We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Grishan Roof a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Grishan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered as the person who defined depotting as a professional craft—and as a core pillar of modern artistry. Before we came along, depotting was scrappy, inconsistent, often damaging to product, and rarely spoken about publicly. It was treated like an afterthought—when in reality, it’s one of the most essential practices for working artists.

What we did at Depot Chopra was pioneer a new standard. We redefined depotting as a form of care: for your artistry, your body, your workflow, and your peace of mind. We didn’t just make the process better—we made it aspirational. Clean. Intentional. Thoughtful.

Our social media content was always rooted in respect—for the product, for the craft, and for the artist. We didn’t melt formulas simply for aesthetic, or share gimmicks just to chase views. We didn’t compromise the integrity of the education. We built trust by sharing everything we learned in real time—tools, techniques, mistakes included. We taught publicly. We learned publicly. And we brought the artistry back to the kit.

Now, depotting is a global practice. There are entire businesses inspired by what we built. What was once considered niche is now an industry norm—and a better one. It’s no longer taboo for a pro artist to work out of clear palettes or custom-labeled bottles. It’s respected. Understood. Desired.

We also changed how brands show up for the pro community. We elevated PR gifting into a thoughtful experience—rooted in utility, not just aesthetics. We created PR gifts that go straight into artists’ kits. Our brand collaborations build real loyalty because they make artists’ lives easier, not just prettier.

Today, we have over 140,000 real followers across platforms—and that didn’t come from virality. It came from consistency, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to depotting the right way.

If my name becomes synonymous with making the beauty industry more efficient, less wasteful, and more honest, then that’s the legacy I’m proud to leave. And if one day, a working artist walks into a store and casually asks to refill their foundation bottle—that’s when I’ll know we really changed the game.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Grishan Roof, founder of Depot Chopra and the woman behind the depotting revolution.

I’m a professional makeup artist by trade, but my impact goes beyond artistry—I pioneered a new standard for how makeup kits are built, organized, and optimized. I created the Depot Chopra Method to solve a real problem in our industry: professional kits were bulky, chaotic, and never truly designed for the working artist. Depotting was happening behind the scenes, but it lacked structure, safety, and style. I saw an opportunity to transform it into a respected craft—and that’s exactly what we did.

Today, Depot Chopra is the standard. We offer high-touch white-glove depotting services, professional education, and a curated line of kit optimization tools engineered specifically for working artists. Everything we create is designed to elevate function without compromising aesthetic—from our airless pump bottles to our travel-sized pigment jars, to our magnetic pans custom-designed for high-end formulations like Tom Ford. These are small upgrades that unlock huge efficiency gains. You’ll find our products in the kits of red carpet, fashion week, and bridal artists around the world.

But depotting is about more than efficiency—it’s about self-care. Artists carry the weight of their careers—literally—on their backs. An overweight kit can shorten your career. A streamlined kit protects it. Every pound we shave off, every inch of space we reclaim, adds up to longevity, sustainability, and peace of mind. A well-depotted kit allows artists to move through their jobs faster, safer, and with more clarity and confidence.

That’s why we treat depotting not as an afterthought, but as a core pillar of modern artistry.
What also sets us apart is our commitment to education and integrity. We don’t gatekeep. We teach publicly, we learn publicly, and we respond to our audience with care. Our social presence isn’t built on gimmicks—it’s built on trust. Over 140,000 artists and beauty lovers follow us across platforms not because we chase trends, but because we lead with standards.

We also changed the way beauty brands relate to pro artists. Depot Chopra redefined PR gifting as a professional experience. We collaborate with brands like Lancôme, Danessa Myricks Beauty, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and ONE/SIZE Beauty to create depotted kits that go straight into the hands of top MUAs. These are not throwaway boxes—they’re fully functional, kit-ready tools that drive loyalty and earn real estate in working artists’ kits. We’ve seen our collaborations generate hundreds of thousands of views, thousands of comments, and most importantly—genuine impact.

What I’m most proud of is this: we didn’t just improve the process of depotting—we elevated the industry around it. And we did it with care, precision, and consistency. If you’re an artist, we’re here to support your craft. If you’re a brand, we’re here to make sure your product lands exactly where it matters most. Either way, you’re in good hands.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I came to the U.S. from the Philippines as a preschool teacher—teaching was my first calling. But I quickly learned that, in America, educators aren’t treated with the respect they deserve. It was disheartening. The system—whether from parents, institutions, or policy—made it clear that my work wasn’t valued the way it should be. That forced a hard pivot. I moved into healthcare to find more stability, and that’s where I began working with older clients. That experience changed everything. Many of those women ended up being my very first makeup clients.

That pivot eventually brought me into the beauty industry—and in an unexpected way, full circle back to teaching. Today, I’m still an educator, just in a different format. I teach professional makeup artists how to care for their kits, their bodies, and their careers through the Depot Chopra Method. I get to share my knowledge in a space that respects it. What started as a pivot became a platform—and I’ve never looked back.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn—and one I now help others move through—is the belief that makeup artists need to showcase luxury brand packaging in order to prove their worth.

For years, especially in the era of social media, many artists believed that visible logos equaled legitimacy. If your kit didn’t flaunt the most recognizable brand names in their original packaging, your artistry wasn’t seen as serious. That kind of thinking wasn’t rooted in skill—it was rooted in insecurity.
I saw how much this belief held people back. Many artists were afraid to depot, not because they didn’t see the value in a more streamlined kit, but because they were worried it would make them appear less professional. But at Depot Chopra, we’ve always taught that true artistry isn’t defined by outer packaging—it’s defined by performance, technique, and precision.

Depotting doesn’t mean giving up elegance—it means refining it. The Depot Chopra Method proves you don’t have to choose between functionality and luxury. Our bottles, pigment jars, and magnetic pans are intentionally designed to preserve the aesthetic integrity of your products while improving your efficiency, speed, and organization. A beautifully depotted kit isn’t a downgrade—it’s an upgrade in every way.

What most people don’t realize is that a thoughtfully depotted and organized kit actually builds trust with clients. It communicates professionalism. It shows you care about cleanliness, efficiency, and intention. A refined kit inspires confidence—and that confidence translates into deeper respect for your artistry from the very first interaction.

When artists let go of the need to be validated by brand packaging, they unlock something far more powerful: a kit that works for them, not against them. They move through jobs faster. They lighten their physical load. They free up time and energy to focus on their craft. Depotting becomes a form of self-care—an investment in both their artistry and their longevity.

What I’m most proud of is that we’ve helped shift the industry’s mindset. We’ve shown artists that their value doesn’t come from the logos in their kit, but from the quality of their work. That’s what we support at Depot Chopra—and that’s what truly sets an artist apart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://depotchopra.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/depotchopra/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@depotchopra
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@depotchopra?lang=en

Image Credits

Depot Chopra, Leyla Stefani, Ramon Lopez