T-Diaries: Yasmin Karimi

A glimpse into the world of Pakistani powerhouses

What sparked your interest in the beauty industry?

I’ve always had a love for makeup and beauty. Growing up, I was very creative and had a deep passion for art and the face is the perfect canvas. Makeup has always had such a magical presence, with all of the hypnotic colours and playful pigments being transferred from the palette and onto your presence and personality.

You have ventured into the phenomenon of Vlogs and have a successful Youtube channel. How did it help you to grow your reach?

YouTube is a huge platform and has launched the careers of some of the most famous artists in the world such as Justin Bieber. The most important factor contributing to the success of YouTube is that it is accessible to majority of the world. I’ve experimented with loads of different subject matters but I think my best videos are the ones concentrating on my makeup. YouTube has enabled me to expand reach to America and Canada.

Considering that YouTube is banned in Pakistan, do you think it prevents you from gaining a considerable audience in Pakistan?

I think there is a slight effect, however, it keeps things interesting for me as I’ve had to create content for my Pakistani fan base through other social media platforms such as Instagram and Snap Chat.

You recently launched your own hair treatment oil range. Tell us more about this venture?

I launched a range of nourishing hair treatment oils that emulate the experience of an artisan perfume — the bottles are designed and produced to give that precious experience and the scents have been created to differentiate my hair oils from others in the market.

How have the Pakistani beauty industry trends changed over the past years?

I think trends in Pakistan have evolved leaps and bounds. We’ve seen a huge shift from the white powdered faces to more natural looking makeup which is so refreshing and refined. It’s so nice to see salons like Aaramish and Nabila’s open up and key makeup artists like Natasha evolve — I think she’s incredible. Also Inglot has opened in Karachi and Lahore which is indicative of the direction that the market is taking. Pakistan definitely needs more international makeup brands!

Any advice you’d like to give to young women aspiring to work in the beauty industry? 

Ask yourself why you want to work in the beauty industry — it seems very glamorous from the outside but like any other industry, it’s hard work but fun if you’re passionate and committed. Secondly, a huge part of success is failure. If anyone who is successful tells you they’ve never failed — they’re lying! And lastly, make-up application really is an art so practice, practice, practice and never stop learning!

Yasmin Karimi

Entrepreneur

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, November 1^st, 2015.