Chamak Chocolates

Like a child in a chocolate store, Sarah Ali couldn't choose just one vocation. While earning her master's degree in counseling psychology, she practiced makeup artistry at a cosmetics store and performed portrait photography on the side. She finally decided to attend a makeup academy, and soon opened a wellness and beauty center known as The Transformation Studio. This led her to start her own beauty line, which she dubbed Chamak, a Hindi word that means "glow," which both paid homage to her South Asian roots and celebrated each woman's sparkling personality. As Chamak's product selection expanded, so did Sarah's interests, and she soon decided to incorporate her love of cooking and baking into the mix. After a stint at Ecole Chocolat to earn her chocolatier certification, Chamak Chocolates was born.

Whether in names borrowed from Indian folklore or spices and herbs touted by Ayurvedic medicine, each luscious treat that emerges from Chamak Chocolates' kitchen bears a symbol of South Asian culture. Sarah crafts all of the truffles, bon bons, and chocolate bars in small batches with zero preservatives, and even consults an organic wellness expert to create a line of healing, sugar-free treats designed to mend a host of health problems. True to her roots, the chocolatier also ventures out to create traditional Indian mithai, a sugar- and milk-based dessert customarily eaten for momentous events, such as the birth of a baby or when that baby gets its first callback for a baby-formula ad. For other celebrations, Chamak Chocolate hosts chocolate-making parties, chocolate-centric lunches, and makeup-and-chocolate events.