The bridal season is on and the potential brides are already fixing appointments for their bridal make-ups. A few look forward to it whereas there are those who think it is a long-drawn affair. Latha Verghis of Page 3 says, “Some are patient but some get restless and tense. So, we run a trial session first, so that they can tell us their preferences before-hand.” A bridal make over can take anything upwards of an hour. Here is how a bridal make-up session works.
Beautician Angela cleans the face of the model, Rupa Lodaya. The kajal marks are wiped off and whatever little make-up there is on her face is removed. Once the skin is clean, the first layer of the foundation is applied. At this stage, the unequal skin tones on the fore heads and cheeks are evened out. Now comes the vital part - the eye make-up. “The colour of her sari is maroon and it has a thick gold border. So, I will apply a blend of gold and maroon eye-shadow and also a black eye-shadow for a smoky effect,” explains Angela. After she does that, Angela sprinkles some golden gilt over the upper lids. This is done so that the eyes are prominent even from a distance.
The makeover
“The make up on the lower part of the eye should always be light. That gives the bride a young look.” So, the lines are lightly drawn using cake eyeliner first and then a liquid eyeliner on top of it. As a finishing touch to the pair of golden eyes, Angela attaches the long and curling artificial eyelashes to the eyelids.
Now comes the rest of the face. She mixes foundation cream with moisturizer. “The moisturiser is to prevent the make up from cracking. ” Next, the fixing powder is applied that gives the face, a fresh look.
“Now, we need to cut her nose,” announces Angela. It is not scary as it sounds. It is an in-house term for shaping the nose. By applying an extra layer of light foundation the nose is made to look sharper. Angela applies a layer of powder on the nose with a deft stroke of the brush. A dash of rose powder is applied on the cheeks.
“Since her lips are small, we will apply a thick layer of lipstick”, she says. A dark shade of red lipstick and lip gloss completes the make up. The bride’s face is all ready now and now it is time to drape the sari. Once that is done, Angela is all set for her hair do. Jagadish the hair stylist enters the room. He turns her face from the left to right and studies her face for some time. Finally he gives the verdict, “Since her face is oval we go for a side fringe.”
So fringe it is. Along with a few curls. After the fringes and curls are done, the rest of the hair is put up using a sausage clip. Then it is tied into a knot to which the artificial hair is attached. So, with a chutti and a few curls framing her face, Rupa has transformed into the perfect South Indian bride. Asked whether the one and a half hour long session tired her out, she said she even took a nap in the middle of it! “But it was worth it. Angela has made me look beautiful. I like how she added that blush to my cheeks. It makes my face look younger and sharper.”
