Rupa Ganguly chats with audience members after the talk at Salt Lake on Saturday. Picture by Aranya Sen

While the city took a well-deserved break on May Day, working women in Salt Lake came out to shoot questions on beauty to another working woman who is in the business of looking good.

When The Telegraph did a quick survey of the Salt Lake area to find out what it is that women want to know about the most, a large number emphatically expressed interest in getting some useful, practical beauty tips. So, actress Rupa Ganguly was roped in for The Good Life Talk Show, the first in a series of interactive meets with readers across the city, covering a range of issues, with a range of experts.

“The last time I went to a beauty parlour was three years ago,” Rupa was quick to clarify. For her, the key to looking good is feeling good. “It is about how we treat people, how we look at people and how they look at us,” said the actress on Saturday evening, to a mixed group of women (and even a man, or two) at the Aikatan auditorium. “Try to be a beautiful human being,” was her first piece of advice.

The floor was opened to questions. First off the block was Dhrimi, who wanted advice on how to take care of her hair. “I rinse my hair every day, to clean it of all the dust and grime,” said Rupa. “But it is best not to go out with completely wet hair. So I try to either take a bath sometime before leaving or use a hairdryer.” Using a dryer was not bad for hair, contrary to popular belief, she stressed.

“We try to look decent, and we can usually tell from other’s reactions whether we have succeeded,” said Uma. “First thing to remember – your husband will never tell you that you look good,” interjected Rupa, a sentiment every giggling woman in the audience could well relate to.

“But how do we get rid of the dark circles under the eyes?” Uma asked. While beauticians recommend putting pieces of cucumber or potato on the eyes, Rupa had a few practical tips to share. Foundation could be used to mask the dark circles. Kajal also serves to draw attention to the eyes, deflecting attention from the darkness, as can a touch of mascara and a “great smile”.

Sameera, a resident of Park Circus, wanted to know how to deal with excessive sweating. “This probably means you have oily skin. And you shouldn’t feel bad, because you will look young for a lot longer,” reassured Rupa. But frequently washing the face with cold water and wiping it with a hanky can help, she added.

Saswati wondered how to take care of skin during the office hours, for which the actress advised carrying a good quality moisturiser.

How to make time for exercise was Moushumi’s concern. Rupa’s tip was to make it fun, by turning on the music and dancing. But the best advice for the multi-tasking power woman was to clean the floors.

“After my maid finishes wiping the floor, I ask her to stand back while I clean the corners and the sides that were missed,” she explained. “First of all, this sends out the message that I can do her job better than she can, so she can’t take her job for granted. Secondly, it is great exercise. Have you ever seen a domestic help with a thick waist,” laughed Rupa.

Advice on lipstick shades, liquid foundation application, shampoo and conditioning were also worked into the 90-minute session. More time with the chatty Rupa was the need of the hour, but she compensated by giving a few hands-on tips to her eager audience.

Moment of the meet: Debdatta, a dancer from Assam, asked how best to apply her stage make-up, and carried away some valuable professional advice. Rupa was in her element, asking the young girl what products she was currently using.

“You should use professional standard pan-stick and then finish it with pancake,” explained the screen star, telling the dancer which shades would be right for her skin and which New Market store she could get them at.