Last-minute party plans but can’t make it to the salon? No problem! Our resident style experts Natasha Poojari, Nikhita Ferreira & Mehek Virani have curated simple DIY styling tips to get you monsoon ready in no time!
GET RID OF DARK CIRCLES!
Expert Natasha Poojari suggests using lipstick to kiss dark circles goodbye.
Natasha’s tips: You can use orange or red lipstick. According to the colour theory, orange/red cancels blues and purples. Add a little orange lipstick under your eyes and gently blend it with your fingers. Apply your foundation as you normally do, over it. Add a concealer (a shade lighter than your skin tone) to brighten and highlight the under-eye area. Apply your pressed powder/compact right on top. And voilá!
CURL YOUR HAIR USING A FLAT IRON
Heavy rains, flooding & bad roads can make travelling to the salon a tough task. With the help of this easy step-by-step guide, achieve flawless curls within the comfort of your own home.
Natasha’s tips: Use your flat iron as 2 in 1 by curling your hair with it as well. First, part your hair. Start curling the back half & then work your way to the front. Tie the hair above your ears up into a bun. Then take a small section, starting from about 2 inches away from the root, clamp your flat iron closed & turn in around away from your face, making a 360° turn. Now slowly run the iron down till the tips of your hair. The slower you move the iron, the tighter the curl will be. If you move it faster, you will achieve a wavy texture or loose curls. Add hairspray to hold the curls & you’re good to go!
TOP KNOT
Keeping your hair from frizzing up during the monsoon is quite a challenge. Style expert Nikhita Ferreira suggests one of her personal favourites- a top knot. In addition to its effortless chic look, you can tweak your bun according to the occasion & best of all, avoid the dreaded frizz.
Nikhita’s tips: Comb your hair with a wide-tooth comb & use a little serum if needed. To add a little volume, backcomb the front & sides of the hair. Comb the hair backwards & smooth out any bumps (For a messy look, use your fingers to pull the hair back). Tie it up & then roll it into a messy or clean bun. For a formal/sleek look, skip the backcombing & pull the hair back smoothly.
FISHTAIL BRAID
If braids are more your thing, add a new element to your look with these steps.
Nikhita’s tips: Part your hair to the side that you prefer. You can keep it messy, it looks lovely. Now, part your hair into two sections. Take a small section from one side overlapping it inside the other side & hold it. Keep repeating this step. Take a small section from the outer layer and overlap it inside on the other side. Keep repeating until you get an inverted braid. It’s best to keep the sections small so that you get a perfect fishtail. Keep doing this till the decided length of the braid and then tie. For a messy look, pull out strands of hair from the front.
Nikhita advises against towel drying your hair during the monsoons, as wet hair swells up becoming vulnerable to damage. Use a blow dryer instead. Her make-up tip- Less is more. Especially during the rains, keep it clean & simple. Add a lip tint for a pop of colour.
With your hair & make-up sorted, the last thing you need to happen is to have smudgy mascara dripping down your face. While it may seem like an obvious choice for some, expert Mehek Viani stresses the use of waterproof makeup & sunscreen lotion no matter the weather. Sharing the principle of a minimalistic make-up look, she also advises using a compact instead of foundation, along with a setting spray.
So now that you have all the expert tips, don’t let the gloomy weather get you down. Keep your hair & make-up game on point all year round with these easy guidelines. Selfie ready- come rain or shine!
