We recently interviewed makeup artist and entrepreneur Shimona. Read her inspirational story below <3
Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Shimona! I’m a first generation Indian Australian and the oldest sibling in my family. Consequently, I’ve always had that leadership and initiative inclination in me. I’ve always been a creative person and my watercolours and art books turned into eyeshadows and faces by the time I hit my teens.
What are your top 3 achievements to date and why?
What are your top 3 learnings to date and why?
You are clearly a very talented makeup artist. Tell us a little bit about where your passion started and your inspiration to makes this a part of your career.
Thank you so much! My passion started out of procrastination. Instead of studying I discovered the magical space of YouTube in year 6. Since then I have taught myself hundreds of techniques from makeup to hair. I would not be where I am without my friends and family who allowed me to experiment on them and allowed me to make them my guinea pigs in my early years. My mum’s my biggest critique, she’ll still tell me if the eyeliner wing is slightly lopsided but I am ever grateful to her for telling me what I needed to hear! There was no intention to make my love for makeup into a career. Thanks to social media and word of mouth I have been able to make it one of my income sources, but I am also focussed on my law/arts degree and on becoming a lawyer to provide me with stability.
You recently launched and innovative retail concept - Shimmer Bazaar. Tell us a little bit about where you got the inspiration for this and how you made your vision into a reality!
Shimmer Bazaar (SB) is very new and it’s super exciting to re-experience the whole setting up a business again after finding consistency and stability within my makeup artistry business. It first started off as an idea to supplement my makeup services with products - namely lashes. However, it was quite a struggle deciding which lashes to choose from and I just felt like I was doing it for the sake of it rather than stocking products I’m actually passionate about. SB arose out of noticing a gap in the South Asian Australian space. I started SB with my business partner Neil who also thought that it would be a great idea to get local vendors on board and showcase their amazing products by creating a one-stop-shop for desi events from makeup to jewellery to fashion. Nothing like this exists in Australia (to the best of our knowledge!). With COVID-19 significantly hampering my makeup services it was the best time to work on SB. Neil’s IT and E-Commerce expertise and my creative side and passion for beauty allowed for us to create what we have today. We didn’t exactly know what it would turn out to be like but we are very happy with its progress so far and can’t wait to grow it overtime with the help of our amazing Australian vendors like yourself! Lucky to have Aheli Collections on board.
How do you manage to juggle all of your commitments?
I manage my life with the help of my Google Calendar and without it I’d be a mess! I’ve always been someone who can’t sit still. I don’t watch TV shows, I’m not interested in movies. Every morning I wake up and I’m so excited to work on it or attend to a new task in my businesses. My parents often have to drag me away from my work to spend time with them. It never feels like work for me, as I’m passionate about my makeup artistry and this new retail venture. It’s a bit of a double edged sword because I end up getting so caught up in the future, my biggest flaw is not being able to live in the moment. It’s a constant balancing scale I have to manage but my friends and family help me through it all.
To all the young girls out there who want to be entrepreneurs like yourself, what is your advice to them?
To anyone out there my biggest advice is to “just do it”. Don’t think about what other people will say. Life’s too short and if you don’t give it a try you might have a feeling of regret later. We live in a country and generation where we can take those risks that our parents may not have been able to take. So I say do what makes you feel happy. But also remember that life is not a bed of roses and you should always consider a plan B or something to supplement your passions until you reach a stage where you can solely rely on it!
Follow Makeup by Shimona on https://www.instagram.com/makeupbyshimona/ and don't forget to check out Shimmer Bazaar to shop for all your makeup and fashion needs at https://shimmerbazaar.com/ (HINT: you might even find some Aheli products ;) )
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Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Srishti Aggarwal. I’m 22. Recently just graduated from university with a degree in Finance and Accounting. My hobbies are dancing, singing and acting!
What are your top 3 achievements to date and why?
Wow, top 3! I feel like I’m someone to recognise everything as an achievement. Sometimes even getting out of bed needs an applause.
One would be me being selected out of thousands of students to attend the London International Youth Science Forum and represent Australia! I truly had a passion for science during high school.
Another would be losing 20 kilograms! Like they say weight is easier to put on than lose. It was a real struggle in terms of my body image but eventually it led to confidence for me! And this led to me being Miss India Australia 2019.
This opportunity provided me a platform to voice my opinions and help others who are impacted with body image issues.
“Be the change you wish to see in this world”
What are your top 3 learnings to date and why?
The first thing that comes to mind is Mahatma Gandi’s quote “Be the change you wish to see in this world”. That has always been in the back of my mind. I’ve always tried to present myself in the best way and change perceptions for the better.
One of the most important learning is to self-love. Whilst I’m still on this journey. My weight loss definitely assisted with this.
Finally, the most important one for me is hardwork. I’ve never doubted how long this could come. But through my journey I’ve realised I’ve had to put in so much hard work to where I stand today barely with anyones assistance. It showed me to be determined, positive and always thinking forward.
What made you want to apply for Miss India Australia? Tell us a bit about your experience here too!
Funnily enough I was going to apply in 2018. I had my whole application typed out but didn’t send it because I didn’t think I was good enough. Little did I know I didn’t need a pageant to tell me my self-worth! I finally got the courage to apply in 2019 and won. It was extremely exciting.
Telling my parents and hearing them say why can’t you just be a normal studious child? As they were pressurised to make a decision for the next pageant Miss India Worldwide which was 4 days after I had been announced in India. Seeing my parents face during the next pageant made me feel so proud! I could just see the happiness in their eyes from stage.
Pageants are completely a roller coaster. They teach you the harsh reality of life and what the so called “show biz” is all about.
What would you say is the secret to your success?
Definitely my hardwork!
But I don’t think this would’ve come if I didn’t have encouragement from my sister. She has been there for me every step of the way.
Helping me, guiding me through life and basic decisions. She’s definitely the woman behind Miss India Australia!
How do you manage to juggle all of your commitments?
It’s honestly a struggle! I love dairies, journals and to-do lists and strongly believe everyone should have them. They help keep prioritise and keep on top of things!
To all the young girls out there, what is your advice to them?
This may sound cliche but just be yourself. Most importantly, learn to love yourself. I know it’s tough sometimes. But one thing that changed my life is don’t compare yourself to others!
Follow Srishti on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srishtiiaggarwal/
We are super excited to announce our first blog ever - Aheli Diaries!
The purpose of our blog is to create a platform for young desi talent and influencers to tell us more about their story and inspire others.
We will post a unique story every week.
If you would like to be featured on our blog, please email info@aheli.com.au
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