Behind The Beauty with Seher Khan
- Apr 29
- 5 min read
For over a decade, Dubai- and Mumbai-based fashion stylist Seher Khan has been curating visual stories for some of the world’s leading fashion publications. Splitting her time between editorial shoots and brand partnerships, Seher has built a career around understanding the nuances of style, storytelling, and cultural context. Her passions outside the studio are just as thoughtfully curated: a dedicated skincare enthusiast, jewellery obsessive, Japanese food loyalist, and self-confessed stationery collector, she brings the same eye for beauty and detail into every corner of her life.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
Since I work freelance now, no two days look the same. When I have a shoot, it feels like a storm is incoming. When it’s a day off, I use my time as self-care or to run errands. A week before the shoot, I am preparing mood boards, pulling runway outfits, going through multiple fittings and liasing with my team all day. There’s tons of running around, endless WhatsApp messages and PR emails (I wouldn’t ever wish to check my screen time on such weeks!). On the final shoot day, aka the day of judgement, the shoot usually runs for five to six hours, depending on the project (sometimes it could very well go on for over thirteen hours too!).
The next day of the shoot, my team gets down to returning all the borrowed samples, accounting for the expenses, writing fashion credits. I do the final checks and then we’re good to go! The rest of the week is usually filled with PR events and content creation days where I shoot outfits or beauty products that get sent to me. I also ensure to hit the gym, do Pilates and play paddle at least four times a week. Balance is key for me.
What drew you to the world of fashion and styling?
It always felt like I was destined for the world of fashion. At fourteen years old, I decided to become a fashion designer. I used to style my friends in school and was constantly sketching outfits in my notebook.
I got my first internship at twenty one. I also assisted two stylists for a year before deciding to go independent with my work. I was determined to make a name for myself. At twenty three, I already had my own team with two assistants! I love curating looks; I have always had the ability to visualise looks before seeing them on the model. The feeling of completely recreating a person’s personality through their clothes thrilled me then, and continues to do so today! I loved the fashion shows, the makeup, the photoshoots! All of it felt like a dream and I wanted a part of that for myself.
What does your beauty routine look like? Would you consider yourself to be a beauty minimalist or maximalist?
I would like to think I am a minimalist, although I’m sure those who don’t know me think otherwise.
I keep the products minimal and focus on invasive treatments. I’m petrified of the needle but love the results so I’m addicted! I have combination to oily skin. For mornings, I’ve recently started using the Gentle Facial Cleanser from Vanicream — it cleanses really well, and does not dry out my skin. This is followed with the Sesderma's SENSYSES Cleanser, as well as their SPF, the Azelac RU Luminous Fluid — it is so beautifully illuminating and the only one that that doesn’t break me out. I end my routine with the Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Cream. For when I use makeup, I always double cleanse with Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser, plus the powder for exfoliation. I get a clean-up twice a month to deep clean my skin and every three months, I get treatments like PRF, exosomes, microneedling, bio-peels and AQ stem cells.
I’m blessed with straight hair, thanks to my mom. For haircare, I use two different shampoos based on how my hair feels and what it needs during the week — for everyday cleaning it’s the Kerastase Densifique Bain Densité Shampoo and Conditioner. For days I want something more luxurious, I use L’Oréal’s Absolut Repair Gold Quinoa line. I also use a scalp cleaning shampoo from Moremo once a week. As a final step, I love using Kerastase’s Elixir Ultime Serum to tame my hair after wash everyday.
I swear by the Dyson for drying and de-frizzing my hair on a daily basis! I travel with my kit and I’m convinced my life is incomplete without my Dyson. I rarely get blow dries. I try to avoid high heat on my hair. I also apply extra virgin olive oil (whichever one I have on hand) about an hour before shampooing my hair, once a week. This strengthens the tips of my hair.
I ensure my daily supplements intake is fulfilled. It’s so important to invest in our health an not just the exterior.
What is a beauty product that you have on hand all day, everyday?
I have two — La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5, and the Chanel Rogue Allure Lacque Liquid Lipstick. I am obsessed with Cicaplast Baume B5; it is truly a miracle cream that subsides any inflammation and gives a super addictive, glossy finish when you wash your face after.
Cicaplast Balm B5
La Roche-Posay
A favorite look that you have created for a client and why?
It has to be my cover shoot with Alia Bhatt for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia with Gucci, and her first ever editorial in the region. It was such a memorable shoot with great energy on set all over.
A product that you would always repurchase.
Tarte’s Sculpt Tape Contour in the shade Warm Bronze.
Your top 5 favorite Indian and UAE beauty brands right now?I love the Saudi-based brand Moonglaze by Yara Alnamlah, Aïza, which is Dubai-based and does the most beautiful modern-day reinterpretations of traditional Arabic ingredients and beauty rituals, as well as Izil Beauty from Morocco. From India, Aminu and Minimalist are two of my top favorites.
If you had the opportunity to create a product, that you think doesn’t exist or that can be made better, which one would it be and why?
I’d love to create a patch that’s sticks to the stomach and tells you in real time if a food has bloated you or the irritants that you should avoid. It’ll read the level of inflammation you are experiencing. This will be accompanied by an app that keeps a log of your food activity and would recommend counter remedies to soothe the digestive system! This way you don’t need to keep guessing what food don’t suit you!
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