Meet Matin Maulawizada | Makeup artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matin Maulawizada and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My business started as a result of social and economical needs to provide work and education for women in Afghanistan

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I had an entirely different career before becoming a make up artist. I switched fields late in life but somehow knew I had to move to NYC and start this path. Was it easy? Absolutely not!!! But just when I was planning to go back to SF and beg for my old job, I decided to wait it out and at least get one major magazine cover. I ended up booking that cover after a couple fashion stories and it was with Liv Tylor shot by Gilles Bensimon. When the magazine hit the news stands, I had 5 stories and 28 pages in that issue which changed and shaped my career completely.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I must say it’ll revolve around food. I would take them to an Afghan Kabob house (Sami’s) in Astoria for lunch followed by an Afghan inspired pasty at Little Flower Cafe and insanely mouthwatering dinner at Agnanti Meze.
In Manhattan, I would start lunch and dessert (black sesame Creme Brûlée) at Cha an in east village or Couscous at Gitanne on Mott street followed by a delicious Persian tah deeg at Persepolis with lentil topping for dinner. Between meals I’d love to browse a museum or some gallery to burn off calories and pretend I like culture and art to impress my friend.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Adeena Niazi, She is the one that encouraged me to go back to Afghanistan and start Afghan Hands Inc. Not only she has been an amazing mentor and inspiring figure in my life but she also help me figure out and connected me with people in Afghanistan that were instrumental in the creation and success of the project.

Website: AfghanHands.org

Instagram: @itsMatin

Linkedin: MatinMaulawizada

Twitter: @itsMatin

Facebook: Matin Maulawizada

Image Credits
Gilles Bensimon (ELLE) Mine are from my own camera and my events Angelina (bloody lips) Martin Schüller Life mag (I can’t remember)