What strikes you first is her reputation in the media- an Indian-origin international makeup artist, beauty entrepreneur and founder of Natasha Moor Cosmetics (NMC). From the first time I set eyes on Natasha, I felt a kinship with her, a person who had clearly changed her narrative many times over. I knew that one day we would be exchanging stories with each other, and that day had come. I was already using her make-up, and she had passed that test, unlike the other NRI Indians who successfully had their own labels but had not passed my test. And finally, she is speaking to me on one of her trips to Mumbai, married, happy, and following her dreams. A quintessential Girl Boss, confident and motivated and running her businesses in several countries.
Born to a Sindhi family, she was raised in Hong Kong. Her dad was an entrepreneur, and her mother a philanthropist; she seemingly inherited both qualities. And then there was her story of being bullied in school, overweight, not being able to even look at the mirror, as she would be overly critical of herself. And to add insult to injury was her parents’ timely divorce. For a young Indian girl, that was in itself a stigma, and she had to fight as well. ‘As a result, I have suffered with gut issues, a slow metabolism, and increased cortisol levels’. That’s when her stint with anorexia and bulimia hit her. She shares this because she thinks it would help many people in the community who may struggle with unrealistic beauty standards too.
At 17, she left Hong Kong to undertake a bachelor’s in PR and Marketing at the London College of Fashion, before coming back to work at a boutique PR agency. In 2013, she launched Face Tools, which she rebranded to Natasha Moor Cosmetics (NMC) in 2018. At the age of 22, she found her calling for makeup and has never looked back. What truly motivated her to start a brand was recognising a huge gap in the market. There were honestly no lip colours that suited different brides- no pinks, reds, nudes that worked well with the different skin tones.
But through it all, the other challenges had not stopped. Young Natasha fell in love at 17, married at 25 and divorced at 27. ‘My challenges have been some of my greatest teachers. Going through a break-up that ended with my own divorce further tested my resilience and my belief in myself, but it also reminded me of my strength. I chose to channel my energy into my purpose; I let it refine me through resilience.’
Must she have needed mentors along the way? Yes! Of course, she honestly replied – I’ve been fortunate to have many incredible mentors along my journey, and one of the biggest blessings has been being part of the Baby Bathwater Institute, a tight-knit community of innovative entrepreneurs’. Her most recent favourite mentor is Tony, the founder of Kasandrinos Olive Oil (a premium olive oil brand rooted in his family’s Greek heritage). He mentored her in scaling a D2C (direct-to-consumer) brand, sharing invaluable insights on everything from streamlining operations to creating a more meaningful customer experience.
The people we surround ourselves with play a huge role in shaping us. You need people who will lift you up, support you, and bring good energy into your life. Of course, there are times when you have to be there for yourself, but the people you choose to have in your corner truly matter. Natasha focused on her strengths, built a support system of people who uplifted her and worked relentlessly on self-love. So, she first built her career as a sought-after bridal makeup artist for high-profile Indian weddings around the world before launching her own cosmetics brand in 2018. The real win for her was that every time someone told her that her products made them feel confident, strong, and beautiful, she felt that was the kind of success that lasts a lifetime.
She wanted to create products that remind people of their worth. ‘When I became a make-up artist and started helping other people feel beautiful, something shifted. It felt so powerful – being able to help someone see themselves in a more positive light. That’s what inspired me to start my own makeup brand. I wanted to create products that remind people of their worth.’ That’s where Natasha stood out; she built her brand around the idea that beauty should definitely be linked to confidence and empowerment. She started her “Happiness Project” to amplify her belief that makeup can dramatically impact people, as her experience working with women in need, disenfranchised, and struggling made her believe so. That came to her in the form of visiting shelters for the victims of human trafficking, homelessness and substance abuse. ‘It came to me as an amazing opportunity to interact with the survivors, and I actually felt the happiness that they experienced after I had pampered them with a mere make-up session’. They had survived the most difficult times with pride, courage and acceptance. All of this, the press commented on, as – ‘Moor is on a mission to empower women’.
Today, a jet-setting artist and much-featured, sought after personality, Natasha has been featured and interviewed by Vogue India, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Tatler, Khaleej Times, Elle India, Sassy Media Group, Star World, Friday Magazine, Lifestyle Asia, and many more. Her brand is today available at and sold by major beauty retailers, including Sephora, in parts of Asia-Pacific, and through Nykaa in India. Resilience, gratitude and intentionality are her pillars of success. Her three entrepreneur tips that she would like to share: ‘Keep a circle of people who build you up, don’t be scared to cut out negative energy. It will always be difficult, so look for people who can advise you’.
Her philanthropic initiative, “DO MOOR,” exemplifies her commitment to giving back. This charitable program empowers victims of human trafficking, those in drug rehabilitation, and individuals in homeless and disabled shelters through the transformative power of makeup. make up could do. Natasha’s upcoming mission focuses on empowering the underprivileged and victims of trafficking by teaching essential makeup skills. She provides tools for economic self-sufficiency, helping them build confident, fulfilling lives as successful businesswomen in their communities. Natasha Moor is proving that beauty is MOOR than skin deep- it is reclamation, healing, and power.
Making the move from the US at the right time, she has been living in Dubai with her husband, Akash Morrison, the Co-founder & CEO of Avesta 76 Therapeutics. The best part of the marriage is that they work together, and as they do, Natasha feels they will get to know each other well enough to have beautiful babies together. They are CEOs and CCOs at each other’s companies, so they get to spend much more time together and even travel together. A bond that works, as this time, she is definitely going to make it work.
Her definition of success is very different from earlier, when it was just about creating milestones, making a dent in the retail market, and how much money she could make, but now it’s about how happy one can be in their everyday lives. I believed this girl and left smiling, as I had used her ‘legacy’ on my lips (her lipstick shade), and looking forward to reading about her legacy in a book she’s probably going to put out soon enough.
