The business of beauty

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Thirty years and still going strong. Shobha Kunjan, 55, who revolutionised the concept of beauty in Kochi, is happy as she looks back at the years gone by.
The lady who still loves lending a personal touch to each of her esteemed clientele has come a long way. “When I started off the outlook of people was very different. A

visit to the beauty parlour was only prior to a wedding,” says Shobha as she reminisces the days when beauty treatments were confined mostly to bridal make-up.
People watched in awe as she made many a bride look like a princess. “I used to travel a lot and do bridal make-up in nearby places like Kottayam and Thrissur. Those days it used be just a pretty hairdo that caught the fancy of women, but now things have changed,” says Shobha, who started her career at 17.
Beauty salons were few and mostly attached to niche hotels in Kochi. But this didn’t deter her. After a stint with Leena Chen at Taj Malabar, the only place then that provided beauty solutions to Kochiites, Shobha was ready to step into a world still in its nascent stage. Her clientele grew by the day and she gained a stronger footing.
Her marriage to film actor Kunjan was a turning point. “Though I had hands-on experience, I wanted to brace it with a professional expertise.” The only place that offered professional knowledge in this field was Pivot Point, Blossom’s Kochhar’s academy in Delhi, and Shobha earned a Diploma in Cosmetology with the support of her husband. She adds, “My husband knew my desire to excel and encouraged me to start on my own.”
The journey to success saw Shobha launching an array of beauty treatments through Live-in-Style, the first salon in Kochi to boast of a niche clientele. Soon filmstars and celebrities became regulars at the salon. In fact, the posh residential area of Panampilly Nagar became synonymous with the salon where Shobha was seen bringing in a smile to each face with a personal touch.
“I’m happy that I could bring in a change in many lives,” says the lady, but what she truly cherishes is the way each time her husband pepped up her spirit. “Each of his shooting schedules abroad introduced me to the latest bridal accessories, techniques and products in the beauty market,” says Shobha. She is assisted by her daughter Swetha, an expert in hairstyling with a degree from the Vidal Sassoon Institute in UK.
And what keeps her going and full of dreams even amid a busy schedule? “I’m an early riser and start my morning with a brisk walk and pranayama.”