Revolutionizing Dhaka's Beauty Industry ft. Navin Ahmed

Makeup maven. Business boss. Full-time mom. Part-time magician with a brush. Navin Ahmed wears a lot of hats and somehow makes them all look good. The founder of Gala Makeover Studio & Salon and O Play, she turned a love for beauty into one of Dhaka’s most sought-after glam empires.

What started as a passion project has, over 12 years (and a whole lot of grit), reshaped how this city thinks about makeup, confidence, and showing up. In this exclusive with The Bedroom Journal, Navin walks us through her journey, one blend, one bold move, one business at a time.

When asked to drop a fun fact, Navin doesn’t skip a beat: “Fun fact about me would be that I’m extremely superstitious!”

Classic. But her journey into beauty? That took a few unexpected turns. “I was always good in art & actually wanted to be an artist,” she shares.

“I had at first applied for art college abroad but I was not granted a visa. I then applied for a makeup course in the same college & again applied for visa & this time I got it.”

Originally, makeup was meant to be a detour, a bridge until she could pivot back to art. But that switch never happened. “My goal was to later change to art but I started enjoying my makeup course so much that I never ended up changing it & stuck to it.”

Navin’s obsession with beauty started long before ring lights and GRWM reels took over our feeds.

“I was always very enthusiastic about anything beauty related,” she says. “I would buy all the beauty magazines when I was a teenager and go through various articles & books about makeup & skincare (mind you, we didn’t have access to YouTube or Insta tutorials).”

Like every beauty girl’s origin story, it began with friends and cousins becoming willing canvases. What started as play eventually snowballed into purpose.

“I would do makeup on my cousins & friends and later that passion turned to an entrepreneurial endeavour.” But turning a passion into a business in Dhaka’s competitive beauty scene? Not as easy as it looks.

“Of course starting out was difficult. I was quite clueless about how to turn my passion into a business,” she admits. “I wanted to tap into the Bridal market from the very start & at first brides would only opt for main stream salons & it was difficult to make my mark with a completely different style of makeup & products that was not popular then 12 yrs ago.”

Twelve years and a thriving brand later - we’d say she figured it out.

Navigating beauty in the era of filters, filler culture, and five-second trends? Navin keeps it refreshingly real. “I believe as makeup artists we always have to be flexible. We have to keep what we think aside and focus on what the client wants,” she explains.

“It’s always best to be open minded & deliver what the client or bride wants. They pay for a certain look & as artists we should be able to deliver that look as per their preferences.”

But that doesn’t mean compromising on values. Her online presence reflects a bigger vision.

“On our social media platforms, we always focus on all kinds of beauty making sure to be inclusive always so that all kinds of girls are confident about themselves. Creating this awareness in the younger generation is extremely important to me because I also have a daughter myself.”

And when it comes to legacy? It’s not the awards or accolades she lists first.

“I’m extremely proud of my sense of responsibility & professionalism,” she says.

“I truly hope people remember me as a kind person 🙏😬.”

So, would she recommend beauty as a full-time career in Bangladesh today? Absolutely.

“Yes definitely. The beauty industry is vast & fast moving with various new sectors reintroducing itself everyday!”

It’s not all glam and good lighting, though. As a female entrepreneur, Navin knows the balancing act all too well. “Being a female entrepreneur of course I face a lot of challenges balancing home & work,” she shares honestly.

“But it has taught me that it’s okay as long as there is progress…we don’t have to strive for perfection always.”

Spoken like someone who’s learned to build not just a brand, but boundaries too.

Navin may not say it outright, but she’s one of the OGs who helped shape what Dhaka’s beauty industry looks like today. And over the past decade, she’s seen the shift up close.

“People are more accepting about this work now than before. It is seen as a respectable job which was not the case when I started,” she reflects.

“Clients know better what they want & are open to trying different looks. Everyone knows their products now & use quality products which was not done when I started, which is why we caught the attention of the younger generation faster 12 yrs ago!”

Call it a glow-up — not just for her brand, but for the culture of beauty itself.

When asked what she’d tell young girls battling low self-worth or social pressure, Navin doesn’t sugarcoat it: she’s been there.

“I suffered from extremely low self esteem & confidence. But over the years I realised that I am my own billboard,” she says.

“So be what you want to represent to the world & do it with confidence! Focus on being kind & you will shine through no matter what!”

As for womanhood? She doesn’t entertain the idea of limitations.

“There are no cons. Being a woman is all pros! We are soo soo soo strong mentally & physically! We give birth & that itself is a super power! We literally raise the future generations!”

And don’t get her started on multitasking.

“How women multi task, raise children, balance their homes, partners, in laws, own parents & still work in jobs is just insane!! When men go to work, they just work. When women go to work, they are multi tasking and taking care of all of the above every single day!”

If womanhood was a brand - Navin’s clearly the ambassador. Bold, busy, and still showing up beautifully.

So, what’s next for Navin Ahmed?

“I have no future plans for now. I have decided to take things slow & enjoy motherhood,” she says with quiet clarity.

“Also like I said, I’m superstitious so I’ll just keep my plans to myself till things take shape 😊”

Oh, and in case you missed it, Navin didn’t just stop at makeup. In 2024, she made her way onto Shark Tank Bangladesh as one of the country’s very first female sharks. While others pitched, she held court - joining a panel of investors that included some of the biggest names in business.

No fluff, no gimmicks, just a woman who built her empire brush by brush now helping the next generation secure theirs. Glam meets grit? She’s been doing it since day one.