Brides, keep foundation low and make skin glow

NEW DELHI - Ever wondered why most brides end up looking like a piece of cake on their D-Day? Beauty experts feel instead of indulging in expensive cosmetics, the girls should focus on their skin to look radiant and beautiful.

“It is common that brides spend a lot on their trousseau and other superficial stuff, but they forget to try their makeup before D-Day. Usually the end result is disastrous,” said makeup artist Pallavi Symons.

“Brides try to match everything and in the end we all know that too much of everything is bad. The reason why brides look very cakey is because they apply too much foundation,” she added.

The Indian obsession with fair skin is a known fact and renowned make-up artist Vidya Tikari says this prompts brides to apply layers of foundation on their D-Day.

“Indians are very much obsessed with fairness and hence you will see brides all caked up with foundation, which later on leaves dry patches on skin and they look awful,” Tikari told IANS. “But who cares? All they want is to look fair.”

Symons says the problem is the word “fair” is largely misplaced in the Indian dictionary.

“I fail to understand why everyone wants to look fair and the obsession is getting too much - be it brides or grooms or even a common man; they don’t understand the difference between beautiful and radiant skin,” she said.

“A bride should look radiant and not fair on her wedding and also throughout her life. A person should be comfortable in his own skin. So radiance is the key to look good and not fairness,” she added.

So what should a bride do to get the perfect look?

“Pre-bridal care is a must. This includes taking time for physical exercise and eating nutritious diet,” said Sushma Khan, national trainer, makeup and skin, Lakme Studio & Salon.

The wedding season will start next month. Lakme salons are now offering customised pre-bridal and bridal treatments and it takes care of every bride’s individual needs.

“Normally, you see brides opting for important things like facials at the last time. Most of the time, the skin is not hydrated enough to take the makeup, then everything goes for a toss,” said Symons.

“Also, I advise people not to take up facials or waxing 48 hours before wedding. The skin has to breathe and be chemical free. Sometimes it happens that you get an allergy after you have tried a new facial. People go for high-end facials just before the wedding without even knowing whether it will suit their skin,” she added.

The same theory applies when it comes to haircare, says Lakme Studio’s Sudeep Grover, national trainer for hair.

“A bride should start taking care of her hair for almost three-months prior to the wedding and it involves taking a proper diet as well,” said Grover.

“Pollution leads to hairfall and dandruff; so try to sort out all hair-related issues before a wedding and do try different hairstyles for your D-Day to see what looks good on you,” he added.

Grover suggests that a bun remains popular, but one can opt for a ponytail or plats as well because it is very apt in this season.

Symons also believes that every individual is born with a personality and the key thing to remember is what type you are.

(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in)