Meet Fatima Ahmed

Most people know Fatima Ahmed simply as Kara Makeup. She is the founder of Kara Makeup, a bridal makeup studio and academy in Manchester, and she has been on The Legacy Bench twice: live at the University of Manchester, and again for our fashion and beauty debate.

Thirteen years of bridal makeup

Fatima has been doing makeup for 13 years and specialises in bridal work. What she loves most is the confidence it gives people, whether that is a bride on the biggest day of her life or a student just stepping into the industry. Seeing that transformation, she says, is what really makes her happy.

Her route into the industry was not a straight line. She studied criminal law in Salford and started doing makeup as soon as she finished. She is glad she went to university: having a degree gave her a backup, gave her confidence and shaped her as a person, and that has fed into her business too.

Building an academy

Alongside her bridal work, Fatima has built an academy and has taught hundreds of aspiring makeup artists. Her three-day course runs every month, and she makes a point of training students on models with a range of skin tones, because the techniques are different and every artist should be able to cater to every client.

Many of her former students now work with her. She told the bench that more than 20 makeup artists are working with her, and that what made them stand out was the quality of their work: she can teach the skills, but it is how people keep using them that counts.

Business, motherhood and growth

Fatima has built Kara Makeup while raising two children, and she is open about the reality of balancing a growing business with family life. She is passionate about creativity, about helping people feel confident in their own skin, and about connecting with other founders who are on the same journey.

Fatima Ahmed joined us on The Legacy Bench for "Is the UK Still a Good Place to Start a Business?", recorded live at the University of Manchester — read the episode story or watch the full conversation. She also joined us for "Are Influencers Ruining Fashion & Beauty?" — read that story or watch it here.

Find Fatima at karamakeup.com, on Instagram and on TikTok.