When my wedding dates were decided, I naturally started looking for the top 3 things on my list: The perfect venue, the perfect dress and of course, the perfect makeup artist. I was very sure of the look I wanted; very simple and subtle. No flashy stuff, no glittery dewy looks. I wanted to look like me instead of a white cakey thing. I wanted VERY natural looking makeup. So I started hunting for makeup artists who were known for being subtle and not long after that was the day when I was standing and making my booking at Shamain‘s.

Hello from a very dressed up me. 

Shamain is known for her stunning natural looking makeup and she is also very known for not over booking which is a major plus point. She takes a limited amount of brides per day so every girl gets proper attention unlike almost any other salon in Karachi. She does not cake-up the brides and keeps it unbelievably real which is exactly what I was looking for.

I booked her for my baraat and also decided to go with the salon for bridal services. I first went there 2 days before my wedding for the services. Waxing, facial, mani/pedi etc. The services were beyond amazing. My mani/pedi lasted over a week (by that I mean looked absolutely perfect and for someone whose hands start looking filthy within hours of getting it done, it was mind blowing). The staff was super courteous and sweet and they made sure I was being taken care of. The best part was I was the only bride booked for services during that slot so I felt super special and relaxed getting all that undivided attention. V.I.P treatment. I love.

On the day of the wedding, my appointment was booked for 1 pm, but I got there almost an hour early. I was received very nicely by the staff who confirmed my time/booking and then lead me to the changing room. I was then given a locker to keep all my precious belongings (Jewellery, bags etc) and then they handed over the key to me. The bride booked for the slot before me was unfortunately late but instead of making me wait, they look me straight to the makeup room where their amazing hair stylists asked me to explain the kind of hair I wanted and gave me EXACTLY that. Then one of the senior makeup artists asked me what sort of complexion I wanted (She said many brides request for a lighter tone, so they have to ask) and I told them I want to keep my own skin tone or a shade darker but NOT lighter. After she was done applying the foundation, I looked at myself and I looked just like me even after enough foundation on my face to last the entire night. Was super pleased with what they had done.

Picture taken by Shamain at the salon.

In the meantime Shamain arrived (I was now the first bride of the day) so she called me straight into her makeup room and talked to me a little. She is BEYOND sweet. She made me super comfortable. She asked me the sort of makeup I wanted and showed me what all she plans to use to give me the perfect look. During the entire makeup process, she kept showing me shades and colors to make sure I felt comfortable and that calmed me down immensely (It was either that or the kick ass qawalis she plays in her studio). I told her I wanted a dark lip color so she showed me this brand new color that she had just bought then and asked me if I am okay with trying that on. It was a very very dark color, kind of a mixture of maroon and plum. She put it on and we both loved it. But she did check with me 10 times if I was sold, which was very nice on her part. She finished the makeup, helped me put on my jewellery and instructed the staff on dupatta setting. The girls once again were extremely nice and made sure I got exactly what I was hoping for.

Look at how natural my face looks. MATLAB K WHATTTT?!?!

Also, I must add, my hair and makeup stayed flawless till the end of the event. I was surprised to see my face post event because it looked exactly like it did at the salon when I left like 7 hours earlier. So that was something.

I would definitely recommend Shamain to any bride-to-be in a heartbeat. If subtle and classic is your thing, she is your lady. My experience was incredible, thanks to the super sweet and humble Shamain and her insanely nice staff. If you want to book her for this wedding season, call her RIGHT NOW. I booked her a YEAR in advance because when you are that good, you get booked real quick. Check her work out on facebook and instagram.

You can find her page on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Shamainsmakeup
For bookings and details you can call the salon at: 021-35888132
Or visit the salon: 33/C 1st Sunset Commercial Street, Phase 4, DHA Karachi.