From businesswomen to makeup artists, these ladies are redefining beauty in India

There’s a new establishment in the beauty industry. Innovators who are changing the rules with their way of living and high-performance brands, redefining the way we perceive hair and makeup, and challenging the outdated norms of beauty. With bold creativity and fresh perspectives, they are shaping the future of representation and self-expression. Here is HELLO!’s hat tip to the changemakers transforming beauty into an art form.

1. Riddhima Sharma Khubchandani

Makeup artist to Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday, Rashmika Mandanna and Suhana Khan.

The no-makeup-makeup look is a thing of the past in the mainstream—mostly. With Riddhima, it’s the era of “barely there yet most certainly there” looks. Ananya Panday’s glossy lips, Alia Bhatt’s sunkissed cheeks, Rashmika Mandanna’s smokey eyes and Diipa Büller-Khosla’s eye-accentuating strokes are all her expertise.

“I did this one look for Alia for the NMACC opening. She looked like an angel… I also did Ananya’s look for a magazine that made her look like an international star,” Riddhima shares.

Add to the mix the perfect hair days she gifts her clients, and her rising popularity among stars becomes understandable. “Makeup is so therapeutic. It helps me tune out of my mind. It’s like giving myself a blank slate,” she adds.

FUTURE TENSE

Besides a growing repertoire of industry A-listers, we foresee a lot more trendsetting makeup looks and campaigns in Riddhima’s near future. Plus, in not so many words, she has revealed that there’s a contract in the works with a “major international beauty brand that would be a dream I don’t think I even dreamed of.”

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

She’s the artist behind Ananya Panday’s signature “rose quartz” look. “Great skin work sets me apart,” she says.

2. Isha Sutaria 

Beauty influencer and digital content creator.

A slow, mindful lifestyle is what you see on Isha’s page, but it’s interspersed with just the welcome amount of beauty content that keeps her audience engaged.

“It’s the honesty and intentionality behind everything I share,” she says on what attracts brands and audiences to her. “I’ve built a space that feels like an extension of who I am—whether it’s beauty, lifestyle or even the slow, real moments in between—and consistently.”

It’s evident that Isha isn’t one to jump onto the latest trend or become part of the noise around a new product launch. Authenticity, as she says, is her USP, and she only shares things that truly resonate with her.

“Working with brands I love and use in my everyday life” is the most favourite aspect of her job, as well as the “close-knit community I genuinely cherish. I love sharing with them, having real conversations and creating a space that feels safe and honest.”

FUTURE TENSE

“I’m working on something that’s been on my vision board for a while. And as always, I’m working on evolving the kind of content I create—more mindful routines, slow beauty travel and thoughtful brand partnerships.”

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

A favourite of brands like Chanel, Forest Essentials, Charlotte Tilbury and Tom Ford Beauty, Isha Sutaria’s Instagram page (with 42.1K followers), is a lesson in beauty aesthetics.

3. Vasundhara Goenka Patni

Founder of Kiro and clean beauty champion.

TALKING POINT

Makeup that liberates you is how Vasundhara describes her clean beauty brand. She says, “We’re for those who want to look good and feel good without spending hours in front of the mirror. Think ‘less is more’ dialled up to eleven.”

Although she was never a beauty junkie, Vasundhara began to watch what she applied on her skin after she became a mom, and soon, Kiro was born as a pandemic baby. Its products offer textures that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also comfortable and efficacious for daily wear.

Within just a year of its launch, Kiro began to make the right noise for its “clean, vegan and crueltyfree practices and high-quality raw materials” that built trust an enduring connect with customers, especially the growing segment of conscious consumers. In just a year’s time, the brand purportedly reported a 300% jump in revenue.

“Individuals shouldn’t have to choose between what’s good for them and what looks good on them,” she emphasises. “Ultimately, our customers recognise and appreciate this approach to product integrity.”

She also champions inclusivity and diversity, leading by example by casting real people from mixed age groups and skin tones in their campaigns. The goal: to show what real makeup looks like on real Indians.

FUTURE TENSE

Next year, Kiro hopes to double down on smart beauty. “We’re talking seriously innovative, multitasking products designed to make your routine a breeze. Growthwise, you’ll see us in more spots, and exploring new makeup categories,” she says.

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

A trailblazer in the homegrown beauty market, Kiro offers the widest range of nude shades for Indian skin tones and is also known for its clean, vegan cosmetics and focus on plastic neutrality.

4. Tanvi Chemburkar 

Makeup artist to Isha Ambani, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Rashmika Mandanna and Ananya Panday.

TALKING POINT

For Tanvi Chemburkar, becoming a celebrity makeup artist was never in her line of sight. It was her innate love for the art that took her places. And by that, we mean becoming the go-to makeup artist for the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nita and Isha Ambani, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Ananya Panday and many others.

“The one thing that set me apart... was how light-handed I was,” she says. “I could achieve the no-makeupmakeup look extremely well without making the face look cakey or heavy. My clients always complimented my work, saying they still look like themselves but with their features enhanced.”

Most of Nita Ambani’s looks from her younger son’s wedding festivities last year were Tanvi’s work, as were a number of Rashmika’s editorial shoots and her entire look for Chhaava.

“If it’s somebody I’ve never worked with, I like to go through their photos to understand how they like their makeup. It’s easy to notice when somebody prefers kajal or bolder lips.”

FUTURE TENSE

Armed with her palettes and brushes, she treats every day as a new challenge, whether it’s a movie, a red-carpet look or an event she’s prepping for.

“You’re always creating something different,” says Tanvi, who just returned from Italy. And with a job that takes her places— literally—she could be in any part of the world at any given point of time for any star or show!

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

The go-to makeup artist for many A-list stars in India.

5. Shamika Haldipurkar 

Founder of beauty brand d’you.

TALKING POINT

Founded in 2020, d’you boasts a number of products that enjoy viral fame. The brand’s In My Defence Barrier-Building Moisturiser is touted as a game changer in barrier repairing. Their Hustle Face Serum and Good Grease are a few others among their many popular offerings. The reason for their loyal base of customers, Shamika says, is that they have always treated product performance as their North Star.

“The best branding, marketing and packaging in the world can’t buy you loyalty. Only your products can,” she stresses, adding that it’s her resilience that keeps her going. “As an entrepreneur, 350 out of 365 days are tough, and there are enough reasons to give up. But the finish line is only visible to those that don’t give up…”

FUTURE TENSE

D’you is expanding into new geographies and also developing new categories in beauty, geared up to be rolled out in the next year.

“The Indian diaspora overseas has a strong demand for our brand, so making our products more accessible to them in new international markets is a key focus in the coming year.”

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

Most of the products of her brand d’you enjoy viral status, thanks to their ingredient-centric approach to repairing the skin barrier.

This piece originally appeared in the April-May’25 print edition of HELLO! India