“The best makeup is the one that just enhances your real features”

She may be young but this talented hairstylist Mahnoor Mizka has a loyal, cult following who trust her with their locks like no other. Mahnoor’s love of hair is evident as soon as you meet her – she creates unique color combinations with highlights and ombres. She experiments with brilliant blues and violent violets with the same confidence that most hair stylists stick to caramel golds.

Perhaps it is her youth, or perhaps it is the fact that she chose her calling straight out of school – but Mahnoor is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the hair and beauty world.

How did you get in the field of hair & makeup?

I have always been into art and creative things. I love to paint and to draw, and I feel like hair and makeup helps me express myself. I was 14 years old, a private candidate for O levels when I started doing makeup and hair, which meant I had time along with my education, so I enrolled in a hair school and that was just the beginning of my career path.

What was your first achievement in this field?

My first achievement was winning a hair coloring competition in 2016. I did not expect to win because all the other artists were pretty senior to me. I won it and after that, I felt like nothing beats true passion and creativity.

What makeup advice would you give to an average person?

The best makeup is the one that just enhances your real features. Never try to be some one else. One should only flaunt themselves and their best features.

What is the biggest misconception people have about your field?

That being a stylist is an easy option and that anyone who wants to make money or is bored should open up a salon. I feel like a person without passion and knowledge has no place in the salon.

Being a stylist is a lot of responsibility.

What is your all-time favorite look that you created?

I created the Galaxy hair for the launch of L’Oréal Colorful Hair campaign. It has very beautiful tones of blue, purple, pink with a black base. They go together really well and I feel like it’s a really bold step to have some crazy color happening in the hair. Your favorite color can now be your hair color. How amazing is that!

What are your favorite hair brands?

L’Oréal is my number one. Not only because of the color quality but because I have gotten a lot of training from the L’Oréal Professional Academy, and so I know the product by heart – safest and very easy to use.

Why do you call yourself the sheartress?

That’s a question I get asked a lot. I always love playing roles – sheartress is my role, my character. Sheartress is made of two words, four meanings. Shear is the scissor used for cutting hair, whereas sheer means pure. I like it because Mizka also means ‘pure’. Tress means a lock of hair and tress also comes from the word mistress. Which means a woman with authority. It gives a feminine effect to the word, thus I call myself the Sheartress!

“A person without passion and knowledge has no place in the salon”

Which beauty trends do you want to see disappear?

It has to be the very famous glittery-shimmery look. I feel like everyone is going so overboard with it. There’s a certain amount of highlighter needed and not more than that. I personally love the matte effect and I try using lighter colors of matte highlighters to highlight.

Which local brands do you think are underrated?

Sweet touch – I say it because I love their lash glue. The lash stays in place until you actually want to take it off and never before.

What are your future plans?

Like I always say, my plan is to turn Mizka’s into a brand. Just the way when people are talking about detergent and everyone thinks of Surf. I want people to think of only Mizka when they think about any beauty needs. At the moment I am working on another branch of my studio in Gulshan. So i am super excited, and cant wait for the launch.