Rashmi Shastri, an artist with unfinished business

Artist (n)

A person who creates works of art…

The definition of artist typifies the thin but crucial gulf between people who work and the ‘Others’ who create works of art. To these significant ‘Others’, creating art is a calling; not just a bi-product of putting bread on the table.

Rashmi Shastri belongs to this group of others. At her core, she is an Artist first, a professional later. An artist, who creates works of art on the most complex canvas of our world – Human.

The Art

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking” – Murakami

As a Professional Hair and Makeup specialist, who has made inroads in this so-called world of glamour, just 8 years back; she is already creating a niche for herself.

Amidst the old guards and the current social media blitzkrieg producing makeup artists in mushrooming numbers; Rashmi differentiates herself by being brave enough to swim against the tide. This is underscored by her unique approach to doing hair and make up, which is minimalistic, edgy, and arresting.

The typical look created by Rashmi embodies a refined identity, which is a fresh take on this age-old art. Her mastery of this distinctive yet outstanding technique, may have had its seed sown in the small steps of her humble beginning.

The Beginning

Back in 2013, Rashmi, a wide-eyed girl from a family of Educators and Doctors in Delhi, was pursuing her degree in Bachelor of Business Administration; when she got her calling to take an atypical route. The switch from the prospect of a typical career was not easy. But her strong will and clarity of vision helped her blaze through the initial moments of self-doubt and friction from family.

As Rashmi embarked upon this journey, she took it upon herself to course her distinct ascend to success in life. Even though the odds were stacked against her, in the form of no background or platform or connections in her chosen field of work; Rashmi’s creative hunger and perseverance kept her afloat during initial struggles. The same drive and enthusiasm were to usher her professional growth in the years to come.

The Metamorphosis

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement."

Rashmi Shastri arrived on the stage as a humble freelance makeup artist. But within that humility resided the hunger of an artist who did not know of any limit to explore, learn, and get better at what she does.

Rashmi's work reflects her unique approach that she adapts to latest advancements in the field. She has a characteristic capacity to upgrade, control, or enhance the application of her skills in Cosmetic Techniques and Management. Her unique abilities have led her to create a number of staggering looks as part of her whole gamut of work covering TV commercials, Fashion Magazines, Films, Shows, Music Videos, OTT platforms like Netflix and Advertising.

The Trailblazer

With her calling finally showing fruition, today the long trail of associations bears the testimony of Rashmi’s dominant presence in the field of hair and make-up.

Rashmi has got the privilege to work with the biggest names of the fashion industry including Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap, Payal Pratap, Manish Arora, Pawan Sachdeva, Sukriti-Aakriti, Rohit and Rahul for CUE, Gaurav Gupta, Abraham & Thakore, and Malini Ramani amongst several others.

She has done hair and make-up for numerous A-lister celebrities from diversified background such as, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Raja Kumari, PV Sindhu, Kriti Sanon, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Manisha Koirala, Mrunal Thakur, Ali Fazal, Johnny Lever, Jim Sarbh, Radhika Apte and many more.

Looks created by her have been featured on the covers and in the editorials of top magazines including - Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, The Editorial Magazine (Canada), Elegant Magazine (LA), GMARO Magazine (Paris), The Blur (UK), The Man Magazine, KODD Magazine, Chiiz magazine, Get Inspired Magazine, Maxim, Sports Illustrated India and others.

She has showcased her work at Lakme Fashion Week and Goa Fashion Week and worked with brands such as Adidas, One plus, L’Oreal, Monte Carlo, Soutache, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Bennett London, Flirtatious, Sony, Puma, Himalaya, JK Tyres, Skoda, Sofy, Numero Uno, Coca Cola and many others.

Her movie portfolio features names such as Maska and Freedom, on Netflix. She has recently finished shooting for an EROS Project under the supervision of director Ashish V Patil. Rashmi is currently working for a reality show - Indian Pro Music League, with ZEE TV.

Epilogue

Rashmi Shastri is a Certified Professional from Pivot Point Academy, one of the world’s top cosmetology training providers. She has attended the masterclass of internationally renowned makeup artist, Bobbi Brown and also holds certification from L’Oréal Advance Hairstyling Academy, Paris. Rashmi is currently working in Mumbai. Being true to her art, she considers her achievement and learning as an unfinished business as she continually strives for creating the next look better than the previous! Rashmi can be reached on her official website www.facetantrums.com or on her Insta handle @FACETANTRUMS.

Rashmi's journey shared above has been chronicled by Anindya Adhikari.