Prestigious New York luxury book publisher Assouline’s 2017 offerings have so far included illustrious tomes such as Dior by Yves Saint Laurent and Andy Warhol: The Impossible Collection. And now, a familiar name is about to be added to the roster, when Dubai-based make-up artist Toni Malt releases Transform: 1 Model 60 Looks, a gloriously glossy 172-page masterpiece shot entirely in the emirate in 21 days.

“Since a young age, I loved the process of creating things from nothing, which is probably where my love for transforming through make- up stems from,” Toni tells Grazia. “I grew up with art all around me, my grandfather was a painter and my parents were committed to taking me to museums in every city we explored. I started painting mixed-medium on canvas at the age of 12, long before I became a make-up artist.”

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However, rather than art for art’s sake, the concept of Toni’s book was to provide the skills, and sense of community she felt she lacked at the beginning of her career, and her resolve to be part of the solution. She admits, “The biggest challenge I came up against as a young make-up artist is that other artists did not want to share skills and knowledge with me. I wrote my book, Transform, based on the belief that knowledge and skill belongs to everyone and that every young artist should be supported and encouraged. It’s an honour to give someone talented and hard- working the skills to succeed and it’s fascinating to see them grow.”

Immortalising her work on the printed page seems to be going against the grain when her peers are sharing their ideas on Instagram, yet Toni has other ideas. “I love what beauty bloggers and Instagram make- up artists have done for my industry – the love for make-up has never been more widespread than today. Yet, I am still a lover of print. My home is filled with countless beautiful coffee-table books I started collecting when I was a young girl. I wanted to offer young artists and beauty lovers a one-stop shop of knowledge with this book, a tell-all destination of make-up skills, secrets and tips.”

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