With little to do during the pandemic, Rutuja Warkad was scrolling through Instagram reels. Her attention lodged on to one reel that showed the process of transformation of a woman. Excited by an expectation of what was going to happen to her face, but at the same time anxious, the woman was beaming after three hours. The makeup had gone well and she was obviously very happy about it. And the person who brought that glowing happiness to her was the makeup artist.

Professionally called MUA, the artist had a step-by-step approach. She was observing her client’s features, choosing those she wanted to highlight and those she wanted to downplay, and asking questions such as about her client’s skin type. Then the MUA used her training, knowledge and insight to choose products and the associated makeup processes that would work best. The result: a glowing, happy and beautiful face.

Rutuja was hooked. She decided she was going to switch careers. A student of interior designing, Rutuja decided she was going to become a makeup artist -- and bring that glow of happiness on her clients’ face.

Rutuja enrolled in a bridal makeup course at her native Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad). “I had not cleared a few subjects in interior designing and was anyway looking to find something that would pique my interest”, she said. 

It has been four years and as of today she has bridal makeup orders lined for the next three months. Her vanity worth ₹10 lakh boasts of high-end products from Armani, Gucci, YSL and more.

Just like for most makeup artists, the beginning was not a piece of pancake for Rutuja. She did some courses in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar but her pace of learning was slow. The turning point was finding a mentor in Mudit Arora, based in Delhi, who has been in the industry for the last fourteen years. She calls him the encyclopedia of makeup. 

Changing face of the industry

Mr. Arora calls the beauty industry the second most glamorous industry after Bollywood, which influences people’s choices. He says that earlier when salons were the one-stop destination for all the beauty needs like skin, hair, makeup, draping and so on, it wasn’t that respected a profession. “Now there are specialisations. There are nail specialists, draping specialists, hair stylists, and so on. There is a draper who charges around a lakh for draping a saree. These kinds of specialisations have resulted in a change of perception towards the profession to a more positive note”, he said. 

With 1.4 billion people, India is the 4th largest beauty market in the world, and it is expected to grow 40% by 2026, industry executives said at Cosmoprof India, a B2B expo for beauty products held at Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai. The Indian cosmetics products market size is estimated at $1.35 billion in 2023. It is projected to reach $2.27 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 10.91% during the forecast period (2023-2028). 

This growing market is a bane as well as a boon to upcoming makeup artists. Mr. Arora says to make it to the top in this industry, one has to constantly upgrade one’s skills. His everyday routine is a balance of teaching and learning. He says it is very important to find the right tutor.  

Mr. Arora says that the industry is moving towards an imbalance of demand and supply. “It is not that difficult to become a makeup artist. A lot of people are turning to it now. The industry is on a verge of saturation and that makes pricing tricky. Doing really good work and selling that art is the only way to survive”, he said. 

How she began

Rutuja says initially she did a lot of makeovers for free. She travelled to villages around her city during the wedding season and did bridal makeup for free. She also found models to practice and hone her skills, built a portfolio, and publicised it on social media.

Rutuja built a client base through her mother’s friends circle, whom she initially charged ₹300 per makeup. “Nobody was ready to pay me at the time, but I didn’t lose my spirit”, she said.

Today her signature makeup look costs ₹25,000. She also does other looks between the range of ₹15,000 to ₹21,000. She still travels to places like Kolhapur, Gangapur, and Pune, and is building a client base across cities. 

She is now internationally certified by Shari Kramer, a Germany-based Hair and Make-up Artist, who works internationally for Beauty Campaigns, Commercial and Events.

She says buying products was a challenge initially when she wasn’t getting any returns. Chitra Shetty, a vendor, helped her out by making payments more flexible. “I would be nothing without my weapons”, says Rutuja, pointing at her vanity.

To anyone beginning their journey, Rutuja says it is extremely important to be patient. “People manage to find the money to invest in courses and products. That is not the greatest challenge. The real challenge is building a client base. We need to constantly do good work, find clients who love that work, and put it out there for others to see”, she said.