BRIDAL MAKEUP
For immaculate makeup, s, often, smooth and lustrous skin is essential; hence, a couple of weeks before the wedding day, great care is taken to look after it. A homemade concoction called ubtan and a good facial gives the required softness to the skin. Blackheads can be easily removed by steaming. For a fresh look, use some skin tonic or astringent lotion.
Massage with deep-cleansing milk lightly at night before going to bed. Regular massage gives a natural glow to the skin because massaging helps in proper blood circulation, making the skin soft, healthy and attractive. After deep cleansing, apply nourishing cream and massage lightly a little. In the morning, sprinkle icy-cold water from the fridge. Do not use soap if the skin is dry. It will crack and leave white patches. Instead, use moisturizer. If the skin is oily, make a paste with oat flour, add lemon juice and rub well. It will prevent pimples.
It is necessary to decorate hands in the morning on the wedding day. Make nails soft by dipping them in lukewarm water mixed with soap and soda bicarb. Rub the nails with a filer to give them the desired shape. After applying olive oil to that part, the dead skin on the pins can be pushed back with a nail pusher or an orange stick. Cut off the dead skin with scissors. Massage the arms with a cream. Wash hands with lukewarm water and apply hand lotion for a soft and smooth look—Polish nails with nail polish. Decorate your hands with henna just one day before the wedding day.
Now, scrub the feet and apply alta or mahawar. One can visit a parlour for a ‘manicure’ and ‘pedicure’ one day before the wedding.
HAIRSTYLING
A good hairstyle can be done only if the hair is not oily. So, shampoo them before makeup. Please put them in rollers when wet and then dry them. Long hair, as well as short hair, can both be placed in rollers. Remove rollers when hair is dry. They will be wavy and can be set well. Now, draw forth smaller locks and do ‘back combing’. Part your hair from the middle and make waves on both sides. A bride should have a parting in the middle, which matches well when decorated with beni or matha-patti. After setting the front hair, tie a beautiful bun. For short hair, you can use a ready-made ‘switch’. Hair spray will put the hair well and lend them lustre.
FACIAL MAKEUP
Clean the face and use base cream, then foundation. If there are spots or shadows, hide them by applying a light-tinged foundation or white lipstick on that part. Do not forget to apply foundation on the neck; otherwise, the channel will appear darker than the face. Now put liquid rouge with a brush on the upper part of the cheeks and gently rub it down; it gives the bride’s face flush. Apply compact powder or face powder evenly so it does not show in patches. Apply powder on the upper part of the eyelids and the lips. Powder holds mascara and lipstick properly. After the face, do eye makeup. Mascara for eyelids, eyeliner on the lashes and eyeshadow suits the bride’s red dress. Green and golden eyeshadow can also be used. Give shape to eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil. Put a bindi on the forehead—it could be round or according to the shape of the face. Bindi can be a red, matching red dress.
The forehead can be decorated with small dots above the eyebrows in a half-moon shape. Lipstick is put on last of all. Apply a light shade first, followed by a darker shade. On lipstick, use lipgloss to ensure lustre. After completing this process, use an astringent lotion to retain makeup for a long time.
CLOTHES AND JEWELLERY
Although a bride looks beautiful in a red dress, the colours vary per local traditions. Moreover, they can be different in style; sari, salwar-kameez, lehenga-chunni, etc. Golden decorations on the red dress give it a kind of glitter. Makeup is not complete without jewellery. Beni on the forehead, zoomer or matha patti, nath on the nose, earrings, necklaces, bangles, kangas, baseband, rings, hateful, Payal and so on can be worn.
AIDS FOR BRIDAL MAKEUP
• Cleansing milk, cream, and astringent.
• Foundation, powder, liquid rouge, mascara, red and white bindi, eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil.
• Nail polish, lipstick, lip gloss.
• Nail filer, nail push, orange stick, hand lotion.
• Mehandi, alta or mahavar.
• Blackhead extractor, hairpin, rollers, switch, hair spray, etc.
• Wedding costumes, ornaments and jewellery.