Easy tips are aplenty but we give you a more condensed set of tips that you simply should stick to and ring in the festivities with that promised glow on your face!
For skin care –
Tip 1: Moisturise them chapped lips/skin!
No points for guessing that winter will make your skin feel all dry and stretchy, with unwanted chapped lips making it difficult to put your favourite lipstick on. At this point, moisturising is something you should do on the regular. Coconut oil is the best, with its benefits not just restricted to internal consumption (yes, the food is amazing when cooked in this oil) but also for your skin. It’s a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal moisturiser. Just dab a bit on your face when you’re skin feels all stretchy and it helps in keeping it shiny and fresh. If your lips are chapped, rub some on your lips (you can use refrigerated coconut oil for this) and watch it heal your lips in a matter of few days.
Tip 2: Apple cider vinegar for the win!
If you have dull skin and want to brighten or even out your skin tone, dab on a bit of apple cider vinegar on your skin before going to bed and wash it off in the morning. It smells awful but after a week you will notice your skin is brighter and more even.
Tip 3: Say hello to aloe!
Aloe Vera gel is a great natural replacement for primer. Once you use it, your skin will feel smoother and your makeup will not look too cakey. It also does a great job of blending blemishes because the aloe helps with inflammation, something that oily to mixed skin type people face.
Tip 4: Exfoliate and breathe
Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface. While most people would go for a moisturising scrubber or peel mask, you can use a more effective and easy way to allow dead skin cells to come off and let your skin breathe. Take a clean washcloth and soak it in hot water. Ensure it’s not piping hot so that it doesn’t leave your skin scalding. Dab it on your face for a few minutes, slowly massaging your nose, cheeks, under eyes, and chin. It not only keeps you warm, it helps in making your face look smoother.
Tip 5: Face cream with concealer
To give your face that instant shine, take a little box and mix your regular face cream (ensure it’s an odor-free one) and add a bit of your concealer to it. Mix it and use it when you are getting ready to head out. This ensures that your make-up is taken care of and that you’re getting your regular application of moisturiser to your skin.
For make-up –
Tip 1: Go dark and subtle on your lips
The weather will be out looking gloomy and dark. But that’s the thing about winter beauty; where you can go all dark and mysterious and yet stand out, not looking out of place. For your lips, if summer and autumn had you trying baby pink, peach, orange, and other fun colours, this season (what with being festive and all) go for shades that are dark red, dark pink, or dark purple. If you can pull it off, try out fun shades of dark green and grunge brown. The best part is, lip colours are aplenty now and you’re bound to find your dark shade!
Tip 2: Eyeing the Eyeliner
To keep it festive and classy, opt for the simple winged liner for your eyes. Kohl eyes look good, too, but with so many festivals where you’ve had kajal smeared under your eyes, this time you can simply try the cool cat eyes, the thick wings that you’d often not go for or thin, glittery ones. Whether it’s gel, pencil or liquid, the technique is key. Use spoons, cello tapes and other DIY ways to get them right.
Tip 3: Blush, but don’t overdo it!
With the perfect lip shade and eyeliner, your next bet would be the cheeks and get them noticed. For the festive season, it’s okay to go a wee bit more than the usual, where you simply have a touch of it a tad more on your cheeks. Do this once you’ve figured out your right shade, otherwise it might look like a bright skin rash on your face. Once done, highlight it with a tinge of rose gold highlighters. Brands like L’Oreal, Lakme, MAC, Sephora, Bobby Brown, etc have a collection of those so go for which ever ones suit your face.
Tip 4: Eyebrows can be fashionable too!
From shaping them up to perfection to making them appear thicker and growing them naturally, celebs have brought thick eyebrows back in vogue and we couldn’t be more grateful. There’s something beautiful about thick, nearly undone eyebrows, giving a more raw appeal. Try out an eyebrow pencil that goes with your eyebrow colour. With so many beauty products to choose from, you have everything covered right from the thickness of the pencil, the colour, the brush, and what not. Head to a recognised beauty product shop and try it out before you buy them. Let a professional teach you how to carefully shape them and not overdo them, thus making your eyebrows look thicker, darker, and yet, completely normal.
Tip 5: Party make-up made easy
The ultimate key to getting your make-up for the party is to ensure you get your eye shadow first, following which you apply your foundation and any other make-up you want to wear. Go bold, go glitter and experiment a bit if you have to, after all, it’s festive season and the idea is to look different than usual.