Beauty Looks For The Bride
By Zofeen Maqsood
Be the bride with that extra zing with these experimental, edgy yet totally worth-falling-in-love looks. First, a universal fact: all brides desire to look picture perfect on their big day. And now a confession: all brides also yearn to look a little different from the anecdotal traditional bridal look.
So, what’s a girl to do? Simple – just add all those traditional charms of the yore to create a futuristic look that is not only fit for a modern-day bride but commands repeated glances. We get you inputs, tips and tricks from some of the best make-up experts, who make a thousand dreams come true by giving magical touches to that quintessential bridal look.
LADY-LIKE MOHAWK
So you thought a punk-style Mohawk is best suited for a night of clubbing in those skinnies and biker jackets? Well, you’re not wrong, but experts suggest you can indeed try the toned down, feminine Mohawk and carry the look on one of your pre-wedding functions too. Make-up artist Ambika Pillai says, “If you are not covering your head with a dupatta, then it is an ideal way-to-go look to try. It suddenly lifts up your forehead and enhances your cheek bones.” If you are in a mood to add more flash, you can also dust just a hint of shimmer on the front. The look is best suited with an Anarkali shalwar kameez or a fishtail semi-kalidaar lehenga.
How to get the look: hair expert Pooja Mehta says, “Begin by gently spraying your hair with water. Do a lot of back-combing. Now lift a half-section of your hair from the top, the way you would lift it if you are making a half pony. Just mess up the hair using some hair gel and your hands, create a bump on the top and pin up the portion on the mid-section. The rest of the hair can be tied in a loosely knotted chignon. The idea here is to create a casual-meets-edgy look, so let a stray hair strand fall here and there to create a natural look.”
DUSTY PINK LIPS & MIDNIGHT EYES
This is a look worth falling in love with. It’s soft but not overtly artificial; it’s edgy but not pop-star type. Designer Manish Malhotra says, “It’s a look that best suits a bride who is coy but has a mind of her own.” You can carry this look for a reception night as it’s got that right amount of glamour and substance.
How to get the look: Pillai says, “Dusty pink lips look great and the best part is they suit most sub-continent skin tones.” To get the look after getting the base make-up, begin by applying some concealer on the lips. As the lips are intended to look somewhere between dewy and matte, you can also dust some face powder to create a matte base. Now begin by applying a smoky shade of pink using a brush for a uniform effect. Do not outline the lips with a lip liner as the effect is supposed to be naturally soft and not made up. After two coats on the lips, you clear gloss. Dab a droplet on your index finger and just dot the centre of upper lip. Do not smear gloss as a dot on the centre is enough to reflect light without creating a teenage glossy effect.
As for the eyes, choose a deep blue, navy eyeliner and mascara pencil. On your regular black kajal, begin by stroking navy eye pencil. On the lids of the eyes, line a deep blue eyeliner smudged with grey pencil to create a wonderful effect. The look goes best if you are wearing magenta or a rose pink outfit.
FOREHEAD TIARA
Don’t want to do that whole round red bindi look straight from the ‘70s Bollywood movies? How about doing a techno bindi. The best part about the look, according to designer JJ Valaya, is it makes you look like a rock-chic bride and can be carried over kurta and palazzos too, for a night function before the D-day. It’s also a good idea to don these bindis on the mehndi night.
How to get the look: begin by dabbing your regular make-up on the face. Keep the look subtle and shimmer-free to create forehead as your focal point. Tweeze the brows well in a linear slightly arched fashion. A bushy brow will not compliment the look. Now take crystal bindis in small size and dot about 5-6 of them in a horizontal fashion on your forehead. Skip the big round bindi in the middle and let these little sparkles do the talking for that unexpected touch your guests will be surprised at.
HIGH-DEFINITION EYES
If you are a girl who likes the attention on her eyes, then this is the look to go for. It’s a look best suited for both pre and post-wedding functions. A sari or a sharara works best with it. Mehta says, “If you want to go for a gelled hairstyle pulled back or centre parted, then this is the look that best enhances not just your eyes but also your cheekbones.”
How to get the look: use a dollop of hair smoothing gel to create a sleek hairstyle. Any fly-away strands will take the focus away from eyes. Now go for the base that is towards your natural complexion and use just a hint of blush in the nearest possible shade of your true complexion. Remember, the star in this look has to be the eyes, so underplay rest of the other features. Go for a natural lip colour or a colour that best compliments you, but keep it subdued. Now begin by using a white pencil in the innermost corners of your eyes. Use a near black kajal pencil to outline the upper and the lower rims of the eyes. Use a mix of grey and soft black eye make-up and slightly dab it on the outermost corner of the eyes, using just the front tips of your fingers. Now use the edges of the palms and gently smear the make-up to create a look that is linear and extends about two inches from your outer eyebrows.
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