In a world where extravagant weddings are becoming the norm, a Delhi-based makeup artist, Neha Aggarwal, has sparked a conversation about client ethics and fairness in the beauty industry. Bridal makeup is an art, not a freebie, and Neha just made this fact loud and clear. The professional makeup artist recently shut down a bride who asked for free makeup in the name of collaboration and ‘exposure’, even though she spent a fortune on her designer Sabyasachi lehenga and extravagant jewellery. Her response has since gone viral, resonating with professionals who often face similar requests, especially from ‘influencers’ with a decent number of followers on their social media handles.
Bride requests MUA to sponsor her makeup
Neha Aggarwal, who is a professional makeup artist from Delhi, recently took to her Instagram handle to share a bride’s bizarre request, and the audacity of her request raised questions about clients’ ethics. The MUA shared a screenshot of the bride’s message, which began with an emphasis on her luxury lehenga. The bride wrote:
“Hey, I’m getting a Sabyasachi lehenga for my wedding. I am looking for an artist who can sponsor or subsidize my bridal makeup for this opportunity, so you’ll get luxury content for your page, and I’ll get my bridal makeup done. Lemme know if you’re interested.”
Essentially, the said bride wanted her professional makeup services done for free, and for this, her justification was that it could be a great ‘collaboration’ opportunity for Neha. Well, let’s just say Neha’s simple response was enough to make her message heard loud and clear.
MUA Neha Aggarwal’s response to the bride seeking free professional makeup
In today’s digital age, where influencers seek freebies in the name of “collaboration,” professionals like Neha Aggarwal often face undervaluation. This time, she wasn’t having it. Neha took to Instagram, sharing a reel with the bride’s message, boldly stating, “I don’t work for free.” The message then appeared in multiple languages, including Hindi, Bengali, and Gujarati. To drive her point home, she captioned the post, emphasizing that exposure doesn’t pay bills, but respect for professional work does. It read:
“Sabyasachi is paid for. Your venue is paid for. Your jewelry is paid for. But when it comes to makeup—suddenly it’s “let’s collaborate”? Let’s get this straight—exposure doesn’t pay bills. It doesn’t pay my team. It doesn’t cover the hours I spend perfecting your look. Luxury doesn’t mean free. My makeup isn’t a prop for your wedding. It’s a craft, a service, and a business.”
Social media reacts
Neha Aggarwal’s witty response to the situation quickly gained traction, with several users supporting her stance. One user wrote, “These kinds of messages really boil my blood. I’m glad you answered it the right way!” Another commented, “Oh my god, this is absurd and a complete disrespect to the artist.”
A third one wrote, “Sare paise Sabyasachi me laga diye bechari ne. Makeup k paise nahi hain!” Some users also took this post to point out the double standards of the beauty industry. One comment read:
“This rejection is also required for the makeup artists who asks models to shoot for free, they hire a whole team but don’t want to pay the models. I hope makeup artists also understand that models also have bills to pay.”
What is your take on this matter? Would you have agreed to work for free?
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