Pink Princess
Been dreaming about a perfectly poised pink pout? Whether it is modish Katrina Kaif in dusty shell pinks in “Singhh is King” or the petite Genelia D’ Souza in “ Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”, floss is back in the cosmetic sweepstakes.
Go for glossy textures during the day and creamy concoctions for evening wear. First make frugal yet clever use of a concealer or liquid foundation to blot out blemishes like freckles and acne scars. Choose an eye make up palette in soft breezy colours. Brush lightly a pastel choice (rose or a carnation offshoot) across your eyes. Frosty accents in eye shadow ‘bring out’ your eyes, making them look like limpid pools. Cream eye shadows are for a shimmering evening. “Prep your lids through a spot of foundation, followed by a light dust of translucent powder for a long lasting appeal,” says make-up artist Vipul Bhagat.
Shape your eyebrows with a charcoal grey eyebrow pencil. Raven black leaves you looking like a Halloween reject. Choose a black kohl stick to line the insides of your upper and lower eyelids. Then draw out your peepers in a sooty sweep of good quality telescope mascara.
Apricot powder blush stroked on your cheeks highlights your cheek bones subtly. But first run a bit of talcum powder through your brush to sap up any traces of sweat and oil. For the lips, just use a faint pink lipstick or a balm. Begin by outlining your lips with a soft pink lip liner. Fill in with the same liner and then top up with a pretty pink lip colour or strawberry balm. Dab a spot of gloss in the middle section of your lower lip for that soft sheen, tousle your hair slightly with a pair of tongs and spray on a bit of rosewater. You're ready to charm the socks off everyone.
Quick tips
Choose the pink tones in keeping with your complexion and teeth colour for best effect.
Lighter shades makes the lips look fuller. You can use a lip plumper for an unbeatable pout. Optionally, apply butter on your lips the night before to moisturise and zap out the fine lines.
Go for powder textures in eyeshadow and blush if your skin is oily to avoid streaky patches
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For that tousled look
Admit it. You have preened and pirouetted in front of the mirror trying to ape the Priyanka Chopra look from “Dostana”. Forget the gold swimwear. Get cracking on that wind-blown, tousled look first.
Invest time and effort in a hair spa routine to pour a vitamin cocktail into your roots. Massage bhringraj oil into your scalp with slow, rotating movements of your fingertips. This hair food revitalises your follicles and gives your locks an unbeatable shine. Then run a wide toothed comb through the length of your hair before diving into the shower. This minimises tangles once you emerge with a wet mane. Use a dollop of shampoo to work your way down from the roots to the tips. Apply conditioner from an inch above the scalp, along the length of the strands and on the tips. Wrapping a hot towel around your tresses or pouring a mug of water with a tablespoon of vinegar as the last rinse lends a super gloss. And wait for your tresses to begin drying before picking up the comb.
The trick is to minimise the frizz by using an anti-frizz serum. Keep the blow dryer an inch away from the strands. Flip your hair down once you are done, run your fingers through the length and scrunch up. Then flip your mane back in place again, just before you step out. Alternatively, if your hair is poker straight by nature, bring a leave-in conditioner to texture your hair. Then use a pair of tongs to create loose, loopy curls. This gives volume through the day.
Complete the look with astutely applied make up. The texture of your foundation must be velvet and satin with a semi-matte finish. For the moist skin feel, massage moisturiser onto your face and body. Cover spots with a concealer. Slowly massage in the liquid foundation and then bring out the compact. Wing your eyes slightly with a raven black kohl stick. First line the insides of your lower lids and then the insides of your upper lids. Then draw out the sooty application slightly on the outsides towards your temples. For your lips, make use of a dusty pink or a dull rose lip liner and fill in generously. Then dab a spot of glamshine lip gloss in the centre of your lips and rub them together. Remember to suck your cheeks in and pout slightly when you sashay out. You're all set to wow all folks.
Quick tips
Prepare your own magic potion by mixing castor, amla, olive and almond oils together.
Sweep up partially dry locks into a chignon and unravel minutes before stepping out, for natural blowsy curls and the wind kissed look
Use combinations like bronze and gold, lime and cobalt, pink and grey in eye make up and lip colours. The trick lies in using a shimmer potion in the same colour as the eye shadow to rev up your sizzle quotient.
Grab lip plumpers. They even out the lip texture and give volume to your lips. Use the plumper on clean lips, like a lip gloss; leave for 15 minutes before applying lipstick.
While you are at it, accentuate your cheekbones with a bronzer and burnished pink blush. Apply upwards from the underside of the cheek bones going towards the ears and blend well.
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Innocent miss
You may have sniffed at the frilly silly character Isha Sharwani played in “Luck by Chance”, but she made a mark with a peachy complexion and full lips. Check out the make up artillery for that look. If you are blessed with a glowing skin, skimp on the foundation and make frugal use of the concealer. Bring on a moisturiser that hydrates your skin and leaves it supple. Apply translucent powder fleetingly to matte the skin and zap away the sweaty shine. Shell pink and dusty rose in a creamy blush accentuate your cheekbones. Dab a bit of iridescent eye shadow and blend away from each lash line. Make your lashes sooty and long with a telescope mascara but keep the eyeliner minimal, almost invisible. Use a lip plumper to build a generous pout. Apply lip balm and top with a rich, velvety pink or a crimson splash. If you're not the bright hues kind, line your lips with a soft pink pencil and fill in with transparent pink lip gloss with flecks of silver. Then tong your mane loosely, arranging careless wisps around your face and leave hair loose. Ms. Innocent sashays out.
Quick tips
Keep your eye make up subtle; focus on your lips.
Use liquid foundation for better blends
Avoid too much layering on lips.
Contain the use of moisturiser to kiss away the ensuing shine
Skip hair stay products. Go natural.
