Update your make-up kit with these snazzy picks

START SUBTLE, THEN GO FULL ON — T2 GETS YOU A HAIR & MAKE-UP LOOKBOOK

I plan to wear white, pink and yellow saris this Puja. I may wear a bun with one of them…  mostly I will keep my hair open. I love my curls. Right now I am crushing on maroon lips. And I’ll go with my usual favourites: BB cream, mascara, lipstick and may be brown eyeshadow

— Chitrangada, actress

1. Saptami: Go fresh. A hint of gold on the eyes, smoked out with a bit of brown, looks dewy. Apply loads of mascara to open them up. A bubblegum pink on the lips is the right perk-me-up. Finish with a sweep of peachish-pink blush-on and some golden or copper highlighter. A messy bun adds to the casual chic look. 

2. Ashtami: This day is all about being traditional and nothing can substitute the magic of dark, kohl-rimmed peepers. Be generous with the mascara. A hint of red on the lips and a red bindi, a low bun made pretty with jasmine… subtle yet hot!

3. Navami: Ease up and try an edgy look. Blue and gold look like a match made in metallic heaven. For more effect, rub a bit of red and gold on the lips, or balance the shimmer with matte lips. A one-sided braid looks youthful. 

4. Dashami: The last of the festivities calls for a softer look. Smudge some gold and brown on the eyes and draw a soft winged eyeliner to get ready for the bhashan. Braid your hair with flowers. A not-so-perfect bindi with coloured powder and rust on the lips spell desi glam.

 

RAIMA SEN SHARES HER BEAUTY SECRETS WITH T2! 

Your go-to Puja look:

Is a sari! Earlier I used to wear a lot of heavy saris but I realised that it’s very difficult to manage, so now I prefer mummy’s (Moon Moon Sen) nice, simple chiffon saris. She has a lot other light saris in ink blue, white and gold, red and gold.

Your fave accessory:

I wear all my mother’s jewellery but I tend to lose them always! Bangles, earrings and even a bracelet... I have lost them. So now I have a lot of jewellery from Amrapali that I wear a lot. I am an earring person and I like big, chunky ones.

Your daily beauty regimen:

I clean my face but I do not use a facewash because I have very dry skin. Toner and make-up remover are what I use, but then sometimes I remove my make-up with oil. I use besan scrubs once in a while and I moisturise my skin well. Believe it or not, I do it with Boroline! I feel it is okay for Bengali skin and it works miracles! Even when I travel abroad, it is the only cream I use. I have a very dry skin, so it really works for me.

Things you can’t do without:

Boroline, kajal and lip balm.... My handbag has everything! From combs and brushes to three-four sunglasses, many hand santitisers... everything is there. My handbag is so heavy and every time I am waiting at the airport, my hand aches.

One beauty service you hate getting done:

That would be waxing! It is a big pain, but then I am lucky that way that I do not have to go too often for waxing.

Make-up trend you are crushing on:

Riya has this HD make-up thing. In fact on her wedding she did her own make-up, while me and my friends had make-up artists doing our hair and face! (Laughs) I like broad, bushy brows too!

Your mani-pedi regimen be like:

Pedicure and manicure are a must for me. I feel gel nails and French manicure look very good. But since I am shooting a lot, getting gel nails or doing a particular nail art trend is difficult. So I go for my regular manicure-pedicure. I prefer nude shades but I also let my nails breathe. Earlier I used to have gel nails but then I used to chew them and when you break one of them, they look so ugly! 

A must-do treatment when you visit a spa:

For my hair! I have to get my hair oiled once in two weeks because it gets very dry, especially when I am always backcombing and blow-drying!

I like to keep my hair open and only for the movies I experiment with my hair, where I will do braids, buns and what not. But in real life, I feel leaving my hair open is the safest.

Who has the best hair in your family?

My sister, Riya! She has really good hair; Ma too. There used to be a time when I used to have such good hair where I couldn’t see my parting but then with so much ironing and chemicals, it’s not as great anymore.

Haircut/colour that you do frequently:

Yes, I do colour my hair a lot. I remember once I had gone to a parlour and asked them to make it red and I came out looking like....! (Laughs) So the next morning, I went to a mall and I found a little parlour and asked them to make it normal. Now I usually have golden streaks. But I am doing a web series and for it, I had to get all my hair in one colour. It’s a shade of brown now. When I get bored I do all this. Once I just cut my hair into fringes, and it was so short that I had to put clips and go out.

Bridgette Jones tells you how to prep for those five days of fun

Mane magic:

Start with a cut-and-colour makeover that will give you amazing results and pep you up for this festive season.

For colours, you can go from subtle to striking. Rule-breaking contrasting colours spell drama. You can play with cool and warm shades. Get a conservative colour on the surface and go for a bolder shade on the inside, below the parting. It gives your hair a hidden colour effect. Blonde on black was happening for a long time. Now we have colours like bold chestnut, steel grey, green, blue ombre, blue denim, black to blue ombre and copper. If your skintone is warm, you can go for cooler highlights.

The placement of the colour is important. It should always be an inch away from your face so that it is not contrasting too much with your skintone in case you are going for a lighter colour. The trend is to go for softer hues that add light and depth without altering the natural colour too much.

If you want to chop your hair, get a nice, face-framing haircut. Curls are a big hit. Those with straight hair are playing around with curls. Casual curls are the statement. Fringes are also big this season. How about a low side-parting with a sweeping side fringe to frame your face? Shoulder-length hair is also very in.

But the secret to all of this is a very good consultation! It’s your Puja haircut after all! You need to do your research. Take pictures along with you. Visual aids really help you and the stylist to be on the same page and get what you want. 
If you have short hair (don’t care!), go for a slightly fluffy top with longer layers at the top section that will give your hair plenty of movement and versatility. The undercut effect is trending.

And remember there’s always clip-in hair extensions in a riot of colours for those who don’t want to cut and colour their hair. Pamper yourself with deep-conditioning hair treatments though.

Pretty me: For make-up to last all day, apply a moisturiser and primer before foundation because you will have no time for a touch-up. Get products with more staying power. You must have a pack of tissues handy. Throw in your eyeliner, mascara, a nice lip balm and compact. I always stress on good fragrance. Also, don’t forget your purse mirror.

Intensify your day make-up for the night. If you are wearing gloss during the day, change it to matte at night. Don’t wear eyeshadow during the day. For the evening, go for a bit of bronze and smoke it out a little bit. Before you do all of this though, you must blot your face with a facial tissue paper or powder to absorb the excess oil and perspiration so that your make-up looks fresh. You cannot do without a great gold for your eyes and red for your lips for the festive season.

For nails: Try chrome nails in rose gold! They are trending. I am also loving the deep wine red… too festive not to indulge in.  

Top tip: Catch up on plenty of sleep to compensate for a few days of being sleepless in Calcutta! And, remember to drink lots of water!