It’s the season to be jolly! And no, I don’t mean Christmas – though that is around the corner too. For Indians, the jolly, celebratory season is wedding season which usually spans the winter months, if you live in North India. I had occasion to attend my first wedding function for this season recently, and I loved the excuse to get all dolled up. I wore a gorgeous crushed Anarkali kurta paired with a cropped jacket embellished in beautiful gold zari embroidery, from my mother’s label – Harleen Anand. To accessorise, I wore a beautiful custom clutch made by Pretty Poppy Potlis (the brand has sadly shut shop) and heeled gold Kolhapuri sandals. However, as a makeup lover, my look would have been incomplete without the makeup!
In this post, I’m doing a breakdown of my makeup look with tips to apply it yourself, so you can be the belle of any ball. All these products will give you seamless, long-lasting wear and make you look like a million bucks – and if you buy these products now while Nykaa’s Pink Friday Sale is on, you can save some money while you’re at it!
So here is my GRWM (get ready with me) breakdown for wedding season 2024-25:
- Skincare is super important
As you age, your skin starts becoming drier, which results in cakey-looking makeup. Make sure to moisturise your face with a heavy-duty cream and use a serum on top of that for optimal results. Here are my picks:
High End Option: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream
Budget Option: Nivea Crème
High End Option: Pixi Glow Tonic Serum
Budget Option: Personal Touch Skincare Youth Burst
Sunscreen: Personal Touch Sunscreen
- Trick to a flawless, long-lasting base
For makeup that lasts hours and can withstand sweat and tears, use a mattifying primer first. Your foundation must match your skin tone (not too light nor too dark) and apply it with your hands if you don’t have experience of using brushes or sponges. Be sure to apply a thin layer of foundation first, and then build it up slowly if you need extra coverage. Your concealer should be applied over the foundation and only in the areas where it is needed such as the under-eye area. Make sure not to apply too much concealer and ensure it’s just one shade lighter than your skin tone for brightness (too light will make you look ashy in photos). Be sure to set the makeup in place with a loose powder so that the makeup doesn’t look cakey.
High End Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup
Budget Foundation: Maybelline New York Super Stay Lumi-Matte Liquid Foundation
High End Concealer: Fenty Beauty We’re Even Hydrating Longwear Concealer
Budget Concealer: Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Concealer
Loose Powder: Maybelline New York Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder
Compact Powder: Renee Cosmetics Everyday Face Compact
- Use cream base products for a flawless finish and set them with powders to last long
Cream blushes and bronzers set with powders are the way to go for a flawless and long-lasting base. Be sure to choose colours that flatter your particular skin tone. Top it all off with a good makeup setting spray and your makeup won’t budge!
Cream Contour / Bronzer: Kay Beauty Contour Stick
Cream Blush: Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip and Cheek Tint
Powder Bronzer: Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer for Contouring
Powder Blush: Lakme 9 to 5 Pure Rouge Blusher
Makeup Setting Spray: Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
- Tips for dramatic eye looks
For long-term wear make sure to use some sort of base underneath your eyeshadow application – you can use an eye primer, but I find that regular concealer does the job well. My favourite eyeshadow palettes are those that contain a variety of colours so that you can mix it up. Just be sure that there is a light brown, dark brown and gold shade in any palette you use for wedding looks. A matte black is also very useful. To create a dramatic eye look, use the light brown in the crease of your eye socket and blend; use the dark brown or black in the outer corner of the eye; use a shimmery gold or colour shadow on the lid, and dab the inner corner of the eye with a bright shimmery shadow to give the effect of doe eyes. Don’t forget to use a liquid liner to enhance an almond eye shape and kajal for extra sultriness. And mascara is another item that you shouldn’t skip. If you are comfortable wearing false lashes, don’t hesitate but I find that you can achieve a false lash effect by layering two different mascaras on top of one another.
High End Eyeshadow Palette: Huda Beauty Naughty Nude Eyeshadow Palette
Budget Eyeshadow Palette: Milani Gilded Eyeshadow Palette – 170 Gilded Terra
High End Eyeliner: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Xtreme Precision Liner
Budget Eyeliner: Lakme Eyeconic Pro Brush Eye Liner
High End Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Bang! Mascara
Budget Mascara: Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
Fake Lashes: Nykaa Cosmetics Lash Talk False Eyelash
- Don’t be afraid of wearing a bold lip
The general rule of thumb for a good makeup look is to wear a neutral-toned lip colour when you have heavy eye makeup on and keep the eyeshadow light if wearing a bold lip colour. However, Indian weddings are occasions where you can play up both the eyes and lips to match the rich grandeur of our traditional outfits. I find that shades of reds, maroons and browns suit almost all Indian skin tones but pinks, peaches and nudes are restricted in their scope. Be sure to line your lips with a good lip liner first to prolong the wear of your lip colour. You can top the lipstick off with a hint of gloss to make your lips look bigger and juicier too.
High End Lipliners: Charlotte Tilbury The Lip Cheat Lip Liner
Budget Lipliner: My Glamm Define It Lip Liner
High End Lipsticks: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks
Budget Lipsticks: Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks
Gloss: Typsy Beauty Crystal Crush Plumping Gloss
So, these are my makeup picks to get you through the upcoming wedding season. Do share your product recommendations in the comments below – I would love to try them out too!
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
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