KOEL MALLICK

From the kitchen: I use coconut oil once in a while to moisturise my skin. It gives a nice glow to my face. 

Brand buys: I bought the entire range of make-up from Bobbi Brown and Estee Lauder. I picked them up in Milan. 

Grandma’s tip: My Thakuma would always say that a combination of gram flour, turmeric and milk is a great face pack. I try this often. 

My beauty regimen: I definitely clean my face before going to bed. Deep-cleansing is a must for me before stepping out of the house and after coming back.  

A dated make-up trend I still follow: Nude lips, smokey eyes have been there for a long time. I don’t agree that they are dated. Kohl-lined smokey eyes work anytime. 

PAOLI DAM

From the kitchen: Curd and gram flour work as a great exfoliating scrub. I often use raw milk to clean my face. For my hair I use a combination of honey, curd, egg and the juice of aloe vera.   

Brand buys: I recently bought the Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser/Purifying Mask. It’s very expensive but suits my skin type; my skin is mostly dry.

Mum’s tip: My mother swears by a pack made of gram flour and milk. It gives a nice glow to the skin. Though I can’t follow it often, whenever I do I fall in love with my skin!

My beauty regimen: I sprinkle some fenugreek seeds in a bowl of coconut and castor oil and apply it on my hair and scalp.  

A dated make-up trend I still follow: I wear a lot of Kanjeevaram saris to events and sport the traditional big bindi-hair-tied-up-in-a-bun look. I don’t know if that’s dated!  

SWASTIKA MUKHERJEE

From the kitchen: I make a paste of sandalwood by rubbing it on a slab of stone at home. I don’t buy it in powdered form from the shops. It’s a magical tan remover and lightens the acne marks on my face.  

Brand buys: My cosmetic box has mostly expensive stuff from Clinique and Estee Lauder. But the costliest is a Christian Louboutin lipstick!    

Mum’s tip: Ma would always insist on using multani mitti and rose water as face pack. I have never used off-the-racks face packs. Homemade ones are the best. Ma also used a lot of malai on her face and she had the softest skin.

My beauty regimen: I always clean my face with a good cleanser and then use a toner. It’s a must-do for me, every day.  

A dated make-up trend I still follow: The problem with make-up trends is that anything that becomes dated comes back after two months. For instance, winged eyeliner was out but suddenly the trend is making a comeback. On Instagram you will notice people giving tutorials on how to get the perfect winged liner.

I think the one thing that’s extinct is pancake, which a few from our industry still use!    

RITUPARNA SENGUPTA

From the kitchen: I’m not really a brand-conscious person and when it comes to taking care of my skin I fall back on the good old papaya, honey and cucumber scrub. It’s a super tan remover. I squeeze a lemon in it and bingo! I think no off-the-counter cream or moisturiser can do the kind of wonder that a mix of milk and gram flour does. It not only deep-cleanses the pores but gives a nice smooth glow to the skin. For my hair, I still trust coconut oil.

Brand buys: Sanjay (Chakrabarty, husband) bought me a waterproof Lancome mascara from the US. It’s very expensive. I also have a base and a foundation from Clinique and lipsticks from Mac. I use SK-II cream, which costs a bomb. But I am not one who likes to pick up make-up items just because they are expensive. I go by quality.

Mum’s tip: During winter Ma used to make a paste of orange peel and lemon juice. It works as a great astringent. I am too lazy to follow her tip but she keeps reminding me.

My beauty regimen: I clean my face regularly. No matter how tired or sleepy I am I never go to bed without using a soothing cleanser to take off my make-up. I also buy Vitamin E wipes to deep-cleanse my face.

A dated make-up trend I still follow: I think nobody uses eyeliner anymore, but I seem to be stuck with liners forever! I dress up traditionally these days and I love my eyeshadow box, kohl pencil and eyeliner. 

PARNO MITTRA

From the kitchen: I have a spoonful of organic ghee after waking up in the morning. Ghee is very good for the gut and the skin. It gives a beautiful shine to the face and body.

Brand buys: My Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, which I usually ask my friends to pick up when they travel abroad or whenever I travel.

Mum’s tip: My mother always reminds me to keep the skin hydrated. I never forget to apply a primer and rub ice on my face before make-up. I also make sure that I drink at least four litres of water through the day. I use a light serum for my skin.

My beauty regimen: I follow the basic cleaning, toning and moisturising routine every day. In winter I apply glycerine and rose water on my face and hands before going to bed.

A dated make-up trend I still follow: None. First of all I am not really into too much make-up. And anything that’s dated is never on my list!

RIYA SEN

From the kitchen: While growing up, as a routine Mom would put coconut oil and egg yolk on my hair every Sunday. I still continue to use coconut oil, except that it’s the cold-pressed virgin version of it now. And every piece of make-up that I use now is completely organic.

Brand buys: I do a lot of research on beauty products before buying them. Some are very expensive and some extremely reasonable. I pay more attention to the products I use for my skin than any make-up item. I am not really into make-up. I believe less is more. I bank on my skin and not concealers. With time I have realised that too much make-up does not suit me.

Mum’s tip: Mom still swears by coconut oil and egg yolk!

My beauty regimen: The three basics — washing, cleaning and moisturising. I do this twice a day.

A dated make-up trend I still follow: Both my grandmom (Suchitra Sen) and Mom (Moon Moon Sen) always put a lot of kohl and eyeliner. Mom and sister (Raima) still do it. I used to but I have stopped now. It suits them better. 

RAIMA SEN

From the kitchen: I have a spoonful of extra virgin coconut oil first thing in the morning. It not only flushes out the toxins but also makes me feel good and energetic throughout the day. I also use it as hair and body oil. 

Brand buys: I buy a lot of my make-up items from duty-free shops when I travel out of the country. I pick up creams and foundations from Chanel, Nars, Dior... the list is endless. 

Mum’s tip: Mummy tells us to use multani mitti as face pack. I don’t get to do it often because nowadays I travel a lot. But sometimes when I am at home, I do give it a try. It cleanses and rejuvenates the skin instantly. It’s a great face pack. I must use it more often.

My beauty regimen: I love using Boroline. It suits my skin and rehydrates my skin instantly. I guess that’s why Boroline has sustained in the market for so long. I mix water with Boroline or Vaseline and use it to hydrate my skin. This is something I do regularly.

A dated make-up trend I still follow: I am stuck with smoky eyes. It’s a bit dated but I like it. 

Text: Kushali Nag