Makeup artist calls out Sabyasachi bride asking for free service: ‘Exposure doesn’t pay bills’

A Delhi-based makeup artist has called out a bride requesting free makeup services under the guise of collaboration. Neha Aggarwal took to Instagram to criticise brides who are willing to spend lavishly on designer lehengas and expensive venues, but try to cut deals when it comes to their bridal makeup.

What prompted this critique? A message from a bride, who was going to have a destination wedding in February, asking Aggarwal if she could “sponsor or subsidize” her bridal makeup.

The bride’s message

Aggarwal shared a screenshot of the bride’s message she received on Instagram in December. In her message, the bride explained that she had purchased a Sabyasachi lehenga for her wedding and was now looking for makeup artists who could offer their services for free or with a discounted price.

She couched this request in terms of a collaboration, claiming that the makeup artist would get “luxury content” for her social media pages.

To emphasize the luxury factor, the bride opened her message by saying she would wear a designer Sabyasachi lehenga for her wedding. “Hey, l'm getting a Sabyasachi lehenga for my wedding,” she wrote.

She then asked Aggarwal, who has been a make-up artist for four years, for a discount. “I am looking for an artist who can sponsor or subsidize my bridal makeup for this opportunity, so you'll get luxury content for your page and I'll get my bridal makeup done. Lemme know if you're interested,” the bride wrote.

Makeup artist’s response

Aggarwal turned down the bride’s offer and called out her request in no uncertain terms. The Delhi makeup artist noted that exposure did not pay her bills and that she had a business to run and team members to pay.

“Sabyasachi is paid for. Your venue is paid for. Your jewelry is paid for. But when it comes to makeup—suddenly it’s ‘let’s collaborate’?” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the bride’s message.

“My makeup isn’t a prop for your wedding. It’s a craft, a service, and a business,” Aggarwal added.

She said it was the first time a bride asked her to do her makeup free of charge, adding that it was it is common and understandable for clients to request for discounts.

“She (the bride) explicitly asked for complimentary makeup simply because she was wearing a Sabyasachi lehenga, which I found quite unexpected,” Aggarwal told HT.com.

Aggarwal said brides and other clients expecting professional services entirely free of charge is unfair, especially since in make-up artists often use expensive, high-end international products

"As artists, we invest time, skill, and resources into our work, and it's important to recognise that this is not just a passion but also a business. Respecting the value of someone’s craft and effort goes a long way," she said.

Her post resonated with many people who applauded her for taking a stand against ‘freeloaders.’

“These kinda messages really boil my blood. I’m glad you answered it the right way,” wrote one Instagram user.

Another said: “The sheer audacity? Needing service for free.”

“Oh my god, this is absurd and a complete disrespect to the artist,” a third commenter wrote under her post.