Beauty as Livelihood: Makeup Artistry and New Forms of Women’s Entrepreneurship among Muslims in Kolkata

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/09/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 4 (2026)

Article No.

031

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-4PS9BYCR

Received

22 Aug 2026

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5

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0

Abstract

The most visible of these is makeup artistry in Kolkata, which has moved away from the traditional salon to being a field in freelance work, training, personal branding and micro-entrepreneurship. This change is representative of the broader rise in skill-based and self-employed labor for women, using professional knowledge as a way to leverage economic and social opportunities (Bourdieu 1986; Kabeer 1999). The article focuses on this transformation in the context of several Muslim women professionals who draw upon aesthetic competence as a resource towards particular forms of livelihood, reputation and entrepreneurial self-identity through their public-facing careers. Simran Parveen and Sabiha Lodi are two cases where individual service goes on to become business in itself involving professional training and mentorship for others (The Telegraph, 2022; WeddingWire India, n.d.). Taking a qualitative secondary-data and case-study approach, the article focuses on Simran Parveen and Sabiha Lodi, followed by a brief mapping of Shaista Siddique, Mariam Javed, From Lectures to Lashes and a broader cohort consisting of makeup/hair/mehendi professionals. The study employs Bourdieu's (1986) forms of capital, followed by Kabeer's (1999) resources–agency–achievements framework, Crenshaw's (1989) intersectionality, and Kandiyoti's (1988) patriarchal bargain concept. Together, these perspectives contribute to explaining the relevance of professional skills, social network, gender identity and family expectations in women entrepreneurship stories. So beauty work should not be seen simply as feminine consumption. It refers to technical expertise, aesthetic and emotional labor, digital visibility, client management, mobility and constant reinvestment (Hochschild, 1983; Bourdieu, 1986). Entrepreneurship does not solve gender inequalities or economic insecurity per se (Kabeer, 1999; Kandiyoti, 1988) as well. From a sociological perspective, this occupational sector is of significance, as women can turn strengths that are well known to their cultures into marketable expertise and professional identities; economic opportunities and sometimes training spaces for other women.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.