Behind The Beauty with Sasha Jairam
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
Sasha Jairam’s definition of beauty is inseparable from her work as a photographer, where she moves fluidly between shooting celebrities and shaping visual worlds for brands.
“I’m deeply interested in beauty as a language how we use it to express power, softness, culture, contradiction, and identity,” Sasha tells me. “I am quite a perfectionist. It definitely helps me as a photographer and creative director (though not always in my personal life!) but it has given me a reputation of being a total control freak.”
In recent years, Sasha has been behind the lens for everyone from Gen Z’s most-loved celebrities to A-list influencers and models, along with crafting campaigns for some of social media’s most talked-about brands, including Indē Wild, where she serves as creative projects head.
“Beauty is artifice. It’s exaggeration, contrast, composition,” she says. “I’m less interested in comfort and more interested in impact. I like to take on work that has meaning more than money.” And impact is exactly what she delivers. Her work feels as though it pushes beyond the surface, offering viewers a glimpse at an undeniably signature style of work that has Sasha written all over it. Part of this comes from her instinctive visual language and her ability to infuse a touch of extraordinary into the everyday, and part from the collaborative energy she brings as a female photographer — creating space for interpretation rather than extraction.
Unsurprisingly, her beauty routine reflects this same philosophy: intuitive, intentional, and anchored in a clear sense of self. Safe to say, Sasha knows exactly what she is doing.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
No two days are the same, which I love. Some days are shoot-heavy on set — directing, observing details and problem-solving in real time. Other days are quieter and include concepting, moodboarding, editing, writing treatments or simply resetting creatively, meeting with my besties and just having fun! I’m learning to honour both the chaos and the stillness as both are so important for a creative being.
What does your beauty routine look like?
I love the La Roche-Posay Purifying Facial Cleanser! I also love Embryolisse’s Lait-Crème Concentré and the face creams from Skinfix and Drunk Elephant. La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Ultra Light Fluid Facial Sunscreen is my all-time favorite!
For the body, I use the Geranium Leaf Cleanser from Aesop, and follow it with The Body Oil from Augustinus Bader and then moisturise my skin with my favourite Ceramide Ato Lotion from Illiyoon. Briogeo’s shampoo and conditioner are my absolute favorites and for styling, I love Wow! For makeup, I use Fenty Beauty’s foundation stick — they work so well to give you that clean, smooth base — as well as the brow products from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I finish with a swipe of the Chanel Rouge Noir Mascara and for the lips, the Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil with Nars’ Powermatte Lip Pigment!
A product that you absolutely cannot do without.
A really good moisturizer. Healthy skin changes everything — it’s the best base for any look!
What made you decide to become a photographer?
I found photography as a teenager, during a formative phase of my life. What began as a way to stay focused and creative eventually turned into a language I trusted more than words.
As a woman behind the camera, how do you think your POV influences the final output, vs if a man were to shoot the same images?
Being a woman behind the camera changes everything. I’m assertive on set, sometimes intimidating even, but it comes from clarity not ego. My focus is the image, and it has to be right. My gaze isn’t about power, it’s about permission. I hold space without judgment, and that allows people to let go. When the subject feels free, it shows and that energy lives in the final frame.
A campaign that you’re the most proud of working on.
The campaigns I’m most proud of are the ones where the subject trusted me enough to be fully themselves. When a brand allows space for vulnerability and nuance, and when they really trust my vision and give me full creative freedom that I have built over the course of time, the work becomes timeless rather than transactional. Now I can’t name just one, but I am lucky that my clients trust me with all heart.
Your photography style in three words.
Intimate, nonchalant and free!
What does self-care look like to you? What’s your favorite way to de-stress after a long day?
Self-care for me is structure, boundaries and knowing when to push and when to rest. I unwind by being alone, taking long showers, travelling, or doing absolutely nothing without guilt.
If you had the opportunity to create a beauty product, what would that be and why?
Magnetic lashes, colored lens — something that I really struggle to put on myself.
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