Life style
Picture perfect bride with Ramani
Could you tell me a little bit more about you your background, your brand, your style and you unlocked that style?
I have spoken about my stories many times and my feel that my journey was fairly straight forward, I started out in a box room at my home. This was definitely something I wanted to do as I’ve always been passionate about being a creative individual.Building my brand obviously took a lot of hard work and perseverance to get to where we are today, I could not have accomplished any of this without the support of my husband, family and my team, I always say I’m nothing without my team and my salons wouldn’t be what they are today without them.As for my style I take a lot of pride in how I present myself to the world and I always strive to look my best.
Can you describe that moment when you knew that hair and makeup was what you wanted to do?
As long as I can remember beauty and fashion have been a passion of mine from a very young age, I would love to dress people up and make them look their best therefore this was a passion that was always around for me more so than a single moment.
Do you usually work weddings on you own or do you have a team?
Generally, if its only the bride then I work alone and just take one assistant with me, if it’s the bride along with the retinue then I have my team that I take along with me.
What tips would you give couples looking for their wedding?
Start preparations early It generally takes several months to get everything ready. So start your preparations at least six months before the wedding because this is like a practice session for you.
Staying hydrated
Be sure to drink lots of water before your wedding day. It will help you cleanse the toxins in your body and make your skin look fresh.
Skin Prep
Glowing skin is another thing you should consider. Use a face scrub or facial mask 2-3 times a week to remove dead cells from your face. It will make it soft and healthy. It is also vital to get regular facials leading up to the wedding.
Can you tell me a little bit more about your processes? How do you help a bride discover her wedding day look?
My process is simple – I listen to what my client wants and needs. I like to hear about their wedding plans, such as getting to know the dress they’ve chosen and the bridal look they love. This then allows me to unlock how we can best blend their hair, complexion and features to create something truly personal and amazing for them. Once my brides have told me about the ‘look/style’ they wish to have, I tailor design a bridal look that naturally enhances their unique features – like making their eyes sparkle or any feature they wish to ‘pop’. My goal is always to create a look that suits them and makes them feel comfortable, gorgeous, and excited for their big day! We always have a bridal consultation in which this look can be tried and tested and reviewed. Any tweaks that may then need to be done can be altered on the wedding day to ensure absolute longevity, perfection and radiance. I think the key is really listening to what my clients want, and creating a bespoke bridal hair and makeup look that complements all the other elements of their wedding celebration.
What are your favourite sources of inspiration for your work?
I would definitely say that I’m inspired by each and every person I work with. It’s so important to me to create a hair and makeup look that suits the individual! I use sources like Pinterest and beauty or wedding blogs for inspiration and keeping up with trends. I love holding creative days for myself and my team where we ‘play’ and grow on techniques and perfect looks together. It brings us together, and we grow stronger and more connected – which in turn helps us serve our couples in an even more cohesive and considerate way.
Diet and Exercise
Exercising and a well-balanced diet are also vital in order to prepare for your big day and life in general.
What are your favourite sources of inspiration for your work?
I love following various famous makeup artists and hair stylists on social media to draw inspiration from, keeping abreast with the latest trends is vital in this ever-growing industry. Nature, music, magazines, books and blogs. A lot of times though, I get my inspiration from the people I’m working with. Whether it is from people involved in a creative shoot, a client for a wedding or even a client who just wants to update their makeup routine.
What made you want to focus on styling for brides?
As I said making people look their best on one of the most important days of their life and being a part of that moment gives me so much joy, this was one of the main reasons I decide to focus on styling brides.How do you stay creatively inspired.
When it comes to creativity, I have to at least have a spark of an idea to project anything. Social media has become a great friend to many artists, including myself, because there is so much material available that is also current, relevant and on trend. Sometimes as makeup artists we look at others work for ideas, it is definitely a way to get inspired, but it’s also important to find what excites you as an artist and find out what you’re really good at and put your energy into that.
Are you affected by the economic crisis?What are you doing to stay healthy and remain positive and hopeful about the future?
All businesses are feeling the strain of the current economy crises at this time and times are definitely difficult. I try to remain as positive as possible and motivate my staff as well.
What is the mistake brides make when it comes to weddings and make up.
Not doing a trial No matter what situation you are in, it is important to do a trial run not only to achieve your bridal look, but also to test products out on your skin.
Forgetting Neck, Chest and Ears
Having a different coloured face compared to the neck and chest area is because of using the wrong foundation colour or forgetting to blend down.
What are makeup trends that are becoming popular.
We will be seeing a lot of bold eye makeup paired with nude subtle lips. I think that this is the perfect balance when it comes to makeup and so do many others who adopt for this trend, which was big in 2021. Naturally, this one is getting carried forward to the coming year as well.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
…….
The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
