Diary Of A Make-Up Maestro
Lubna Rafiq celebrates 20 years of dedication to the bridal beauty industry
The international Asian beauty industry wouldn’t be the same without Celebrity Hair and Make-Up Artist Lubna Rafiq. A driving force behind game-changing trends, Lubna’s vision has graced runway shows, magazine covers and cosmetic campaigns. Once an A’list celebrity has experienced her magic, they book her again. Lubna can count Bollywood stars Kareena Kapoor and Amy Jackson as firm friends. As she reaches a milestone year for her business, Asiana caught up with Lubna to discover her career highlights and the secret to staying relevant in an ever-changing industry. Whether you’re a beauty enthusiast, a bride eager to know more about Lubna’s work or are curious about what it takes to become a legend in the field, Lubna’s insights are both captivating and inspiring.
What’s it like being an Asiana cover MUA?
I’ll never forget my first cover for Asiana. My model was called Flip and she was the most recognised face of the time. Working with her was a dream come true. Seeing the cover in real life was one of the proudest achievements of my career, I had goosebumps. It was the best feeling in the world. I was so happy to be able to share my work with the widest audience in a prestigious magazine that everyone reads. It helped propel me to becoming a household name in the beauty world. It was also the start of many covers I’ve created for Asiana. I’m grateful for every opportunity, but being flown out to Dubai with the Asiana team to do the make-up for Kareena Kapoor remains the biggest pinch me moment. We spent the whole day together on a luxury yacht. As the MUA, I had the most intimate moments with her because when you’re doing someone’s make-up you get a chance to chat candidly and we really connected. I couldn’t believe it when she was in the UK and called me to do her make-up for a high-profile event.
Lubna created the Asiana cover look for Bollywood royalty Kareena Kapoor in Dubai
Runway radiance: Lubna regularly beatifies catwalk models
Tell us about your celebrity clients
One thing I didn’t realise was that once a celebrity has you on their radar, so do their friends. Working with celebrities snowballed for me unexpectedly and every single booking is a blessing. I’ve had the pleasure of doing make-up for Bollywood and Pakistani actresses including Malaika Arora, Humaima Malick, Radikha Madan, Sara Ali Khan, Shabana Azmi, Kubra Khan, Mahira Khan and more – plus singers like Momina Mustehsan, entrepreneur and Business Mentor Jemelin Artigas and my favourite filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It’s not only glamorous A’list women, men too have grooming needs and I’m proud that they come to me when they need help preparing for major events.
What’s the buzz like backstage?
Working at fashion shows is such a privilege and adrenalin rush; there’s nothing else like it. Though I manage a team of make-up artists, the success of the show is down to everyone involved. Working with Indiya Ahmed for the Asiana Bridal Shows brings me so much joy. It starts by listening to her vision, seeing the outfits and jewellery, going through the models that have been cast and then creating a specific make-up look and theme which every model will have. I can’t do it all myself, so I train up my backstage team to ensure every model is made up to the same standards, creating a uniform professional show that inspires the audience and capture’s the season’s most important looks.
What do you love about working with real brides?
This is where it all started. After becoming a mum, I was looking for a job I could do part-time to fit around childcare. But the demand was bigger than I ever imagined. It ended up becoming not just a full-time job, but my life’s work; I’m dedicated first and foremost to my brides. I travel all over the UK most weekends of the year and it’s the most rewarding experience.
You’ve been instrumental in training the faces of the future, tell us about your academy
I joined forces with my sister Uzma to launch the Lubna Rafiq Academy and it’s became one of the most prestigious bridal make-up training schools in the UK. Hundreds of beauty enthusiasts have been through our signature five-day course which has kick-started and catapulted their careers. I never realised when I started how rewarding working in bridal beauty would be. I’m so grateful to have this life and am thankful to all my clients, student, brides, team, colleagues and to Asiana for helping me share my skills and passion with the world.
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