Meet our featured beauty with brains Rupali Katoch, a Makeup Artist based in Melbourne, Australia. She is only 23 and feels that often people don’t trust her to do a good job as they think she is too young and doesn’t have enough experience. Well they don’t know that she started doing Makeup when she was just 5. She used to do makeup on herself and her mom. She was an artistic child, painting on her house’s walls as well as portraits. She did a diploma in Makeup and Hair Artistry after finishing her secondary school.
Here is an interview with her.
1. Tell us a bit more about your childhood. What were your parents and family like and did your parents support you in your goals?
I was the first child of my parents. My parents were very happy to be blessed with a baby girl. I was the first child so obviously I got more attention and love until my younger brother came along.
I was around 5-6 years old when I started doing painting and colouring. My father worked for a private firm and his pay wasn’t much. But my parents still admitted me to an ICSE(Convent) school which was expensive. My Mom and Dad are both well educated and hard working. Whatever I have achieved today is because of them.
We are from a small town in Punjab (India). So there weren’t much opportunities in my hometown. My mom and dad were very choosy about my and my brother’s education.
I completed my secondary school. Then one day my father asked me “Do you want to go abroad for further studies?”. My Mom was like “No, not at all.” I was scared as well. I was scared how will I survive as I had never lived without my parents. But my Dad gave me confidence and we decided to give it a go.
I passed every exam with good score, then I researched which country is good and which course to enrol in. I wanted to do Interior Design but it was too expensive. I joined a Makeup academy in India and did a diploma in Makeup and hair artistry. I started earning at the age of 17. I started a home business and started giving lessons to poor girls for very low fees, on eyebrow threading, waxing, bridal makeup and so on. After a year, I joined an academy as a Teacher. I was the youngest teacher there. After a few months I got my Australian visa.
Starting here was very hard as a Makeup artist because everyone thinks I am too young and sometimes don’t trust me. I started doing free makeup just to showcase my talents.
2. What fascinates you about your work?
I was very creative from childhood and painted on the walls of my house. I still have them at my home. I used to do makeup from when I was a kid. Makeup always fascinated me. After learning proper makeup, I started watching youtube, then started trying what I learnt on my Mum.
I am fascinated by Indian bridal Makeup. It always looks flawless and I try my best to learn how to do that.
3. Tell us more about you as a person. What are your dreams and hobbies.
Me as a person, hmmm, I think I am friendly and love to talk to people. I am confident about my work but not over confident.
I love to learn from my seniors. I think we should support each other, I have never missed a chance to support anyone because in return I want the same as well.
My hobby, passion, everything is Makeup.
But I am a good cook as well according to my mum and dad.
My dream is to be a renowned Makeup artist and be very successful in my own business before I get married. My second dream is to be able to give everything to my parents. I hope I can fulfill all these dreams. I am trying my best. I am studying, doing part time job and managing my little makeup business as well.
I think my hard work will pay off one day.
Feel free to check out Rupali’s Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/katochrupali/
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