From Nizamuddin Basti to earning Rs 4.5 lakh a week: How this makeup artist made it

A Delhi makeup artist has left the internet stunned after revealing just how much she earned in a single week. Her total? A whopping Rs 4.5 lakh.

Momina, a 25-year-old makeup artist from Delhi, shared a video on Instagram breaking down her earnings from a week packed with bridal and party makeup bookings. The video has now crossed a million views, with many viewers left baffled by the amount she managed to make in just seven days. Many even began questioning their decision to pursue higher education and their chosen professions.

And Momina did not just throw out a number. She took viewers through the bookings that helped her reach the Rs 4.5 lakh mark.

Her week included bridal and party makeup bookings across Delhi and Kasauli, including three looks for a Singapore-based client, a wedding booking, and a family booking worth Rs 2.2 lakh. She also took on another bridal booking over the weekend. Altogether, her earnings for the week came to Rs 4.5 lakh.

Earning Rs 4.5 lakh a month is a far-fetched dream for many. So, seeing a makeup artist make that whopping amount in just a week understandably led to a lot of reactions.

“Thinking about burning my 15 years of degrees! Why the hell am I studying more just to get more degrees? Why the hell did I become a doctor in this country, man! Kudos to you, girl,” one comment on the viral video reads.

“Wow, expensive. London rates,” wrote another user. Tempted by the eye-popping earnings, many viewers also urged Momina to share her journey and reveal how she got to where she is today. Failed school twice; wanted to make father proud

If you’ve tried booking a makeup artist in a Tier-1 city in the last five years, Momina’s Rs 4.5 lakh week may not sound all that surprising. Bridal makeup can easily cross Rs 50,000, while celebrity makeup artists can charge lakhs for a single look.

But what often goes unnoticed is the years of hustle and unpaid collaborations. And being so dedicated to your work that you’re willing to head out for a makeup booking the very next day after your own wedding reception.

“I spent countless days doing free collaborations just to build my portfolio and prove my skills. Every single booking I have today is the result of not giving up, constantly learning, and giving my 100 per cent to every single face I touch,” she wrote.

Speaking exclusively to India Today Digital, Momina revealed that her journey as a makeup artist began in 2021, when she enrolled in a professional makeup course after completing Class 12.

“The moment I finished my exams, I chose to pursue a makeup course. School was very hard for me, and after failing twice, I felt like a failure as a student, though never as a person. Since I was a child, my biggest dream has been to see my father proud of me. That has always been the fire that pushes me to do something meaningful,” Momina told us. Makeup artist Momina's video about earning Rs 4.5 lakh in a week is viral.

It took her around two and a half years of "pure hustle" to get to where she is today.

For starters, the makeup course itself cost her Rs 2 lakh. Coming from a middle-class family in Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti slum area, it was a huge stretch for the family. She initially worked in editorial shoots, but said spending an entire day doing nearly 50 outfit changes for just Rs 5-6k was not sustainable for her.

She eventually decided to shift her focus to bridal makeup. But doing so without any industry contacts was difficult.

“I realised that coming from wealth gives you an advantage that you can easily build a network and a great portfolio just by practicing on friends and family who already have high-end wardrobes. Coming from a middle-class family, I didn’t have that luxury. I had to invest heavily out of my own pocket to set up professional shoots, source good outfits, and hire models just to create an elite profile,” she shared.

So, she started by offering party makeup at very low rates and regularly reached out to influencers and celebrities on Instagram. When some eventually agreed to work with her, those looks helped strengthen her portfolio and led to her first bridal bookings.

"I took on whatever work I could find, doing makeup for studios, TV commercials and editorial shoots," she said. But she also set a rule for herself: every time she got paid for a booking, she would immediately reinvest that money in buying better products.

Today, she spends over Rs 1.5 lakh every year upgrading her professional setup, including makeup products, lighting, a high-quality vanity, premium lenses and lashes.

"I built my luxury kit one booking at a time," she said.The side of makeup artistry Instagram doesn't show

For all the glamorous bridal looks that make it to Instagram, Momina says the job can be physically exhausting.

"People see beautiful brides, but they don’t see me carrying an approximately 15 to 20 kg vanity everywhere, working 15-hour days without sitting, or washing hundreds of brushes at 2 AM," she said.

Some bookings have a 4 am call time, which means she sometimes does not sleep the night before. She also spoke about another less glamorous aspect of the job: how makeup artists are sometimes treated at high-end venues. 20 kg vanity, 4 am calls: The not-so-glamorous side of being a makeup artist. (Photo: Pexels)

"I’ve gone to very hi-fi resorts to get brides ready, and the clients don’t even ask if I need a single glass of water," she said. "I often end up working the entire day on a completely empty stomach. That is the side of being a makeup artist that reels just don’t talk about."

And a packed calendar is not guaranteed throughout the year.

"Not every weekend is like what you see on my reels," she said, pointing to the seasonal nature of the profession. According to Momina, makeup artists have roughly a six-month wedding season, while the rest of the year can bring significantly fewer bookings.

"The anxiety of surviving those slow months when you have barely any bookings is something nobody posts about, especially with so much competition in this field right now," she said.

Her journey has also meant making personal sacrifices. She recalled that when she got married in 2024, she had a bridal booking the day after her own reception.

"I told my husband I would cancel it, but he has always been my biggest supporter. He told me, ‘This is your work, and you can’t say no to it.’"

For Momina, the appeal of makeup artistry goes beyond the money. She said she loves helping women feel beautiful and confident on their big day and believes the profession can offer financial independence.

"I always suggest it because it gives you real financial independence. Being your own boss gives you the ultimate freedom to build the exact life you want," she said.

So, while Rs 4.5 lakh in a week makes for an eye-catching Instagram reveal, Momina’s viral video captures just one snapshot of a journey filled with lessons, challenges and inspiration.- EndsPublished By: Medha ChawlaPublished On: Sep 23, 2026 17:31 IST