Jayanti Krishnan 

A very critical element for our success today is how we groom and present ourselves. Our appearance influences our personal, social and professional lives. How we feel influences how we look and vice versa – a phenomena called beauty self-esteem.

While ‘what is inside counts most’ as indicated in my first article in this section, it is a fact that an appealing appearance, good health and hygiene positively influences our lives.

So, what role does hair play in our self-esteem?

A woman’s hair is her ‘crowning glory’. Hair is our best expression of personality and your best accessory. It can make or break our outfit, so it should reflect who we are. I am sure you will agree with me that on a good hair day, we can go and rock the world!

The role hair has played in people’s self-image goes way back to ancient history. As long ago as Greek and Roman times, elaborate wigs were signs of status and wealth. Beautiful hair was associated with royalty, worn like a crown. We cannot forget Cleopatra who was famous for her thick, black locks.

So girls, summer is round the corner and the sun is ready to shower its wrath on us.

Before it is too late, do not let the sun dull your shine!

​Prevent your hair from splitting and becoming dry, damaged and dull this summer with the tips shared in this interview by one of the experts in the fashion industry – Shalini Samuel. Shalini runs her own YouTube channel called Knot Me Pretty (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCivhspq9t4QYUK1HGQsD0gw) where she teaches us a variety of hairdos, right from our everyday hairstyles to cute buns and braids.

Knowing our current hectic lifestyles and the time allocated to hair and beauty, she helps by providing easy tips and tricks which take the least time and effort with the best possible products, to look fabulous on the go.

Here are some snippets from my chat with her.

​Jayanti: While the opportunities in the fashion industry are immense, you chose to concentrate on the niche space of Hair Styling. Not only that, you have also taken the approach of sharing the knowledge in a DIY (Do it yourself) mode by running a YouTube channel. What prompted you to take this unique path?

Shalini: I always wanted to stick to a niche area and do something where I had expertise and experience in! I’ve always enjoyed playing with and braiding hair so this idea came very easily and naturally to me. Talking about DIYs I’m a big fan of that space myself, of anything that will make my life easier. So I thought of making hair videos for women that will solve all their hair issue and they can just do it by themselves.

Jayanti: You have a whopping number of followers and subscribers… 169K followers for your Knot Me Pretty Facebook page and 595K subscribers for your You Tube channel. How was your journey like? Did you even envision this kind of a growth?

Shalini: When I started I did not have a target number in mind that I wanted to achieve. I was only exploring the space and working on improving my content. It initially took a while but when I figured out the platform and worked on the right videos for my audience, the videos just naturally did well. It came directly from my heart. I strongly believe that if you do something that you are passionate about, the result flows through automatically.

Jayanti: The industry is flooded with hair stylists, most of them men too. Did it ever deter you?

Shalini: No not at all, there were always a lot of hairstylists but none of them were making digital video content, so I think that worked in my favor.

Jayanti: Tell us more about the brand names you are working with?

Shalini: I have worked with BBLUNT and it is always a pleasure working with them, couple of skincare and makeup brands like Maybelline and Biotique, I have done a series of videos with Livon hair serum! I enjoy working with brands as long as I am providing value in my content and I do not oversell.

Jayanti: Summer is setting in! Can you suggest quick and easy hairstyles for working women (both casual and formal) based on the face and body type?

Shalini: I think ponytails and top knot buns are an all time favorite in the summer. I have a few videos showing various types of ponytails, top knots, braids that can help women to style their hair in summer. Apart from this, there are various tutorials available for your varying needs – simple, outdoor, work, celebrity etc.

Do check out my social media pages:

https://www.instagram.com/knot_me_pretty/

https://www.facebook.com/knotmepretty/

http://www.youtube.com/c/KnotMePretty8

So that was a short synopsis of conversation with Shalini.

I have been personally following Knot Me Pretty for some time now. And have found the following links extremely useful in my hectic schedule. Specifically:

Quick hairstyles –

1 Min Everyday EFFORTLESS Hairstyles With Ponytails For School, College, Work, | Indian Hair styles

Tips to grow our hair –

#Hair Growth Tips- Natural Homemade Fast Hair Growth Oil For Thick, Long, Silky, Shiny, Healthy Hair

 Handy tips to maintain our hair in summer –

How I Take Care Of My Hair | My Everyday Summer Hair Care Routine For Healthy, Thick, Shiny Hair