“Love Thyself”- The Beauty Mantra Of Award Winning Odia Makeup Artist

Bhubaneswar: Odisha-based makeup artist, Subhashree Hati aka Romma couldn’t stop gushing when former Miss India Dia Mirza presented her the ”Emerging Talent in Bridal Beauty Designing” award at a glittering event in New Delhi recently. Getting an award from a diva, an epitome of beauty and grace herself was perhaps the highest point in Romma’s life.

Organised by a Delhi-based wedding-magazine and hosted by Magic Media World, the event aimed at promoting and felicitating creative people from across the country. And Romma was one of them. Romma is a household name in Cuttack where she runs her own makeup salon by the name of ‘Make Up By Romma’. Having started four years back, she has carved a niche for herself in the city and is popular for her bridal makeup.

Visibly elated by the recognition and still somewhat dazed by the glamorous evening, Subhashree said it was a dream come true for her. “It was only when I went up on the stage I realised that it is not a dream. Dia Mirza congratulated me and surprisingly asked me about my height,” she gushed.

A gold medalist from Ravenshaw University, making a foray into the beauty business was not even a remote thought when she graduated. “I started my career in 2008 as a wedding planner. After that, I joined NIIT as a faculty member,” she said.

Then on an impulse and out of an urge to secure a bright future for herself, she started preparing for the civil service examinations. “Later, I joined Sai International School as a teacher,” she said.

After having been there, done that and experimenting with various career options, Subhashree finally stepped into the salon industry. She realized that she has a passion for grooming and makeup. The journey, however, was not as easy as she had envisaged. She had to contend with a lot of shaming and ridicule but she stuck to her guns.

“Initially, people made fun of me. I distinctly remember how I used to be trolled every time I would post my selfies with makeup.  But I didn’t lose heart and endured it all with a fresh determination and zeal not to give up,” Subhashree recalled.

It was not long before she started being appreciated for her work and style.

What about her brand name, ‘Make up by Romma’? It came about just instinctively, she explained. “I would post my pictures on social media with the caption reading ‘Make up by Romma’ instead of ‘Make up by Me’. Initiall,y it sounded a bit weird but now it is a brand I am proud of,” she said.

The artist had done makeup for Bollywood singer Tulsi Kumar and was awarded for the best bridal makeup artist in 2017.

About what kept her going through all the hardships, the artist said, “Self-love”. “It is very important to love yourself, not to the extent of being arrogant of course. You have to love and respect yourself to love and respect others. This is what kept me going and helped me step on the ladder every time the thoughts of giving up clouded my vision.

“I never looked back once I took a decision. I was bullied for my appearance but my resilience and determination kept me going. I had to believe in myself. For any magic to happen, one needs to have faith in self and the decisions one takes,” she said.