Whether it’s an engaging brunch with your besties or an after-office party with colleagues, dazzle this party season with beauty veteran Bharti Taneja’s tested and very trusted trade tricks.
It is that time of the year again when every corner of the city comes alive with festive cheer. From Christmas soirees to year-end parties, the invites start piling up on your desk, promising of enticing parties that carry on till dawn. It’s the season of raising champagne toasts, spinning on the dance floor and shining like a diva. From perfect hairstyles to enticing makeup, here is how you can get glamorous for every occasion in minutes. And accessorize your look with a captivating smile and piercing confidence.
Party pointer 1: Prep up the skin
Before digging into your make up kit, catch hold of a moisturizer. It is important to hydrate your skin after a day’s work. Once your skin is supple and moist, begin with a primer to set the base for makeup application. Primer fills in enlarged pores, so your skin looks smoother and prettier. It prepares the skin for foundation to smoothly set in. It not just makes your skin look more luminous but also helps the makeup lasts longer too.
Party pointer 2: Soft and smooth
The key to flawless face lies in right foundation. Excellent for Indian skin tone, a silicon or mineral-based foundation is an ideal pick for winter. When applying foundation, always follow the ‘less is more’ rule. Moreover, blend it well until you achieve the desired flawless finish and settle it well with a little (just a little) powder.
Party pointer 3: It’s in the eyes
There is no great charmer than your lovely peepers. Turn on the spotlight on your eyes with shades of opulence like gold, silver and bronze that can easily ramp up your glam quotient. Or you can go with season’s favorite flamboyant shades this year – fuschia, orange and blue!
Party pointer 5 – Get lush lashes
Eyeliner applied in a dark shade and kept close to the lash line makes lashes appear even thicker. Now take the intensity up with kohl. Make them sparkle with a little glitter on the lids. And nothing frames the face than a lush pair of lashes; do it with fake eyelashes or semi-permanent lash extensions. If you are not using lash extensions, then give an extra lift to your natural lashes with eyelash curler and finish of two generous coats of mascara.
Party pointer 4 – Define your brows
Often ignored, the best way to frame your face is to tame your brows with an eyebrow comb. Brush the hairs up and over so that they fall into a smooth line. Ditch the conservative approach and do not over- tweeze your brows. Fill in the sparse areas with brow powder. If the effect is too heavy, use a cotton swab to lift away extra pigment.
Party pointer 6 – Pucker up
Before you do anything, make sure your lips are smooth and moisturized by rubbing them lightly with a damp washcloth, and following with a coat of lip balm. While the bright red lips are the season’s staple, the very bright and cheery fuchsia and orange lips are making waves everywhere.
Party pointer 7 – Glow girl …glow
When it comes to getting party pretty, blush is non-negotiable. Amp up your natural rosiness by mixing complementary blush colors, one darker and one lighter. Or start off light with the paler shade in the compact and tweak it by layering its darker counterpart over it.
Party pointer 7 – Happy hair
From glamorous waves to chic chignon, party season offers a variety of hairstyle to experiment. Whether you decide to pull them in an updo or leave them open, cascading down your shoulders, compliment them with a splendid hair-accessory – season’s must!
Party pointer 8 – Deck your nails
A little rebellious but very luxurious, the shinier and sexier glitter nail polish make your sparkle in a very subtle way. Besides this, the bold and fresh neon colours are also a safe bet. Looking for some more ‘oomph’? How about stars or Santa on your nails? All this and more is easily possible with Nail Art, which takes minute to put your hands in the spotlight!
Touch up
A twist here and a spin there on the dance floor can send your makeup sliding and turn your hair flat. Here are the touch up tricks…
- Pack the brightest cream blush you have, and blend it on the apples of your cheeks to refresh your look. Likewise a lip gloss is also a must to carry.
- Use your fingers as a comb. Your hair will immediately be fuller and have more volume.
- As the night progress give fierceness to your eyes by lining the inner rim with black eyeliner.
- After dancing, don’t cake on more powder to get rid of the shine. Instead, use oil-blotting sheets.
- Can’t revive your hairstyle? Simply pull it back into a quick chignon, and then finish with a chic elastic headband.
Skin SOS
Sumptuous cheese cakes, naughty cocktails, shimmering make up and crazy late nights – it all comes with a price. When your party is over, the party for the skin begins. Here’s how you can help minimize the damage.
- Removing the make up after the party is mandatory. It helps in avoiding break outs.
- Eat less sugar, salt and reduce intake of oil. Drink green tea, honey and hot water to flush out the toxins.
- Too much alcohol can cause havoc on your skin as it makes the dry. Follow a night of partying with a glass of warm water, honey and lemon juice in the morning.
- Wake up your weary eyes by splashing some cold water or place some ice cold cotton balls and allow the puffiness to come down.
- During the day keep the makeup simple yet refreshing.
