Namrata Soni’s client roster may be overflowing with A-listers but it’s her bestie Sonam Kapoor that keeps her the busiest. Namrata led the beauty team for Aisha, loves “making already beautiful people look more beautiful” and if not a make-up artist, she would have been a lawyer or pilot. t2 caught up with the L’Oreal beauty expert as she got the stars Cannes-ready.

Working with BFF Sonam Kapoor...

It is a lot of pressure. Sonam is a perfectionist and she loves experimenting. That means constant research for me — online or magazines. I have to update myself with what’s trending... After that I narrow down to what I like and add my personal touch to the looks. Over the years, Sonam has become a very dear friend. I really appreciate the respect and trust she has in me and I make sure I always deliver my best. There have been no ups and downs as such but if ever we do need a break from each other, we take time off, work-wise. I skip some of her films and focus on my commercial campaigns. And then once I’ve had enough of the ad campaigns, I switch back to signing films with her! Working with her is a major challenge but at the same time it’s fun, rewarding and I look forward to it!

A typical styling session with Sonam...

For each event, Sonam is usually given different outfit options. Sonam, Rhea (Kapoor, sister) and I discuss it, I put together the beauty aspect that best complements each outfit and then Sonam picks the final look for the event. Working with her is actually very effortless. Sonam will call me and say, “Hey Nam, what’s up? This is what I’m wearing”. She sends me pictures of the outfits on WhatsApp or e-mail. I revert with hair and make-up options and she chooses the one she loves most. So for each look Sonam is always given two extreme make-up and hair options — girlie or retro. For example at the L’Oreal Cannes press conference, she chose girlie (in picture above). It was young and fresh because that’s who Sonam is!

On creating looks for L’Oreal for Cannes...

It all depends on the theme. Last year it was avant-garde, so I stuck to experimental make-up. This year the inspiration was gold temple jewellery. So it’s lumiere, dewy. It’s all about enhancing facial features. It’s about mixing the colours of spring with gold. It’s about teaching people to be proud of their skin colour because neo gold looks best on Indian skin tones.

On the BB cream craze...

BB creams (Blemish Balm) double as a moisturiser with a hint of foundation. However they don’t last. So for this sort of scorching heat, I would stick to a layer of compact for skin protection.

On being ‘made up’ in summer...

Unfortunately, there is truly no water-resistant make-up. So it all starts with skincare. Drink lots of water, which in turn helps keep your skin clear and hydrated. The clearer your skin, the lesser the make-up you will use. You can keep concealers and foundations to a minimum and then highlight your skin with cheek tints, bright lips and kohl liner.

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Make-up at work: Liners are very in, especially winged liners. Ditch black and infuse bold colours like indigo blue and forest green.

Tip for a party: Smoke out your liner and play it up with beautiful orange lips with a red undertone.

The summer bride: Stick to basics. Less is more! For day-time functions, I would suggest a beautiful lip colour and simple liner. For the evening, opt for medium to strong smokey eyes. Don’t go OTT. Avoid garish make-up. The pictures are going to stay with you forever!

Summer make-up must-have: Cheek tint.