My name is Barbie Patel, and I am the founder of Cinderella Bridez, a professional makeup and hair agency established 17 years ago. My love for beauty began in junior high school when I discovered red lipstick. Despite my passion for beauty and fashion, I initially followed the traditional Indian values of pursuing a professional education.

While preparing for my wedding, I faced difficulties finding a makeup artist who could match my skin tone. After several disappointing trials, I decided to do my own makeup with the help of a friend and hired a hairdresser who unfortunately arrived late, delaying my photoshoot. This experience highlighted the lack of professionalism in the beauty industry, particularly for South Asian weddings. Realizing this gap, I started helping friends with their makeup, which eventually led to the creation of Cinderella Bridez, a company dedicated to catering to South Asian brides and weddings.

What Am I Up To Now?

Since then, my team and I have traveled globally to destinations like Italy, Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and across the United States, providing exceptional makeup and hair services. We have also worked with celebrities and been featured on Bravo's "Family Karma," "The Real Housewives of New York," and BuzzFeed. Our clientele includes well-known celebrities Mini Mathur, Richa Sadana, Deepica Mutiyala, Shital Patel, and Arti Lalwani.

Our work has been published in various prestigious publications such as Brides Magazine, The Knot, The New York Times, Wedding Sutra, USA Today, and Forbes, and we've been featured on numerous podcasts.

Today, I am in the process of launching an educational platform for beauty professionals, running and expanding my makeup agency globally, and have recently launched a destination wedding travel platform called Luxx Escapes. Life is busy, but I am incredibly grateful to be an entrepreneur.