Anjali Noronha has finally moved back to Goa and has launched her new concept salon, li’l red door. Having trained in New York at the Vidal Sassoon Academy and worked as a hair and make-up stylist for Bollywood movies and fashion shoots, Anjali has now moved to Goa to fulfil her dream. Anjali has trained with Nalini and Yasmin in Mumbai for four years, assisted Elton Fernandes as well as trained students in make-up. Currently living in Socorro, Anjali chose the Porvorim highway road as the ideal spot for her salon. Anjali believes that li’l red door would be an ideal medium to reach out to women through hair and make-up workshops. “I have trained women in different cities and I have noticed that it is usually the homemakers, who hardly have time to visit salons, that show more interest in the workshops. They are more keen to learn new hair and make-up trends which they can perfect within the comfort of their homes.” Through her experience, Anjali has developed an ease working with brides. “I do bridal trials to see how the make-up suits the bride. The catch is that the make-up should also look good on camera. It will be the wedding photographs that they will cherish throughout their lives and it can’t look patchy or flaky. On the wedding day, I prefer working with only the bride and one more person in the room. I don’t keep anyone else because everyone has their own opinion and can hassle the bride. She is already going through so many emotions on that day hence things have to be handled delicately. This one time, I had a bride who suddenly decided to call off the wedding, until she was made to calm down,” shares Anjali. Staying on top of things is important for Anjali. “You can learn everything online now by just watching videos. Yet, it is a different experience when an expert comes down to teach something. I like interacting with my clients to make them feel comfortable. I usually start off by offering them tips on managing their hair and skin care before delving into what they want. If they are happy with the results, I give them more advice on their next visit.” Working with a team for her salon, Anjali has a hairstylist, an expert with manicure, pedicure and an assistant for make-up. “I am excited about li’l red door and how it will be accepted in Goa,” says Anjali. “It’s an old bungalow which is converted into the salon. I want it to be a complete experience for the clients, right from when they walk in. Working in the field for more than 12 years, I have learnt that it is important to build relations instead of just growing clientele, hence, the needs of our clients are our prime focus.”
