I imagine Neetu Josh now, maybe sitting in her studio, mixing up colors like a painter, or maybe at home: lying down, with her husband and baby boy. As one of the most prominent bridal makeup artists on social media, as well as a mother, she desperately needs this time of rest. And yet, she has no hesitation.

She has no dread of going to work the next day. Why? Because she loves what she does, loves the way she makes her brides and bridesmaids feel.

Picture this: you are in India, nervously bracing yourself for the big day- your client´s wedding. You know the Desi bridal tradition is renowned for its extravagance, and beauty, and that every part of a Desi wedding is meticulously planned out. From the flower arrangements to the food, there is no place for minimalism or simplicity.

The colors are raging, the crowd is overflowing, and the music blares from the speakers. Some may be reminded of the Indian festival of Holi, in which participants spray water and colored powder, painting the streets in red, pink, and gold. The buffet is often one of the main attractions- in fact, some people claim to have snuck into weddings just for the food!

Of course, the main focus of the wedding is on the bride. For days the bride has prepared, adorning her hands and feet with henna (a kind of temporary tattoo also known as mehendi) spending hours on makeup, and placing flowers in her hair. And from head to toe, from her forehead to the edge of her dress, the bride is enveloped in gold.

A traditional Indian Sari, often stained dark red for the wedding day, is perhaps one of the most highly ornamented garments you will ever come across. Many feet of silk and velvet come together to create this stunning wraparound dress, adorned with every kind of jewel you can imagine, in a carefully thought out pattern. For the wedding, it is embroidered with silver or gold.

The only thing shining brighter is the look on the bride's face. Her cheeks are glowing, her eyes wet and happy. Her maroon lips widen into a smile as she says ¨I do.¨ And even as the tears flow down her face, she looks beautiful.

Stunning, even. And as the cameras flash, you know this is a day she's going to remember forever.

Image Credit: fotographiya from Pixabay

For Desi bridal makeup artists, this is a moment that they create daily, in their small little way. Arranging their tools and brushes, they take comfort in knowing that all their meticulous hard work will lead to one spectacular night of magic. And one even records the process for all her followers to experience.

"My beautiful bride, Richa."

Josh says this in a loving tone, the camera fixated on a bare-faced brown girl. Her dark eyes gaze nervously at the camera as Josh mixes the colors, expertly developing a foundation that fits her skin. It's truly a breathtaking experience to watch, almost like watching a work of art develop, as Josh mixes and blends her palette.

As one of my favorite makeup artists for perhaps years, I still relish the chance to watch her transform each client into a vision that seems almost otherworldly. You can tell her clients feel the same way, from the look of anticipation on their faces, even as they close their eyes.

Josh begins every session by asking her client her vision for the look. Asking for inspiration in photos, she never wants to let her ideas distract herself from what the customer wants. "I love to know..what they feel comfortable with," she says. Her commitment to the customer comes before everything else, but with her natural passion for helping girls love how they look, she loves to accentuate unique features.

When her brides let her, she lines their eyes with blue or green, or adds a pop of color on the lips. Whenever possible, she adds glitter or long lashes to the final look, yet somehow manages to make them look almost natural. Like they belong there, even.

Image Credit: Jamie Street from Unsplash

Neetu frequently comments on the eyes, likely one of those people who think eyes are the window to the soul. She's an expert on accentuating and embellishing. The only problem in many of her looks were the eyelashes.

In her experience with makeup artistry, many or even most of the lashes being sold did not fit properly, were too heavy, or just downright looked wrong. ¨[I] would spend countless hours curling and cutting the lashes,¨ she writes on her website. Concerned for her, her husband wanted to know if there was a better solution. There was. Determined to fix this problem, she developed her own makeup brand, selling lashes of all lengths and shapes.

"False eyelashes should not feel heavy or weigh down your lashes," she adds. "We are mission driven to bring you something that is not already on the market."

Neetu's process includes skin prep, foundation, color correcting, and heavy amounts of blush and highlighter, with a final result resembling Sabrina Carpenter's signature "blush blind" look, which went viral on TikTok thanks to her hit song Espresso. She often uses Dior foundation and the popular Rare Beauty blush to create her looks, which can easily be copied using one of her many tutorials. For Richa, Josh also chose to add gold glitter with a stunning shimmer.

Then came the moment of truth. The big reveal.

"Oh, so beautiful!" Richa squeals.

Image Credit: Eagle Media Pro from Unsplash

For MUAs and other beauticians, customer satisfaction is perhaps the most important thing. That's why the reaction of the bride is often the highlight of her online videos. So, as Richa´s face cracked in half with joy, Josh felt the exact same way.

You can learn more about Neetu Josh here.