to have won it,” Tamanna says.

The go-to make-up artist for Sania Mirza, Tamanna wanted to learn professional make-up and hence, took courses in Russia and Lebanon too. “I’ve always been an artist and I’m good with brushes. But my parents were keen on me becoming a doctor or a teacher. It was my friends who encouraged me to take up make-up professionally as I used to help them out during fashion shows. And it worked out well in the end,” says Tamanna, who has worked with Manchu Manoj’s wife Pranathi, Charmme and Anam Mirza among others.

With the wedding season upon us, any current bridal make-up trends to look forward to?

“This year, having strong, smoky eyes and a bold lip colour is quite the rage. Berry and gold are the colours for this season. Earlier, the brides had to look soft and delicate but that’s not the case now. Also, contouring is in as everyone wants to go for a sculpted look with sharp features. However, it’s important to not go overboard with the base make-up. Keep your skin natural and go for a dewy finish. Also, you can’t change someone’s features, so distract from the flaws and redefine them while bringing out the best,” she says.

Celebrity and wedding photographers love to work with her because her make-up doesn’t require much editing after the shoots. “My make-up can be called ‘photoshopped make-up’ because there’s no smudging or melting. Even if my bride takes a dip in the pool and comes out, her make-up, hair and outfit will remain intact. I like to work with minimal pins and make the process pain-free for my clients,” she says.

She adds, “I think I’ve grown as an artist while working with Sania. She’s always travelling and attending back-to-back events. Her skin is dehydrated and tanned. I do a lot of research and get the best products from Dubai, Europe and the UK, which work instantly and take away dark circles, pores, etc. I make sure her skin doesn’t look tired anymore.”

Another current star Tamanna is all praise for is Akhil Akkineni. “Despite being a star kid, Akhil is quite humble and down-to-earth. Unlike the earlier trend in Tollywood where men were loaded with dollops of pancake, I like to go for light make-up. He had some acne issues so with the help of the airbrush technique, his skin looked natural and no photoshop was required during a photo-shoot,” she adds. “I would like to set up an academy,” says Tamanna about her future plans.