All of us, especially women, are eagerly for Raksha Bandhan, more so as it would give us a reason to smile, laugh and spread joy amid Covid-19. And of course, celebrate the loving bond of siblings.
As a sister visiting your brother’s or cousin’s home or as the host to these festivities, you would want to look beautiful and glamorous. It is all about choosing the right shades of colour cosmetics as it can make or break the look. Selecting them according to skin colour and tone is as essential as learning the techniques of application. Your natural skin tone is most important while selecting foundations. Try to buy one that is closest to your skin colour. Face powder may be of the same shade as the foundation. If you wish to tone down a tan, select a powder that is one shade lighter but in the same colour tone.
Flaunt a festive-ready look this Rakhi with herbal beauty tips to ensure you have a pleasant day filled with the joy of brother-sister affection. It’s a good idea to start early by following few beauty tips prior to the occasion to add a natural glow to your skin. In this hot and humid season, your skin needs toning and refreshing.
Here are some home remedies:
Watermelon juice: It is a good skin-toner and relieves dryness too. It cools, refreshes and softens the skin. Apply on the face and wash off with plain water after 20 minutes.
Fruit Mask for all skin types: Banana, apple, papaya and orange can be mixed and applied on the face. Keep it on for 20 to 30 minutes and wash off with water. It cools the skin, cleanses dead cells and removes tan.
Cooling mask: Mix cucumber juice with two tsp powdered milk and one egg white into a smooth paste. Apply for half an hour on face and neck and rinse off with water.
Mask for oily skin: Mix one tablespoon Multani Mitti with rose water into a paste and apply on the face. Wash off when dry.
After applying the face mask, take two cotton wool pads soaked in rose water and place them on closed lids. Lie down and just relax. Used tea bags can also do the trick. Soak them in a little warm water, squeeze out excess water and place on closed eyes.
To soften rough, bushy or frizzy hair, mix some water with creamy hair conditioner and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the hair. Then comb the hair, so that it spreads through the hair.
Raksha Bandhan is usually celebrated during the day. Daytime makeup has to be light and carefully done. If you have clear skin, skip the foundation. After cleansing, apply a sunscreen with a built-in moisturiser, then apply translucent powder. For oily skin, apply astringent lotion, instead of moisturiser followed by compact powder. Pay attention to the oily areas of the face like nose, forehead and chin while applying compact powder. Press the powder with a slightly damp sponge. This helps it to set and last longer. If you wish to apply blusher, less is more and blend well. Blush-on should add a flush to your cheeks.
For eye makeup stick to eye pencils during the day or line your eyelids with brown or grey eye shadow. This gives a softer effect. Then, apply only one coat of mascara which helps to make the eyes look darker and brighter but prevents the “heavily made-up” look.
For lipstick, avoid very dark colours. Go for light pastel shades or use only lip gloss. First, outline the lips with a lip pencil of the same shade as your lipstick. Fill in colour with a lipstick brush.
For Raksha Bandhan, you can try a new hairstyle like putting up your hair with fancy hair clips or ribbons. Wearing flowers in the hair is a great idea.
Fair skin: While choosing foundation for very fair skin, go for beige with a rosy (pinkish) tint. For fair skins, use beige, pink or orange undertones. If the complexion is fair but sallow (i.e. yellowish), avoid pink tones and go for beige or biscuit shades. For eye colours, pick a brown eyebrow pencil. Apply dark brown or dark grey eyeshadow over black eyeliner. It will tone down the stark black look. For fair skin, try pinks and reds for blushers and avoid dark colours in lipstick.
Wheatish complexion: Most Indian complexions are wheatish. Go for water-based foundations. Use bronze or brown eye shadow. Add a touch of gold under the brow. For blusher, try bronze. For the lips, go for warm earthy colours. A dark pink or rosered would look good too.
Dusky/Olive: Dusky or olive complexions look better with brownish beige shades for the foundation. It should be a colour that will add some glow to the skin. For blushers, go with darker pink or even some brown shades. Highlighting powder will help to add glow. Try it on your cheeks along with your nose and forehead.
Dark Skin: If you have dark skin, choose liquid foundations instead of a creamy one. Try out foundation colours in natural brown tones. Use a kajal pencil to outline the eyes. This can have a stunning effect on dark skins. For blusher, try a dark rose pink colour. For lips, a dark complexion looks good in vibrant colours. Go for warmer tones. Bright red lipstick can be toned down with tinted lip gloss.
Don’t forget to wear the most important accessory, your confidence as you share the warmth of love and affection with all family members.
The author is a well-known beauty expert.