The multiple SNAP! 2024 award winner Pooja Golani is a force to reckon with. Her creativity in hair and make-up , and her expertise in running Rubious Makeovers, has earned her a well-deserved spot in India’s beauty world.

As she walked up to the dais, not once but twice, to receive the SNAP! India 2024 trophies, the entire industry acknowledged her talent with a resounding applause. “People looking up to me, people applauding me - it was a surreal feeling,” recalls Pooja Golani, Founder, Rubious Makeovers, as she relives the golden moments of her professional life. Golani submitted one look each across all the categories for SNAP! India Awards 2024, and took home two trophies and certificates, and goodie bags.

To her the awards were not just a celebration of the looks she had created, it was the recognition of her unique ability to sculpt texture and volume using tools and sometimes, just her hands.

CRAFTING A SIGNATURE LOOK

For a freelancer, standing out is non-negotiable. “It’s very important to have your personal touch, your signature look. That’s how people start identifying you,” she explains. For Golani, her signature is all about textures carefully crafted with tools such as the 19mm tong and enhanced with the right styling products. “Even if I don’t have any tools at my disposal, I can still use the spray and my hands to create texture,” she says. “It’s almost like magic.”

So, what exactly does she mean by texture? “If you create curls and then open them up, the hair texture changes. You can work with volume using that texture,” she elaborates. In contrast, sleek, straight hair is smooth and slippery typically suited for more refined, minimal styles. But it’s the voluminous textures, made possible by working intricately with the hair structure, that have become Pooja’s signature. “People are often amazed that I can do it with their natural hair. No stuffing, no artificial support, just styling and sculpting.”

One of her most memorable experiences was working on a model using only the model’s own hair. “She couldn’t believe I had done hair sculpting with no stuffing - just texture created with my own hands.”

While an innate skill is a must to achieve such mastery, Golani insists that formal training is crucial. “Everyone should learn the basics properly. Creating texture and volume isn’t guesswork; it’s a refined skill.”

FINDING YOUR TRUE CALLING

Interestingly, Pooja didn’t set out to be a hair artist. Her journey began over a decade ago with makeup. Hairstyling was something she learned to be able to communicate better with the bridal hairstylists she worked with. But in a matter of weeks, hair turned out to be her true passion.

“I am new to hair artistry, but it excites me even more than makeup. I participated in the hair categories of SNAP! India Awards, although I wasn’t comfortable with hair at first. I did it because I’m in love with it!”

From mastering the tong to weaving art with her fingers, Golani’s win at SNAP! India is just the beginning of many more triumphs to come.