Can make-up make you a better person? Natasha Moor tells us why she feels so

The resolve that led Moor to commence her entrepreneurial journey was driven by offering brown skin-friendly make-up that adheres to professional standards for at-home use

Until a few years ago, it was uncommon to spot beauty products from brands founded by Indians on the shelves of international stores. Having said that, there were some exceptions, such as Natasha Moor Cosmetics. 

Make-up artist Natasha Moor founded her eponymous line of cosmetics in 2017. Her entrepreneurial journey was driven by making high-quality, brown skin-friendly make-up that adheres to professional standards available for at-home use. Most cosmetic companies were remiss about catering to a range of skin tones back then.From growing up in Hong Kong amidst a culture that she wasn’t familiar with to moving countries for education and work thereafter, Moor has juggled professions before she found her calling as a make-up artist. Following a six-week make-up course in the early 2010s, she opted for make-up artistry as her career; little did she know that there were bigger things in store for her in the coming years.

Today, Natasha Moor Cosmetics is available across the globe. While Sephora is Moor’s trusted partner in the rest of the Asia Pacific region, Nykaa is her partner of choice to bring the brand’s coveted liquid lipsticks, concealers and more to the Indian consumer. With over 50 products—and counting—Moor is diversifying her portfolio in response to the demands of the heterogeneous audience she caters to. In a chat with The Established, she walks us through her journey, why she thinks make-up is a tool that can empower and how she plans to take her brand to the next level.

How was it growing up in Hong Kong and then moving to London?

Growing up in Hong Kong was difficult; I was overweight, had bad skin and was bullied to an extreme extent at a young age. Even though I studied at an international school, as an Indian girl, I was still bullied—it’s just how it was. The kids would tell me, “You’re so fat and ugly, you should die,” and such things really affected me. In fact, I remember mentioning this in an interview when I was in Los Angeles, and they were shocked—they were like that’s not normal, people don’t talk like that. Later on, moving to London is what inspired me to pursue make-up. 

What propelled the transition from a PR executive to a make-up artist?

I was really concerned about the way my skin looked since I was grappling with acne, and so I’d end up covering my skin with make-up, like a mask. In the bargain, I was often complimented on my make-up skills. But, I never considered being a make-up artist professionally nor did I see any merit in this career because the conventional mentality (about a decade ago) didn’t concede that. However, when I realised that I had reached a point of stagnancy in my job as a PR executive, I stopped feeling fulfilled. That’s when I became more open to alternate avenues—make-up was obviously the top choice.

As a make-up artist travelling across the globe for her clients, were there any particular pain points that you came across?

Contrary to popular opinion, the concerns faced by every woman are quite the same across the globe, especially when it comes to make-up. From my experience of predominantly being a bridal make-up artist for women across ethnicities and cultures, the common concerns would include pigmentation, dark circles, an uneven complexion and dullness that probably surfaces as a result of the fatigue a bride goes through right before her wedding. Every client of mine seeks a glowing base, eye make-up that makes their eyes stand out, an even skin tone and lipstick that lasts through the many ceremonies.

You’ve said that make-up is beyond superficial beauty. Did that inspire you to launch your own make-up line in 2017?

I thought I could do more as a make-up artist than just travel internationally and assume that I’m empowering people. So, I decided to work with victims of human trafficking and women living in shelters and do their make-up to make them feel confident and better about themselves. I then realised that I was entering the same old game in a very different way. That’s when it struck me that the message that  beauty can send across is somewhat superficial at times. 

A common perception among people is that those who wear make-up on a regular basis, or wear a lot of it, are fake and superficial. However, one must realise that there is an aspect of mental health associated with make-up as well. Why is that person covering themselves up? They could either be insecure about the way their skin looks, in which case you should be slightly nicer to them, or perhaps, they really like wearing make-up, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Yet, there’s a reluctance among some people who think:  “Oh no, I don’t want to wear make-up because I don’t want to be perceived as a girl who wears make-up”.

Acknowledging that I love make-up unabashedly and that there’s nothing wrong with that was a journey in itself in the first place. Therefore, I knew I wanted to focus on make-up as a brand, or as a tool of empowerment because it does change the way someone is impacted, and then, how they treat other people in turn. I also noticed how the names of my lipsticks, which were always affirmations like ‘Empowered’ and ‘Ambitious’, were instant pick-me-ups for the women at the shelter homes. They seemed more confident after indulging in make-up products that spoke to them.

Why was lipstick your first product of choice?

To answer your question in three words: pigmentation, colours and formula—three of the most common dilemmas when it comes to any make-up product, lipsticks in particular. I had my (bridal) clients going from their mehendi ceremony in the morning all the way to other functions in the evening and they perpetually failed to find make-up that would last—it would smudge all over their faces. So I thought to myself, “A client wishes to wear a red lip and a nose ring on her big day without any smudging—how do I make that happen?” I then began working with different blends and mixes to make the formulas myself, making sure they tick all the boxes. I wanted to create lipsticks that are long-lasting and kiss-proof and yet felt comfortable and kept the lips moist. It took me two years to develop the product but it was so worth it—all my brides suddenly had a solid solution for their biggest pet peeve.

As a make-up artist yourself, what were your checkpoints for the products that you were fabricating?

I started with lipsticks, but I knew I had to do more. Personally, and as a make-up artist, I steer clear from using foundations. So, I was using concealers from other brands before I developed my own. I would mix different formulas from different brands and add some moisturiser to it to achieve the results I wanted. I then felt the need to make concealers. This led me to formulate the Liquid Magic Concealer. It contains allantoin which sloughs away dead skin cells, hydrates the skin and plumps it up—it’s like cream that feels nourishing and weightless and doesn’t look cakey. Next, I went on to launch mascara, eyeliner and lip liners—all the essentials I thought my customers would want to have in their everyday make-up vanity. 

As a person of colour, how do you make sure Natasha Moor Cosmetics is as diverse and inclusive as possible?

Firstly, all the formulations are created in a way that they’re brown skin-friendly. I definitely try to reach out to my customers and understand what they’re looking for in their make-up products—as a brand founder, I think that’s very important. I, not for once, think of myself as a celebrity with beautiful make-up. Though I think of myself as a citizen of the world, I am connected to India at a deeper level since I started my career with Indian clients. I then want to put this audience on the global map, considering our brand is available everywhere. I also think that Indians are not being represented in the best possible way, given the cliches one comes across in television shows.

I started the brand to cater to Indian brides across the globe, and they would then take note of the fact that I am largely using products from my brand. Subsequently, they’d enquire about the products for their personal use, which left me with a realisation of the potential the products had in terms of appealing to international consumers as well. I then began hosting pop-ups in Indonesia and Dubai, where a lot of non-Indians would end up shopping for products that weren’t initially targeted towards them. As a result, I returned to my factory with demand-focused learning such as the need for lighter shades of concealers, more diverse shades of lip colours and so on. 

Sephora Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines onboarded your brand within a year of its inception—what was the experience like?

I was just going through a divorce while at a trade show in Italy (the reason I’m even mentioning this is because a lot of women still refrain from speaking about this topic—it’s still a taboo for many). But for me, I feel that’s a way to empower women and let them know that it’s okay to do what you have to. I met a slightly older Jewish woman at a bar—she came up to me and asked me if I was Natasha Moor as she had worn one of the brand’s lipsticks. During the course of our chat, she asked me where I saw my brand. “Please don’t tell me Sephora,” she said, to which I responded that that is literally a dream. Three weeks later, she called me back with an offer to have my brand onboarded by Sephora—she was amongst the senior global expansion team at Sephora at the time. 

I knew the next few months were going to be stressful—I shut down operations of my brand for a year and worked on improving the formulations, making the packaging luxurious and having all the registrations and certifications in place. As a 26-year-old, I was both nervous and excited. 

What did 2018 and 2020 (the year that brought the pandemic into our lives) teach you about entrepreneurship respectively?

I always had an entrepreneurial streak in me. When I started out, I thought it would be a lot easier, but today, I tell every entrepreneur that you need to have a lot of faith in yourself. You have to ignore all the noise and self-doubt; you will face many failures–they will only grow as you grow—but trust your intuition. A lot of people advised against starting a make-up brand, but I was determined to bring my dream to life.

I was the type of person who would keep working without a break. During the pandemic, I was in the hospital for 34 days. I had no laptop, just my phone; my team worked a little more to make sure I didn’t have to end up working at all during that time of sickness. The pandemic taught me to stop being so hard on myself. It also made me realise that the support you can receive from your community is very powerful.

At present, how do you juggle between your entrepreneurial role and that of a global make-up artist?

I have actually stopped practising make-up artistry in the capacity of a full-time professional to be able to focus on the growth of my brand. There’s a lot in product development, marketing and strategy that rests on my shoulders—it’s a perpetual game. But I have to admit that the creative in me does miss being a make-up artist, which I hope to incorporate through the photo shoots for my brand.

What are some practices you follow in order to protect your sanity, energy and holistic health?

I do consult with a spiritual healer and recite powerful affirmations regularly. Plus, I believe in giving back. When I say that, I don’t only mean giving back to the underprivileged or associating with shelter homes, but also supporting entrepreneurs, make-up artists and founders of other make-up brands, even if they’re direct competitors. This helps my mental health and instils a sense of gratification in me. 

Lastly, how do you plan to expand Natasha Moor Cosmetics further?

Natasha Moor Cosmetics has very recently launched on Nykaa—it was previously only available through the Cross Border Store which involved duties, shipping fees and tedious document work. Now, an Indian consumer can shop for my products minus any extra charges and have the products delivered to them within a few days. 

In the larger scheme of things, the future plan for the brand is to incorporate wellness too.  Since community-building is important for me, I came up with an initiative called ‘Mingle Moor’  to curate around the world. Here, I try to assemble people in a room and encourage strangers to connect with each other. If someone gets inspired by a person and sets out to inspire another, that’s the chain of positivity I’m hoping to build.

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