Earlier this month, Impact Style’s Jo Grimwood had the opportunity to chat with founder and CEO of Kohl Kreatives, Trishna Daswaney, to find out all about the Nottingham based company.
Kohl Kreatives is an independent, non-profit organisation set up by former University of Nottingham student Trishna Daswaney. Trishna’s aim is to aid those who suffer from low self-esteem, which has resulted from the development of conditions such as cancer, alopecia and gender dysphoria.
The alumnus of the University of Nottingham set up Kohl Kreatives as she struggled to accept her own appearance, because of bullying that she endured as a child; she stated that she would use make up as an armour to face the trials and tribulations of daily life. Drawing further inspiration from a scene in My Sister’s Keeper, her main goal is to give other people the same sense of empowerment that she felt upon learning to use beauty products effectively.
There are several different projects that run simultaneously within this start-up company, whose headquarters can be found in the Sir Colin Campbell building on Jubilee Campus. Firstly, the company provides makeup tutorials to those who have been diagnosed with conditions, whose symptoms or treatment has caused changes in appearance.
“…the road to acceptance is a long one”
For those who wish to receive Gender Reassignment Surgery, the road to happiness is a long one; Kohl Kreatives helps these individuals, who are vulnerable to abuse and suicide, to find their identity. For those who are receiving treatment for Cancer, the road to recovery is a long one; Kohl Kreatives helps these individuals, who become diminished and depleted by severe therapies, to find a sense of normalcy.
For those diagnosed with Alopecia, the road to acceptance is a long one; Kohl Kreatives helps these individuals, who have suffered a loss of a physical characteristic, to find a sense of confidence. It is indisputable that this Nottingham based organisation has had, and will have, a profound effect on these and many other individuals.
To fund their charitable activities, Kohl Kreatives runs makeup tutorials for those who wish to improve on their application techniques and knowledge of products. The tutorials follow the same format as those operated as part of the company’s charity initiative. The one-and-a-half hour tutorial gets each attendee to grips with their skin type, face shape and beauty regime.
Trishna encourages everyone to bring their makeup and cosmetics bag, so she can see what each person’s current daily routine involves; she then proceeds to provide personalised recommendations of how to alter their routine to best suit their individual characteristics.
“The lip colours are vivid, long-lasting and crack proof; the brushes are lovely, soft and of exceptional quality”
After these initial steps, the session moves onto teaching a certain aspect of makeup application, which is specific to each session. Those who attend the sessions will be the receivers of a goodie bag filled with beauty products that are relevant to the topic of the tutorial. For example, those who attend Kohl Kreative’s Eye Makeup tutorial will receive an ‘Urban Decay Naked Eye Palette’ as well as numerous great quality products.
The last project on Kohl Kreative’s agenda is the development of multiple ranges of makeup brushes and lip colours. All of the Kohl Kreatives’ products are vegan and cruelty free, which is in line with the company’s ethical business model. First hand, the lip colours are vivid, long-lasting and crack proof; the brushes are lovely, soft and of exceptional quality. The company is expanding their ranges of brushes to include the world’s first flexible, free-standing makeup brush.
Kohl Kreatives and its’ CEO sets exemplary standards for other companies to follow, with their commendable motivations and attention to detail. If you would like to attend one of the Kohl Kreatives workshops, they are held on a weekly basis and for just £35 they provide you skills that can last a lifetime. At the same time, you will be helping others in their time of need. As Trishna Daswaney states on the Kohl Kreatives website: “It follows the same principle as the saying: ‘you can give a fish to a village and feed them once, or teach them how to fish and feed them for a lifetime’.”
Jo Grimwood
Image Credits: Jo Grimwood
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