From a corporate employee to MUA, here’s how trendsetter Manveen Kaur built MBM Makeup Studio

400k Instagram followers! Sunne mein bohot acha lagta hai, par iske piche ki mehnat dekhna itna asan nahi! Jahan har koi blue tick ke piche bhagta hai, wahin MBM Makeup Studio ki star Manveen Kaur sirf mehnat aur lagan ke piche rehti hai. What you now see as a three-floor makeover studio & makeup academy was once a single room in Manveen’s home! While her OOTD Insta stories bespeak volumes about her physical beauty, we are here to tell you more about her beautiful soul! Let’s read Manveen’s journey in the words of the charmer herself. 

In my early childhood, I was one of the most bubbly girls you’d ever meet. As per my parents, I was this cute child who could be easily kidnapped because I didn’t shy away from going to someone. If you ask my mum, she’d tell you I was an active child, always up for co-curricular activities and studies until Class 8. 

One incident that disturbed my ever-nice childhood memories was my grandmother’s death. She was the backbone of our house, and losing her was emotionally damaging for me. Until about an year later, maa couldn’t pay much attention to my studies. Par kehte hai na, waqt ke sath har zakhm bhar jata hai… slowly and gradually, we got back on track.

I finished schooling to pursue B.Com honors from Delhi University’s Kalindi College. Being an enthusiastic personality, I didn’t want just one degree. Maa and paa were concerned if I could manage two degrees simultaneously, but I convinced them and started pursuing software engineering at NIIT University.

My friends and family used to confide in me because they found me to be a good counselor. This personality trait led me to my first job during my first year at NIIT. I worked as a student counselor, and it felt calming to help people.

Ever since my childhood, I wanted to work for a big MNC. “Mujhe cab mein beth kar bade office jana hai mummy,” was my favorite rant after college. I started my job preparation & was hired in the first interview itself. My company sent me to London for training. Even now, my thirst for knowledge wasn’t satiated! Mujhe aur padhna tha aur maa ki phir wohi tension thi ki meri bachi job aur padhai eksath kaise kregi. Taking MBA classes on weekends and managing the job on weekdays was challenging and exhausting! But I’ve never run away from hard work. I worked for esteemed organizations like American Express, AON Hewitt, and Hays Business Solutions throughout my corporate career. 

Soon, mom and dad started searching for a suitable groom for me, and there came Mr. Meharban Singh! The man who changed my life completely! His was the first rishta we found to be a good match on Shaadi.com. Great family and the best guy! While I was hesitant to get married, I really couldn’t spot anything to refuse Mehar’s proposal. October 4, 2014 was the memorable day when I made the easiest life decision! I married Mehar, my man!

My responsibilities doubled up after marriage. I had to start working a 4 am shift at American Express soon. While Mehar was supportive, the four-hour travel journey to Gurgaon was quite hectic.

Mehar spent hours at his robotics science institute, and I was too busy handling my corporate career. He couldn’t see me working for some corporate. So, he started convincing me to quit my job and build something of our own.

“Tu makeup krna seekhle,” – these words by Mehar sounded like a joke to me! His determination led to heated arguments between us, but he finally convinced me to put resignation.

This was just the beginning!

We did a lot of research and finalized to step into the makeup industry! My whole family was shocked by the decision to start MBM Makeup Studio. Many said leaving seven years of a corporate career and starting over again is wrong, but Meharban Singh was adamant and fixated on his thought of starting something of our own.

I went to London to pursue a professional makeup course. Ek naye sheher mein nayi Manveen dhundhne gai thi main… When I returned, we converted one room in our home into a makeup studio. Mehar also shut his business to build our dream ‘MBM Makeup Studio.’ I didn’t get many brides then, but I continued working diligently. After a few months, we added another room to our home studio. 

Waheguru ki meher aur maa ke pyar se clients badhte gaye! We felt a lack of space and rented a spot in Pitampura to expand further.

While we were set to inaugurate our dream studio, Mehar’s mom left for the heavenly abode. I still remember she was the most excited to see our new studio, but sadly she couldn’t see it!! Her death was a huge blow, and the studio was never inaugurated properly because of this episode. We still wanted her to be a part of our big day, so we took her ashes to the studio and kept them in the boss’ chair while we prayed for her blessings. 

We had teary eyes and heavy hearts, but we were also determined to make maa proud of her son and daughter-in-law. We started working, and surprisingly, we were always fully booked! Wo MBM Makeup Studio, jo hamara sapna tha, ab bohot sari brides ke sapne pura kar raha tha! Dolling up a girl for her wedding day is the same as making her childhood dream come true!

Covid-19 was really tough for MBM Makeup Studio. We had salaries and rent to pay while earnings were zero! At that time, I got many queries from outstation students who wanted to learn makeup. Mehar and I wanted to do something for these women. So I started pursuing a professional makeup trainer’s course to empower more women and girls by giving them a platform to learn makeup.

I spent the entire pandemic honing my makeup teaching skills. The goal wasn’t just to impart knowledge. It was to make the course more accessible to people outside Delhi. We rented another building so that outstation MBM students can stay comfortably while focusing on becoming great makeup artists. 

We’ve recently added a new floor in MBM Makeup Studio, which caters to grooms and has a multi-branded shop, more state-of-the-art classrooms, and a brand new Nails Academy.

While the journey was challenging and turbulent, I am proud of every part of it. I am what I am because of God, my parents, Mehar, and my hard work. 

This was Makeovers by Manveen’s star – Manveen Kaur! The trendsetter who has shaken the makeup industry. She is now a household name who has touched many hearts with her OOTD and skincare stories. Did you enjoy reading her story? Don’t forget to follow our Instagram page; another surprise is coming for you!! 

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