From the one brow product she recommends to clients and friends to her favourite results-driven face mask, here's how Suman Jalaf shops for makeup and skincare
If there’s one thing you need to see an expert for in the beauty business (aside from the obvious injectables, of course), it’s brows. Nothing lifts your face faster than well drawn, perfectly groomed brows - just as an overplucked or ill-shaped brow can change your entire look. So who to trust with your precious facial features? There’s one name that crops up time and again: Suman Jalaf, known in the industry as the ‘Queen of Brows’.
Suman’s bespoke treatments have taken her worldwide, but now Londoners can find her in the new Suman Brows Beauty Atelier, be it for her sought-after microblading skills, a lash tint, mani-pedi or even a wax (read our recent review of the Beauty Atelier here ). But what does the woman who carefully grooms thousands of faces use on her own? We caught up with Suman to find out how she shops for makeup and skincare, where she gets her hair done and the one brow product she always recommends…
Where do you prefer to shop for beauty (on or offline) and why?
"I like to go into Space NK store to really get a feel for the product. I rarely repurchase beauty products as I like to try new launches – I couldn’t buy online as I always have to test the pigment of eyeshadows, test the colour of foundation etc. I’m always travelling so I just have to buy something in duty free! I will always get a new lipstick, visit the Tom Ford counter and try the perfumes on offer."
What’s the last makeup item you bought?
"Oooh, I have to think! On the way back from a work trip in Dubai, I picked up my favourite Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate, £59 in Duty Free – that’s a staple for me (both the palette and Duty Free…!).
"My favourite most recent discovery is the MSLondon Mineral Makeup Foundation, £28 (Colour: Caramel 2). If I’ve forgotten my moisturiser and I’m on the go travelling, this is everything, no preservatives, no synthetic dyes, no parabens. It’s crushed minerals so when you apply it, it’s flawless, and within 30 seconds it settles my skin even if I’m having a bad skin day – it’s a miracle worker!"
And your most recent skincare purchase?
"I bought the MZ Skin Hydra-Lift Golden Facial Treatment Mask, £85 – it’s so easy, I hate faffing, and the results are amazing! I also love MZ Skin’s Depuff and Define Contouring Eye Rescue, £90 . It’s perfect for when my skin’s congested after a flight.
"At the moment, when I wake up my eyes are slightly puffy thanks to my hayfever so I keep the eye treatment the fridge. When I go to get my breakfast in the morning, I quickly pop some on and it really cools down and soothes the eye area."
Which products do you gift to friends?
"The product that I gift or recommend to friends is the Skinceuticals Face B5 Serum, £65 – it’s absolutely brilliant under makeup as it contains lots of antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and it’s perfect for carrying in your handbag. I can’t be without it!"
You have £500 to spend at a makeup counter. Which one do you choose and why?
"Always Tom Ford . Their products are so luxurious; packaging and formulation. Their whole range is such good quality – whether it’s the pigmented eyeshadows or the eyeliner. Their lipsticks are divine, the fragrances are some of my favourite. I always recommend their Brow Sculptor, £40 to clients and friends – it glides on so easily; the consistency and colour are spot on and the colour range is so diverse."
Have you ever had your makeup done at a makeup counter?
"I’ve only ever once had my makeup done at a makeup counter. I went to Charlotte Tilbury to try out their product as I had heard such good things. While I loved the finished look, the foundation didn’t suit my skin too well, but I did love the Golden Goddess Eye Palette, £39 and have restocked on that since!"
What would be in your Boots or supermarket shopping basket?
"I don’t often buy a lot of skincare or makeup from Boots but I do like to get all my essential toiletries when I do a big shop there. I do really like L’Oréal makeup products. For example, their Volume Million Lashes Mascara, £10.99 - it does what says on the tin. I like to keep my eyes peeled for BB creams that contain SPF – it’s so important to protect your skin! I quite like the Garnier BB Cream Oil Free Light Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20, £9.99 ."
What’s your favourite budget beauty buy?
"I always repurchase Bioderma’s Micellar Water, £10.80 and wipes, £7.20 – I always clean client’s skin before threading. The micellar water and wipes are perfect for this, so convenient."
And the most expensive?
" Sisely Black Rose Cream, £134 , it's like a lovely dessert on your face! Makeup goes on smoothly after using it in the morning and my skin is instantly hydrated and radiant. Also, the smell is simply divine. I love any cream that contains Vitamin E - it’s so important to protect your skin from free radicals when you’re running around London all day."
Where do you get your hair done?
"I love to get my hair done by Ciler Perska. I’m also a fan of the balayage look – Despina Sianou is the best and it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance as it doesn’t matter if it grows out. Otherwise I get a blow-dry once a week from Dorothea, who’s based in the new Suman Brows Beauty Atelier . I love getting one at the end of a long week – it gives me the ultimate Friday feeling and looks great for the rest of the weekend.
"I love the Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends, £13.45 – it seals my damaged ends, it’s generally a really good hair product.
I finish my hair routine with a little spritz of the Byredo Gypsy Water Hair Perfume, £48 , it leaves my hair smelling like heaven!
I don’t like using too much heat on my hair. But I couldn’t live without my Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer, £299.99 to dry my hair after washing it."
Any other treatments you regularly book in for?
"I love a good facial, every 6 weeks with Michaela Bolder in the Beauty Atelier. I also swear by IV drips: every month Dr. Pam gives me a lease of new life when I’m working long hours. I like to keep my nails looking as fresh as possible because, in my job, I’m always using my hands. We offer Shellac manicures in the Beauty Atelier so that’s super convenient for me."
What’s next on your beauty shopping list?
"Next on the list is the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel, £81 which I’ve heard are fab for softening and brightening the skin."
The new SumanBrows Beauty Atelier is now open at 305 Brompton Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 2DY
For more information visit the website and follow SumanBrows on Instagram @sumanbrows