Twenty two years and uncountable beautiful faces later, stylist Ambika Pillai decided to turn entrepreneur. "Regardless of who they are, people always ask me ‘Ambika, which colour will suit me?’ That and my experience in the industry prompted me to come out with a range of products that would cater to the Indian skin tone,” says Ambika, on bringing out her own line of cosmetics.

The brand, in fact, is already a hit with the fashion circuit as well as Bollywood and they just keep coming back… "When I started working on it, I wanted something really unique. For instance, whether it is the masacara or lip gloss, when one applies them, a light comes on. So, even if one’s in a dark place, there’s no problem at all,” she says.

Through her years as a make-up artist, Ambika had noticed how Indians aren’t very comfortable with make-up. "Indians aren’t experimental when it comes to using colours on their faces. People in South India like to be subtle and understated, but those in the north love drama and that’s where I come in. In Delhi, everything is about being over-the-top,” she explains.

But she thinks it’s time people started befriending colours. "I know youngsters would love to wear more make-up, but their mothers don’t really approve. I’ve invested a lot of time and effort into research and development so that people can don the greasepaint more regularly, without any side effects,” she informs.

Ambika’s mantra lies in understanding the Indian market well. Different parts of the country prefer different kinds of make-up. "To be successful with a product, a good insight into the market is necessary. A salon can be lucrative in any city in India but when it comes to cosmetics, one needs proper research before setting up shop,” advises Ambika.

Contrary to what people believe, make-up does come with a longer shelf life, especially if they are of the dry category. "Use your nose to figure out if your make-up has expired or not. If your mascara smells odd and has granular formation when you try to use the brush, it’s time to get a new one. Also, don’t use eucalyptus oil or castor oil to keep it going. Things like blush and eyeshadow go on for years — one can’t give life to powder products but the drying up of a nail polish is an indicator to get a new one. Again don’t use a thinner to make it usable,” she signs off.