Between Kiara Advani, Suhana Khan, Shanaya Kapoor and Alaya F—it’s clear that Mehak Oberoi has been tasked with creating signature looks for some of Bollywood’s biggest Gen Z and millennial names as they’re making big moves. Now, we see her (and her looks) all over social media (she’s accrued 166,000 followers on Instagram!) but Mehak has a memory of what things looked like before the advent of it. “I clearly remember trying to find [makeup artist] Kapil Bhalla’s number to get in touch with him so I could be a part of his team. At that time, you couldn’t show your creativity via social media, but I was really determined to make it and prove how passionate I was. I started doing events like fashion week then, and then lead to a lot more amazing opportunities.”
Now, her expertise extends to bridal makeup, star-studded movie trailer launches, and transforming actors into their on-screen characters. Most recently, Mehak worked with Suhana Khan for our For Every You campaign, and we got to chat with her about her career, challenges and beauty proclivities.
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On the big life-changing “yes” she’s gotten
I had a conservative upbringing in Delhi, so choosing a profession like this that is erratic and demanding was pretty thrilling. I enrolled myself into the Pearl Academy of fashion in Delhi and learnt makeup and hair. I realised it’s something I was good at and wanted to do. Then I got a call from Anushka Sharma’s manager early on in my career. That changed everything for me and was the start of my professional journey as a makeup artist. I love working on makeup for films. Looking at my work showcased on the big screen is the motivation that keeps me going.
On working with Gen Z and millennial actors
When I’m working with younger actors, I make it a point to create looks that make them feel confident, beautiful and comfortable in their own skin. It is important to have that trust factor between us too—my clients know I’ll do exactly that, so we can achieve the looks we’re both working toward.
On the first-ever makeup challenge she faced
I love working on makeup for films. Looking at my work showcased on the big screen is the motivation that keeps me going. But a memorable experience from set that really challenged me creatively was executing Tabu’s looks in Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The standards and expectations were already set very high, and creating two contrasting looks for Manjulika and her twin sister was a really tough job.
On working with Suhana Khan for the For Every You shoot
It was very exciting to work with Suhana on a shoot as she is one of the freshest faces to work on. The whole process of working with her was so delightful because we created some amazing looks and had a lot of fun along the way too.
The element that I kept in mind while creating her look was skin. I wanted to keep the skin looking fresh and radiant, and I loved experimenting and creating fun looks that younger, Gen Z makeup obsessives will love to recreate.
On keeping up with today’s trends while staying true to herself
Experience plays a pivotal role here. It's essential to adapt to changing fashion trends and techniques over time. While embracing change, it's equally important to retain the unique touch that sets you apart. The goal is to craft a look that blends contemporary flair with your distinct essence, enhancing the overall theme of an event or project. The final creation should be so captivating that it becomes synonymous with the event it was designed for.
On lifelong learning
Continuous learning is vital. To hone my skills and stay current, I immerse myself in makeup forecasts, keep abreast of global fashion events, and track the latest makeup trends, color schemes, and aesthetics. I pay close attention to marquee events like New York Fashion Week. But above all, I trust that intuitive spark—the gut feeling—which rarely steers me wrong.
