Meet our featured beauty with brains Kajal Mishra, a fashion blogger and yoga teacher based in Goa, India. Here is an interview with her.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. What you do, your hobbies etc.

My name is Kajal Mishra, I am an ex-banker, and right now pursuing my dreams as a Fashion blogger and Yoga teacher since 2015.

I am a spiritual, emotional and adventurous woman. I read books ( Motivational or Yoga or spiritual ), meditate and practice Yoga, also for some reason I watch a lot of Netflix series.

2. What inspires you?

Sometimes I feel like, nothing happened in my life which was planned, still I am blessed the way life has taken its turn. These things made me believe in the Universe. The universal flow inspires me so much in my daily life, I always feel like there is some hidden agenda behind everything that is happening with our life (in spite of those things making me happy or sad).

4. What are you most excited about at the moment?

I am enjoying my Fashion blogging journey at India Fashion Blogger but if you ask about excitement, I am very much excited about my Spiritual journey, which already started in August 2018, when I finished my 200 YTTC program. Very soon, my new platform Indian Yogini will be live. I will be sharing my spiritual journey on that platform.

5. How did you start out as a fashion blogger? What interested you to choose this domain? What is your agenda and inspiration behind IndiaFashionBlogger.com?

I spent my first 6 years (2010-2015) of my career in the Banking Industry. However, I was always a creative person and after the first 2-3 years of monotonous banking job I really started getting bored and frustrated, so I thought to try my hands in new fields.

First I started in modelling, which took a turn and I found myself acting in Star TV daily soap Airlines, also I did some theatre with Tom Alter. At the same time, I started my personal blog kajalmishra.com where I started writing about my journey. After a year of acting and modelling, I realized I am not enjoying the world of acting and modelling, I felt I am not made for this field. During that period unknowingly my blog started getting good traffic from my followers, my friends started sharing my articles to each other which encouraged me to write more. My husband Gaurav noticed that my blog is booming without any effort so he suggested me to convert this personal blog into a professional blog and start working as a full-time blogger, which led me to leave my bank job in 2015 and start my professional fashion and lifestyle blog.

I started the professional blog with domain name glamituponline.com, but realized soon that it is very difficult for people to remember the name. I wanted a domain which was easy to remember and show my blog niche clearly, I found Indiafashionblogger.com which totally fit in both of the criteria.

India Fashion Blogger is a platform for girls and women out there, who is looking to make her mark in the fashion world. On India Fashion Blogger you will find articles for girls who are living in small cities, looking for tips and tricks, experiencing the fashion weeks and connecting with other readers. A big section of readers come to understand how to be a fashion blogger which would become a major focus for us in future. I want to help at least 10,000 girls in the next 2 years on how to become a blogger and start making money.

6. What makes you different than other fashion bloggers out there?

If you’d meet me, you’d know the difference in an instant 🙂 I am from Varanasi city, and when I came to Delhi in 2011, I didn’t even know the meaning of blogging. Hell, I was not even on Facebook!

But today I am earning a living as a professional blogger and Yoga Teacher. I have a different connection with my readers, and they can easily see them becoming me. Fashion blogging niche is filled with folks doing shoots with outfits in luxury places, that while gives an initial following I stopped seeing the sense of same. I endorse the brands long term, build relationships which stay with me.

On top of that, I feel my goal is not to make money from the blog, it’s a byproduct in the process of empowering my sisters. My journey with Shakti Fest and soon to be launched IndianYogini.com is all about helping my sisters find their inner goddess and making them self-sufficient.

I want to help my sisters who are living in small cities and are not aware of different career opportunities in the digital world. I want to empower them with knowledge/tools so they don’t follow blindly towards traditional jobs like banking, engineering, doctor etc. I want to tell them that if you’re good at something and do hard work, you can become successful in anything you want. She can choose her career as a blogger, makeup artist, Yoga Teacher, dancer instead of a regular Doctor and Engineer. Via my blogs, I want to help them as much as possible.

7. What are you currently following in the fashion industry like brands, products, clothing etc.?

In make up I prefer Artistry & MAC products, clothing brands – I have lots of clothes from Macy’s. Apart from that, since I am living in Goa for the last 3 years I have bought a lot of things from the flea markets in Goa which usually bring in a lot of cultural mix in my clothes. I generally love to wear Tribal/primitive clothes.

8. Which beauty services/salons/parlours have you been opting these days and would like to recommend?

In Goa, I will recommend Snip Salon, Once again, etc

9. Who has been your role model in the fashion industry?

One and only one Miss Malini. However, in the blogging world, I follow my friend and mentor Harsh Agarwal from Shoutmeloud.

10. Please share some tips to inspire our audience for staying updated about fashion and style.

Just be confident in your skin, in your body and make your own style statement because we all have some unique qualities and style. I just want my beautiful Goddesses should read this article: How did I overcome my anxiety from Shakti Fest.

(https://indiafashionblogger.com/how-did-i-overcome-my-anxiety/)

Meet our featured beauty with brains Manisha Sharma, a makeup artist, hairstylist, model and actress based in Sydney, Australia. She is truly inspirational, having achieved a lot in a short time. Her creativity, passion and dedication to her work is taking her further and further on the road to success.

Here is her story:

“Everyone’s life has ups and downs, so does mine. I came to Australia from India as a student and then got married. My whole world is my family. My husband, my kids Taj and Sophia changed my life for the better, filling my world with love and beauty. For 6-7 years, I was totally committed to my kids and never thought of anything else. When they started going to school, then I realised that I must go on with my career. I am currently working as a model/ actress, and started a makeup and hair styling business called Manishaz Glamocracy. My work style is very unique and I am getting great response, for which I would like to thank my family, clients and friends. As a woman, we have to do lots of hard work to prove our professional capability sometimes. I used to talk to my husband about starting my own business, he would say why don’t you just get a job, it would be much easier. But I believe that if you believe in yourself first, then everyone else will start believing in you. He supported me finally when he saw that I am supporting my dreams. I know, it will not be that easy but I know God has made each woman special. My inspiration is my mom and my god-mother who gave me great strength. We have few upcoming projects in the coming year, which I am looking forward to.”

Feel free to check out her Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/manzglamocracy/

Meet our featured beauty with brains Smita Pawar Nashikkar, a photographer based in Sydney, Australia. Here is an interview with her.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Smita. I am a mother, wife and a professional photographer based in Sydney. Things I love are photos, memories, travel, food, family and friends. Getting to experience new things is what I live for and that is what this trip is all about.

There is either too much or too little to say about me, so I may add more along the way. Mostly, I try to let my photos do the talking.

2. Who or what inspires you?

There are 5 powerful things that inspire me every day i.e.Possibility, Creativity, Music, Ambition & Experiences.

3. How was life for you, while growing up? Did your interest in photography start from childhood?

Since my childhood, life has been always challenging whether it relates to education or moving to a new city. My father used to have frequent transfers in his banking industry around the state but the only good thing about moving to different city was to meet new people and understand their culture & lifestyle and I loved travelling since then.

Every year we used to visit different cities around India and as a youngster I still remember that I wanted to capture the moments of beautiful landscape and sceneries and at that time the only option available was a film camera and this was the time my passion for photography started.

4. Share some of your favourite experiences capturing people/ nature/ things through your lens.

When I purchased my first DSLR camera 8 years back, I started capturing my daughter’s day to day life style moments. Little did I know that all that fun and experimenting photography of my daughter would lead me to have my own business today.

Over the years, my subjects changed from landscape & cityscape to portraits. Now, I love photographing families and children where I can bring out their personality and frame them.

For each photo I capture, I love to create some kind of story which makes a lifetime memorable moment for my clients.

Every client whom I meet, leaves me with the feeling like we have known each other for a long time.

My experience with photographing families and children has always been great and I feel lucky to have such a lovely clients!

Feel free to check out her website:

https://www.smitanashikkar.com

and Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/smitanphoto/

Empowerment is all about confidence and fashion is an amazing tool to reflect that. These women look fashionable and confident in outfits, shoes and accessories from ‘The Old New’ boutique.

Models:

Tiya Gorain

Manisha Sharma

Helga Rheeder

Kelli Wilkins

Isabella Murray

Special thanks to the models battling physical and/ or mental illnesses.

Outfits, Shoes, Accessories & Bags:

The Old New Boutique

(https://theoldnew.com.au)

Makeup:

Kelli Wilkins

(https://www.facebook.com/Kelliw.IndependentConsultantArbonne/)

Manisha Sharma

(https://www.facebook.com/manzglamocracy/)

Hair:

Manisha Sharma

(https://www.facebook.com/manzglamocracy/)

Photography:

Captured By Kirri

(https://www.capturedbykirri.com.au)

Read the story of Amanda Sluiter, owner of the Old New Boutique here:

https://empoweredbwb.wordpress.com/2018/10/26/story-of-businesswoman-amanda-sluiter/

Some photos from our Woman – An Enigma Part 2 photoshoot (women empowerment fashion project).

Models

1. Tiya Gorain (Instagram: @untamedgoddess_)

2. Monika Datta

3. Ninad Patel

4. Chandni Ravi

5. Shirin Lakhani

6. Sania Tharani

7. Mala Arya Kanwar

8. Prerna Yerdhalli

9. Preet Sandhu

10. Reetika Bhalla

11. Stephanie Bal

12. Keryn Tiatia (Instagram: @keryntiatia)

13. Helga Rheeder (Instagram: @helgaslingerie)

Special thanks to those models who are battling cancer.

Many thanks to our sponsors:

1. Arbonne

(https://www.facebook.com/Kelliw.IndependentConsultantArbonne/)

Carolyn Cagney Photography

(https://www.facebook.com/carolyncagneyphotographer/)

2. Chahhat Designer Hub

(https://www.facebook.com/monika16d/)

3. Desire Creations

(https://www.facebook.com/desirecreationsaus/)

4. Face Charts By Swati

(Instagram: @facechartsbyswati)

5. Intimo (Helga Rheeder – Intimo stylist)

(Instagram: @helgaslingerie)

6. Kookie’s Coo – My Creative Nest

(https://www.facebook.com/KookiesCoo/)

7. KRG Photography

(https://m.facebook.com/KRG-Photography-123266421865796/)

8. Miss Pinkk

(https://www.facebook.com/misspinkk01/)

9. Rays Boutique and Beauty Services

(https://www.facebook.com/raysboutiqueandbeauty/)

10. Sakhi Online

(http://sakhi.online)

11. Silhouettes Under Shed

(https://www.facebook.com/silhouettesundershed/)

12. Trendz By Sangz

(https://www.facebook.com/Love4clutches/)

13. Velvet Boutique

14. V Fashion Revolution Boutique

(https://www.facebook.com/vfashionrevolution/)

15. Vanity Plush By Shruti Bajaj

(https://www.facebook.com/shrutibajajbeauty/)

Photos from our ‘Woman – An Enigma’ part 1 photoshoot.

Models:

Tiya Gorain

Monika Datta

Prerna Yerdhalli

Preet Sandhu

Makeup

Kelli Wilkins

Sponsors:

Chahhat Designer Hub

(https://m.facebook.com/Monika.D159/)

Velvet Boutique

(https://m.facebook.com/groups/1566930946901625)

Arbonne

(https://www.facebook.com/kelliw.arbonne/)

Candles By Sakhi

(https://www.facebook.com/Candles-By-Sakhi-2210857962481638/)

Sakhi Online

(http://sakhi.online)

Meet our featured beauty with brains Amanda Sluiter, a businesswoman based in Sydney, Australia. She is truly inspirational, running a successful clothing business based on sustainability and recycling, despite having some major setbacks.

Amanda used to work as an embryologist, helping couples through the whole cycle of having a child. She herself had difficulty conceiving, as she had kidney problems since she was eighteen. She also had endometriosis. Because of her own situation, she could empathise with her patients, and could understand what they were going through.

After surgery and fertility treatment, she got lucky and had two beautiful children. But ten months after her second child was born, she had to have a kidney transplant. She was thinking of going back to work but her husband felt that it won’t be a wise decision for her to go back to work after a kidney transplant.

So she bought ‘The Old New’ (a clothing business) and decided to run it and see where it goes. She got a very pleasant surprise one day, when Joanna Griggs from ‘Better Homes and Gardens’, came up to her and said they would like to renovate her backyard for her. They renovated her backyard and garage and turned her garage into a boutique. Tara Dennis designed most of it.

Having a space for business at home means a lot to Amanda. It means less exposure to bugs (she is immunosuppressed due to the kidney transplant) and more time with her kids who were both born prematurely.

Amanda is a very brave, determined and remarkable woman. She has managed to have a beautiful family and a successful business, despite the odds.

Please check out her boutique at

https://theoldnew.com.au

Meet our featured beauty with brains Nina Parinas, an accountant and a model based in Sydney, Australia. Here is an interview with her.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Whenever I get asked to talk about myself, I tell people that I’m just a girl next door. I’m a travelling corporate Accountant during the week and a model at weekends. I have an Economics degree and ended up working in banks. As a 20-year-old fresh uni graduate, that would be the last place one would want to be. I later on decided to do a Master’s degree in Accounting while working. While doing my Masters, most of the prerequisite subjects were in Law, which I found very intriguing and interesting. I came close to shifting my Masters to a Law Degree, but finally I thought court gowns and wigs would cramp my style, so I decided to stick to Accounting. I guess grey suits aren’t so bad and at times I wear light grey just to make a fashion statement! In my free time, which is a rarity, I do a lot of volunteer work – emceeing and hosting community events, running chamber of commerce events to help small businesses, radio presenting and church work.

I came from an aviation family background. My dad and brother are both pilots. I’ve spent more of my childhood weekends flying than actually playing in a playground. I learned riding my bicycle on a hangar and runway – true story! We grew up in different places and I could speak 4 languages and two dialects. Growing up I had the best of both worlds – Asia and Europe – in our household. My Dad is Asian but Mum is Eurasian. My parents are like chalk and cheese but both are eccentric, smart & cultured.

I’ve lived most of my life in Australia and I would never live anywhere else. Having seen most of the world, Australia is the closest place to paradise. Not many would believe this but I’m very academic. Time permitting, I’m always enrolled in a course, even when I don’t have to be. My brain has got a separate career from my mind and is always running at a hundred miles an hour. It’s like having in-house entertainment! My hobbies are cycling, running, ice skating, skiing, sailing, board paddling and canoeing. I love music and am always singing, even though I can’t. This is why I’m an Accountant. When the weather gets warmer, I’m going to learn scuba diving with my brother who is not just a pilot but a scuba diving instructor as well. Let’s test the waters if I could sing better underwater.

2. Who inspired you the most?

My Dad was always my guardian angel. He never ceased to amaze me with how generous, patient, understanding, humble and smart he was. His empathy is the best thing about him. I am what I am now because of him. He shaped me more than both of us realise. His endless faith, belief and trust in me made me hardwired to do my best no matter what, no matter when. The trait that best gave me my life mantra is honesty. He taught me to be comfortable with who I am. To others, what they see is what they get – except the modelling shoots because I’m not really a fairy, fallen angel, princess, or hunter goddess!

He sacrificed so much to make sure we came first. He is my shoulder to lean on and an ear when I vent. My poor Dad, that Spanish blood in me miraculously becomes so alive when I “air my grievances”. I love you dad and just wished I’ve said it more.

3. What are your goals in life?

Life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned, so my goal is always to do my best in any circumstance that presents itself. To make life less complicated I use SMART goal setting (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) but even with that life is a roller-coaster of unexpected outcomes. What do I do? I just ride it.

Have I achieved my goals in life?

Pretty much, I have what I “need”, not “want”, and I’m content with that. I am always driven but I’m a very grounded and easy-going person. Every day and everyone is a privilege and I never take them for granted. My daytime profession helps set up people for life. I sometimes feel more like a psychologist or family counsellor after helping people sort out their issues and hopefully they can sleep better at night, even if sometimes the trade-off is me lying wide awake at night. As a model, I always go out and shoot hoping that I will touch someone’s life with the idea that there is hope, love and happiness. Once I was on a White Angel shoot in a freezing isolated forest and out of the blue a family came along a walking track and the little girl said to her mum “Mum look! Angels do exist”. That was the best compliment I ever had, despite being close to hyperthermia. The White Angel shoot nearly turned into Blue Angel!

4. What is Women Empowerment?

Women empowerment is not a fad, it’s a process. Empowered women aren’t perfect but they rise above the occasion after hurdles and disappointments. We take risks and work hard to achieve the optimum result. An empowered woman knows her strengths and weaknesses and isn’t afraid to embrace them.

From my daytime job’s (Accountant) point of view – women empowerment or equality means business and from my weekend job (modelling) – I’m sticking to the same view. Women’s full participation in all sectors builds stronger & sustainable economies and improves quality of life, not just for the women but those who depend on them – family, workplace, marketplace and community.

To be empowered means to be in control of your life, be aware of your capabilities and ready to take on your dreams and those who stand in the way. It is being determined, confident and fearless. It’s having faith and belief in yourself so that you may be able to empower other women and men, both young and old.

A key to being empowered is to soar high with eagles, not ducks. When you surround yourself with hard-working, successful, empowered women who can encourage you and be an example for you when times get tough, your thoughts and actions are geared towards something along those lines. I do engage with people who don’t hold the same values – we do not have a choice sometimes! However I always make constant conscious decisions about who I invite into my life.

Women Empowerment is not a fad or trending hashtag. Even in this modern world, there will always be sexism, racism, or many other discriminations that are labelled differently. There will always be a person who will make you feel less worthy than you are. Rather than protesting, stand up for yourself, because no one else will. An empowered woman will always hold her head high and sometimes I imagine myself with a tiara, just like on one of my shoots. We do not have to be victims anymore.

Feel free to contact her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nina_parinas/

‘Woman – An Enigma’ is the first of a series of fashion photoshoots, which aim to empower and uplift women through fashion, give them more self-confidence and make them feel beautiful inside and out. Some of the ladies participating in the projects are battling cancer and need all the support they can get.

Fashion photoshoots/ events showcasing the external beauty of a woman is very common, but those highlighting the inner beauty of a woman is rare. That’s why we will be using real women rather than perfect looking models for our projects, to portray the fact that women don’t need to be perfect, it’s their flaws that make them unique and beautiful.

Another purpose of the photoshoots is to provide a platform for women business owners to promote/ showcase their products and skills like boutique owners, makeup artists, hair stylists, photographers etc.

Meet our featured beauty with brains Amanda Thompson, an artist based in Sydney, Australia. Here is her story.

“Hi, I’m Amanda, the artist behind Amanda Thompson Artworks. Born in Perth, Western Australia, I started drawing and painting at a young age (apparently on the wall behind the sofa)! I was always interested in art and craft, but really only started taking art seriously when I was in my teens. I completed 2 years of art classes at high school level, but did not continue with any further training. I can’t say I loved the structure of high school art classes, I prefer the kinaesthetic approach to learning – give it a go and see what happens!

I’m inspired by my mother, who is a talented (award winning) painter. We have worked on pieces together and had an exhibition together in Perth many years ago. I am hugely inspired by my surroundings.  I have lived in Perth, Brisbane, London and Milton Keynes (UK) and now living in the Sydney Hills, where there is an abundance of wildlife to inspire me. I also love to travel, experience new cultures, environments and influences.

I tend to lean towards a quirky and impressionist style, but my portfolio includes a range from Acrylic landscapes, bright Ink and Watercolour paintings, through to black and white Zen drawings. Over the last few years I focussed on commissioned pieces, created mostly in Black Ink, however have returned to bright Inks and Watercolours. My latest works are predominantly inspired by Australian wildlife, however you may be lucky to find a floral piece in my range from time to time.

I predominantly sell prints of my work, on various mediums including Fine Art and Canvas.

At the moment, I create my art part-time, with my other ‘day job’ working in Human Resources. I have also worked in retail and have a passion for Homewares and gifts. I just love beautiful things!”

Here is an interview with her.

1. What are some of the challenges you face and how do you overcome them?

One of the major challenges I face is finding the time to paint. I work part time in an office, so on the days when I am at home, I’m usually doing housework. It’s a matter of making myself schedule time to create. Sometimes the housework has to wait!

Another challenge is working through times when my creative side isn’t present. I have learned to listen to my intuition and not to force it. I feel that if I try to paint during these times, I don’t create my best work. I just step away from creating art until the feeling of motivation and joy (MOJO) is back again.

2. What is your advice to budding artists?

Try different mediums and have fun with your art. Remember that “Comparison is the thief of joy” and not to compare your success to that of other artists. It may appear that they’ve become an overnight success, but in reality there’s usually years of hard work that has gone on behind the scenes. Also remember that Art is subjective. Not everyone likes the same thing, so don’t be discouraged if your work doesn’t always win prizes or sell. There’s someone out there who will love it and buy it, they just haven’t seen it yet.

3. Do you have a favourite painting which inspires you?

I have a painting of a sailboat on the open ocean. It was painted by my mum and I absolutely love it. It is calming, but also reminds me of her every day. She lives in Perth, Western Australia, and I only see her once or twice a year, so it is lovely to have a piece of her always with me. She has several pieces of my artwork too.

4. Do you interact with the digital world/technology in your work?

Technology is a huge part of my work as an artist. Last year I was encouraged by friends and family to start selling prints of my work, rather than only originals.

I taught myself how to take high resolution scans of my artwork and make it print-ready. I work with a print company in Brisbane who I send the high resolution digital files to, and they print my work on a range of paper, canvas and acrylic blocks.

I set up an ecommerce website to display and sell my prints. Once an order is placed, I receive a notification, then I send the order to the printer (either by email or via their website) and once it is ready, they ship it directly to my customers.

I use digital media (Facebook and Instagram) to advertise my work, run giveaways and show what I’m currently working on.

Technology has helped me reach a broader audience than having a shop front (although I’d love to have my prints in homewares shops one day too!).

Amanda would like to offer our readers a discount too. If they use the code EBWB10 they’ll receive 10% off any print order via her website (www.amandathompsonartworks.com.au) for the month of September.