Modern Indian Bridal Makeup Tips from Khush Singh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indian Bridal Makeup Tips & Advice

A wedding day is an auspicious and important day in the life of every bride and it is natural for each one to want to look their fabulous best, yet retain some of their inherent everyday charm.

 

Use a professional makeup artist if possible. Have a pre-wedding consultation so your makeup artist already knows what you want.

 

Working with The Indian Bridal Makeup Artist (Hopefully Khush ;) can save you quite a bit of time but make sure you collect pictures from magazines to show the makeup artist so he or she can get an idea of the look you're going for. Keep in mind that your wedding is not the time to start experimenting -- stick to an enhanced version of your everyday self.

 

Schedule trial runs before your prewedding parties or other special events (friends' weddings, class reunions, etc.). Some makeup artists do charge you for these practice sessions -- so find a crowd to wow!

Take a close look at yourself a few hours after a trial makeover to check how the makeup wears on your skin. Does it last or fade away? Note any color changes or allergic reactions.

Have a facial two weeks prior to your wedding. If you’ve not had facials in the past we would recommend you start this process 3-4 months prior to your wedding.

 However the below is a makeup tutorial for those who would like to do it on your own - here are the tips:

The makeup should be classy, yet not so overdone as to draw attention away from the rest of you.  Splash cold water on your face in the morning to help reduce morning puffiness.

 Moisturize:

The first of these Indian bridal makeup tips involves moisturizing. Once the face is clean and free of any excess oil or dirt, apply a sheer layer of moisturizer. This will help to hold the makeup better, and make sure that it lasts longer. You should also apply a layer of oil-based concealer under the eyes, in preparation for any tears that may arrive during or after the ceremony. Allow the makeup and concealer to set for about 20 minutes

Foundation:

Make certain your foundation is an exact match to your skin tone.  Use heavy-pigmented cream foundation and layer it with powder foundation to make the skin look smoother.  Using your fingertips or a sponge, apply a sheer but even layer of foundation. Check for any lines around your jaw bone. 

(Makeup Artists will combine 2 or 3 different foundation colors to match the bride's skin tone perfectly and also possibly combine 2 or 3 different coloured concealers to conceal things like dark circles.)

 

 

Apply a matte powder all over your face; using a powder based product, this will ensure skin looks perfect in the photographs. The shine free oil control loose powder, will help control the oil that usually develops around the 'T zone'. This will last long & give it a matte look. Add a little blush; pick a peachy pink color that will look natural on you.

When you’ve applied it, dust on some loose powder to seal it all in.

If your dress has an open neckline, be sure to warm up your neck and chest with a dusting of Bronzing Powder.

 Blush:

For a pretty flush that lasts, use two shades of Blush. First, apply a neutral shade on the apples of cheeks, blending up into the hairline, then downwards to soften. Then apply a brighter shade just on the apples of cheeks.

Eyes:

If you have dark brown eyes and want to have a smokey eye effect, then focus on using deeper colors, as these complement the natural color of your eyes. For a more dramatic effect you can use colors that shimmer, but in general deep, rich, matte colors work best for dark brown eyes. Some excellent colors are purple, gray and brown.

 

 

For a perfect eye shape, use a small brush to blend a medium tone color from just below the brow arch downwards in a semi-circle motion.

Basic smokeyeye makeup uses two shades of eye shadow, one light and one dark, in order to achieve the dramatic effect. However, using three colors can really enhance the make upon brown eyes, since brown eyes are less dramatic than, say, blue eyes. Do make sure, however, that the shades you select are complementary and do not clash.

Begin by cleaning your eyelids and applying a primer. If you don’t have a primer, you can dab on a light layer of concealer or moisturizer for around the eyes. This will ensure that the makeup is absorbed better and continues to look fresh for much longer. Once you have primed your lids, line both the top and bottom lids with brown or black eye liner. Smudge the line on the bottom lid to make the effect more dramatic.

Once you begin shadowing, you will immediately see the effects of smokey eye makeup for dark eyes. Brush the lighter shadow over the entire lid, up to the brow ridge. Next, gradually blend in the darker shade, starting at the outer corner of the lid.

As you get closer to the eye crease, switch to the other, slightly lighter dark eye shadow. Blend continuously. To finish your makeup, apply a few layers of black mascara to you lashes.

The foremost tip that you must remember before applying Smokey eye makeup for dark brown eyes is to select the right colors. Choose deep, rich tones to complement and enhance the color of your eyes.

End with lining the eyes with kohl, to accentuate the look.

Lash Extensions:

Every Bride wants her eyes to pop on her wedding day. It’s all about the lashes.

The extensions are single strands of synthetic eyelashes that are curved to replicate a natural eyelash. They provide length and thickness to your own lashes and are available in varying lengths and thickness. They are applied to your individual eyelashes, one lash at a time. There is no need for mascara even though a water based mascara is fine to use. The result is thicker, longer, eye opening eyelashes that are safe in the shower, while swimming, sleeping or exercising.

Lipstick:

Use a light to medium lipstick that is long wearing. Choose a lip liner that blends easily with lipstick for that soft glossy look that looks good in photographs too. Start with a pencil lip liner. Apply from the centre and line outward; make sure you have completely outlined your lips. Lip liners help lip color stay longer and also avoid bleeding. Now fill in your lips with a moisturizing lip color, helps keep lips soft and supple and the pick a color that is most striking. 

 

 

Thin and small lips look more sensuous with light lip colors while fuller lips can use deep shades. Keep the Lipstick handy to freshen up your pout after the kiss.  Add some gloss to your lips for a great impact.

Nails:

Go get yourself a manicure & pedicure! It will ensure the hands & feet look duly moisturized. Well polished and shaped nails add spark to the looks of a bride. The color of nail polish should ideally match the wedding dress of the bride. Apply it to your nails in single sweeps. Apply a base coat on the nails because it gives strength to your nails.

 

 

Remember:

Place the focus on the face either on eyes or on lip and underplay the other with neutral pink or brown shades. 

Neutral and pale lip colors look washed out in photographs, so choose a lipstick that’s one to two shades brighter than what you normally wear. Pinks, roses and plums are great choices for brides.

When applying your makeup wear a button shirt that can be easily removed when its time to dress.

Get plenty of sleep, please!

Don't try anything new on your skin 7-10 days before your wedding. You don't know how your skin will react.

Well-shaped brows can open up your whole face, get them done ten days before the wedding, then two days before get them touched up or pluck the few strays yourself.

Choose a hairstyle that will suit your face shape. Round faces will look good on high ‘up dos’ and sleek long styles while long faces suit styles that have width and volume.

If your wearing sandals then about a month before your wedding start your foot treatment so your feet look as good as the rest of you.

Do not do your own makeup. Have a professional makeup artist do it. Chances are you’ve got a bit of the jitters with all the excitement which could result in you having difficulties doing your own makeu

 Khush Singh - Celebrity & Indian Bridal Makeup Artist ...Born with a Brush in her hand...

Pop to your Lips as you walk down the aisle

This summer you might want to add a little pop to your pucker as you’re walking down the isle.  Shake things up a little!  After all it is summer and color is everywhere…Hot colors include shades of red, orange reds, and fuchsia.  Check out Max Factor Long Wear Lip Color, Cover Girl Long Wear Lip Color, Avon’s Perfect Wear Extralasting Lipstick. These lip colors will stay on long after “You may kiss the bride…” 



With a veil like this you can focus all of the attention on your lips and keep your eyes looking soft and subtle.  Use Beth Bender’s Get in Line Eye Liner Stencil Kit to help you to achieve this simple eye look in minutes!  It’s so easy to use you won’t need to hire a make-up artist.  (With the extra money you can splurge on a bigger wedding bouquet.)

Remember girls, keep a journal close by.  This way you can document all of your wedding tasks and check them off as you go.  I find brides who glue photos of make-up looks they want to recreate for their wedding day into their journal as a reference really handy when they come to me.  It made it easier to match colors when we chose lip colours to match the dress, jewelry and look.

<a href="http://khushsingh.com/">Khush Singh - Celebrity &amp; Indian Bridal Makeup Artist</a>

Essential Bridal Makeup tips & Tricks - Asian, Indian & Western notes.

The eyes are the window to your soul and you want them to look their best on your wedding day. Follow these tips for big, beautiful eyes that shine:

1. Hire a makeup artist

I don’t think there is anything wrong with doing your makeup yourself, but unless you’re knowledgeable about bridal makeup and how looks photograph, it’s best to hire a makeup artist for a wedding. That’s because bridal makeup is different from everyday makeup. On your big day, makeup needs to be waterproof and tear-proof so your face won’t look like a big mess if you shed a few tears. In addition, your makeup should look good both in the flesh and in pictures. A professional makeup artist knows how textures and product turn out in photos and will make sure you won’t look greasy, shiny or bad in them too.

2. Choose the right colors

There are a few things to consider when choosing what eyeshadow colors to wear on your big day. They have to suit your skintone, go well with your dress, bouquet and everything else you chose for your wedding. You also have to feel comfortable in it, but avoid trends or wearing too much makeup. Remember that you will have to look at your wedding pictures for the rest of your life so it doesn’t matter whether a certain look or color is in at the moment, you want to opt for something classy and timeless that will look beautiful in the years to come as well. Simple and natural looks would be best but if you love colorful makeup like me, you can always use some soft pink or gold on your eyes (or you can opt for a bright lipstick instead).

3. Use an eyeshadow primer

An eyeshadow primer is mandatory on your wedding day. You don’t want spend time to make your eyes look beautiful only to find out a few hours later that the eyeshadows have creased, the eyeliner smudged and everything is fading away. Your makeup needs to stay put and perfect for the entire day and a makeup primer will help you achieve just that.

4. Opt for matte instead than shimmer eyeshadows

Even though I adore shimmery eyeshadows and the way they make my eyes sparkles, they aren’t ideal to wear on your wedding. Shimmery eyeshadows, especially those that are very frosty, can look very greasy and shiny in photos. And you don’t want that, do you? Instead opt for matte shades as those are the ones that photograph best. But if you still insist on wearing some shimmer on your eyes, then apply a white or peach eyeshadow with only a hint of shimmer on your browbone to illuminate the eyes and use a matte shade on your crease as this will add more dimension and definition to your eyes. And remember to blend well as any harsh lines or mistakes will be visible in pictures.

5. Black, brown or no eyeliner at all?

If you are going for a very natural, barely-there makeup look, using eyeliner is not an absolute necessity. You’d still look great without and it’s one less thing to retouch if your lids are so oily or the weather’s so hot that even with a primer some fading could occur overtime. If instead you want to add some definition to your eyes or you’ve decided to wear false lashes and need help hiding the lash band, a precise line of black eyeliner will do the trick and, if you don’t go overboard, it can still look very natural. But if you think that’s too much, you can always opt for brown eyeliner, for a softer, more subtle look. But whatever you use, remember to test the eyeliner you’re gonna use on your big day beforehand so you’ll know how well it stands the test of time.

6. Make sure your mascara is waterproof

Start by curling your eyelashes and then apply two generous coats of mascara. Make sure that the mascara you are using is smudgeproof and waterproof so that it won’t travel everywhere on your face and ruin your makeup if you cry or the weather is too hot and humid. As with all the other products, test the mascara well in advance. It doesn’t matter if the mascara claims to be waterproof, that’s not guaranteed that it’ll withstand tears and humidity and you don’t wanna find out it doesn’t fulfill its promises on your wedding day, do you?

7. Don’t forget your eyebrows!

Often overlooked, eyebrows frame the face and make you look polished. Doesn’t matter how good the rest of your makeup is, neglecting your eyebrows will ruin the overall look. If you’ve never done anything to your brows before, I strongly suggest you to book an appointment to have them done professionally. An esthetician will be able to find the perfect shape for you and explain how to take care of them. If you decide to have them waxed or threaded, go at least a week before you wedding, which will give the redness time to subside and go away in time for your big day. If you have sparse brows, fill them in with an eyeshadow that matches their color exactly. You can also use an eyebrow pencil to do the job, but powders usually look more natural.

8. Don’t experiment with new makeup products

Whatever look you decide to wear, don’t use any new makeup (or skincare for that matter) product that you’ve never used before on your wedding day or even a few days before it. There is always the risk, albeit small, that a new product may cause an irritation and make your eyes all red and swollen. Trying new products a few weeks in advance will make sure that even if a bad reaction occurs, you’ll have plenty of time to treat it.

9. If you’re undecided, try several looks

Are you unsure about what makeup to wear on your big day? Try several looks in the months or weeks before your wedding so you can decide which one you like the most and better suits you and the overall theme of your wedding. If you’ve decided to hire a makeup artist, always do one or more test runs with her. That way you can tell her exactly what you want, or if you don’t she/he can offer some valuable advice. In addition, by doing test runs, you will also find out how long a look lasts on you, replace products that turn out to smudge or fade soon on you and see if any of the items used on your face causes an irritation or allergy.

<a href="http://khushsingh.com/">Khush Singh - Celebrity &amp; Indian Bridal Makeup Artist</a>

How to Clean a Makeup Brush

Cleaning each individual makeup brush is an important beauty step that many women forget about.  Read all about the importance of keeping each makeup brush clean, and also learn the step-by-step process of cleaning a makeup brush. Why should you clean your makeup brush? Cleaning makeup brushes is incredibly important because makeup brushes, like anything else, collect bacteria.   As makeup brushes are used on your face, you don’t want harmful bacteria coming in contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth.  Keeping your makeup brushes clean will help keep you healthy and infection-free.  In addition, using a dirty makeup brush can result in mixed pigments and smudging, which will cause a less-than-flawless appearance.  A clean makeup brush will always give you better results than a dirty one.  Finally, keeping your makeup brush clean will make it last longer.  Just like a car, regular maintenance will result in higher performance and a longer life.   How do you clean a makeup brush? Fill a small bowl with warm water.  Add a small amount of gentle shampoo to the water and mix it in.  Insert the bristles of the makeup brush into the water and gently rub the bristles of the brush between your fingers, allowing the soapy water to come in contact with every bristle.  You may see makup residue being washed away from the bristles of the brush.  After the makeup brush seems thoroughly washed, run the brush under some warm water to rinse it off.  Finally, pat the bristles dry with a paper towel and leave the makeup brush in a cool, dry place so it can air-dry.   Tips for a Clean Makeup Brush --If you can, try to gently cleanse your makeup brushes with a baby wipe after each use. --You can also invest in a makeup brush cleaner, which can be purchased at specialty beauty stores. --Try to clean your brushes about once per week for best results. <a href="http://khushsingh.com/">Khush Singh - Celebrity &amp; Indian Bridal Makeup Artist</a>

Wedding Tips that no one tells you

10. Everyone makes a list of things to pack, but you should also make a list of things to bring back.

Have you spent hours creating those programmes/fans? Did you create your own photo booth? Have you hand-crafted several ornate decorations that you plan to hang onto for several years? You'd be amazed at what people leave on site and forget to collect, simply because they think someone else has arranged to bring these keepsakes back.

Very often these things aren't noticed until you come back from honeymoon, in which case the venue may have unwittingly thrown them out. The best way to circumvent this is to not only give your bridal party a list of things you must have back from the venue, but make sure the venue coordinator has a list of this as well. That way, if anything gets lost in the shuffle your venue coordinator will know to hang onto it for you until you get back from honeymoon, or can make other arrangements for delivery.

9. Assign someone you trust to download as many photos as possible before your guests leave the party.

…brief a trusted friend to be your photo catcher. Their job is to download as many memory sticks as possible onto a designated laptop before your guests leave.

All of us already know that one of the great thing about weddings today is that almost everyone brings a digital camera. And although many of us also hire professional photographers, we still would like copies of the photos our guests have taken.

The best way to expedite this process is to brief someone who is a trusted friend to be your photo catcher. Their job is to download as many memory sticks as possible onto a designated laptop before your guests leave. If you catch people right then and there you have a much better chance of getting all the images you'd like and without the hassle of chasing them down later.

You'll probably also have the best luck getting images if your photo catcher is NOT in the wedding party. We asked my dad to take on this role, but as a member of the wedding party he got waylaid with other duties at the time.

8. You may have already been advised to make sure to take some time for you and FH during the big day. But try to make some time just for yourself, too.

One of the things I found during the wedding was that from 7am I had no time to myself. There was always someone in my room, always someone who had question, always a well wisher and always someone ready with a camera. It can become difficult to keep energy levels up when you're "on show" for twelve or more hours at a stretch. I found myself wishing for a few minutes every few hours or so just to be able to go somewhere quiet and collect my thoughts / recharge my batteries / have a glass of water / check my lipstick or just be uninterrupted for a few minutes so I could then enjoy the day more.

7. Which brings me to assigning a poking coordinator…

Having a trusted family member or friend help create space around you can be extremely helpful and allow you to enjoy those hugs…

Having a trusted family member or friend help create space around you can be extremely helpful and allow you to enjoy those hugs… but to also make sure you don't OD on being stroked before the end of the day.

6. If you find yourself freaking out a little, do something more "normal."

Yes, I had my awesome shoes, my awesome dress, my awesome OTHER dress and every decoration that made me and FH smile under the sun. It was most certainly Our Party. However, there were times in the day I felt distant from it all. There were times I still felt disconnected from everything that was happening. I reached a real turning point in the evening when I was tired of feeling like someone other than myself –- comfy clothes and comfy shoes aside. I put down the bubbles and grabbed a beer instead and found an old friend who sat for ten minutes and told me about her life for a while.

I should say that I drink bubbles outside of weddings so swapping champers for beer wasn't really the issue. But it was such a relief to not talk about me, the wedding or our hopes for the future. Having those ten minutes to sit in the back corner, drink a beer and chatter on about nothing at all really helped me feel more like myself again. If you have a friend who doesn't feel obligated to only talk about your wedding, spending a little time with them could be a welcome break!

5. Brief your key speakers/celebrants on anything they need to know about your guests.

This probably sounds like an inane comment, but in actuality I found myself briefing both our celebrant and my mom in regarding what our friends and families would need to know.

For example, we really wanted our guests to ask us our vows and to also pronounce us. Our celebrant totally got where we were going with this and was happy to lead everyone in these sections. But we were still worried that our guests would be so surprised to take on this role that it would be so quiet that we'd only hear a tumbleweed go by. We went back to our celebrant and asked her to write a preamble to set everyone's expectations about their role in the service up front –- and yes, as a result their voices were as loud as we hoped they would be!

Similarly, I didn't know much about my mom's speech but I did know she was planning to weave in the Jewish tradition of the breaking of the glass. It suddenly occurred to me that she would expect to produce the glass, have Hubby stomp on it and that everyone would applaud. In actuality, 99% of our guests were Church of England, and I had to advise her that if she wanted everyone to applaud and yell out "Mazel Tov" she needed to tell them in advance. She then amended her speech to include a very short definition of Mazel Tov and her favourite reason for the tradition of the breaking of the glass – and everyone applauded and cheered when it was broken in the first go.

4. Which leads me to: trust your guests.

We absolutely trusted that when people showed up, they would embrace the journey –- and they did.

There are a lot of comments on the OBT about how friends and family members wig out when something tests their boundaries of what they think a wedding should be. However, we found that our guests were absolutely fascinated by being part of something different. The framework was something recognizable (bride, groom, ceremony, rings) but the details were different enough to keep everyone completely attentive through the entire event. We absolutely trusted that when people showed up, they would embrace the journey –- and they did.

3. Provide a detailed hand over to your wedding party earlier than you think you should.

I know this sounds really corporate, to have a hand over meeting. But if you have an offbeat wedding, you may need to pass the reigns over to someone else earlier than you think you need to.

In most of our cases we have someone in our lives we can trust and who has been part of the planning process with you every step of the way. In my case, it was my two sisters. However, they were still sort of on the periphery until the day I sat down with them (about two weeks before the wedding) and went through a very detailed, exhaustive document with all my thoughts about how the day would run.

Bless my sisters for printing these documents out, scribbling their notes all over them and delivering the most seamless day an event planner ever could have hoped for. And bless them for also sharing this with the onsite coordinator… and all the ushers. I absolutely know that if I hadn't given them enough time to own the process on their own, it wouldn't have worked as well as it did.

2. When it's all over, remember to thank your vendors… publicly.

If you really love your vendor, one of the greatest gifts you can give them is to… write something that could sway couples to call that company.

Like most OBTers I've had a little love-in with nearly all my vendors. I simple cannot believe that they've taken some sketchy brief and come back with designs, flowers, decorations, etc., that completely surpassed my expectations. After the wedding I wrote each one an incredibly detailed thank you as I wanted them to be able to use my comments as a testimonial to share with other brides and grooms.

If you really love your vendor, one of the greatest gifts you can give them is not just a letter of profuse thanks, but to also take it upon yourself to find a public site that rates said vendor and write something that could sway couples to call that company. I know it's not really in our job descriptions to act as their marketing departments. But as so many of them went out of their way for me, I am genuinely moved to want to make a difference to their business.

1. Have a registry? DON'T write thank you letters in advance.

You've probably guessed by now that I'm a Type A personality. And when I read an online suggestion to write thank you letters in advance as guests start to buy gifts or make donations, I jumped at the idea. So precise, so organised! And I would be able to express my thanks without suffering perhaps quite as much letter fatigue as someone who wrote them all in one go (i.e. after the wedding).

What I found through the planning process is what everyone else here has found. That it is inevitable we will need colossal amounts of help before everything is over. And until it's all over you really can't get your head around who has helped you in ways that really need to be acknowledged more than the toaster you may receive.

Right -– so that's my top 10 then! Although I'm now an old married woman (7 Years!), I'm really curious what lessons and advice YOU would give others –- every day is a new learning experience.

The Mangalsutra

(Image source:meenajewelers.com)

Indian brides, across the different diverse cultures and communities, wear a number of beautiful ornaments that signify their new marital status. One of the most recognized symbols or pieces of jewellery, especially in predominantly Hindu cultures, is the Mangalsutra. It is one of the many fascinating bridal ornaments seen in this culture rich nation.

Hindu weddings comprise of many rituals and sacred ceremonies that mark the beginning of the coming together of two people and their spiritual advancement. The word mangalsutra comes from mangal = auspicious or holy and sutra = thread. Generally, the groom ties the mangal sutra around his bride’s neck during the wedding ceremony signifying their marital union. It is normally done amidst the holy deities and chants and prayers by the priest. In some communities thread is used during the ceremony and later replaced by the beaded mangalsutra.

Most married Hindu women in India wear this sacred symbol of wedlock and it is called different things within different communities in Northern and Southern parts of the country (for example: thaali or maangalyam). The mangalsutra also has different variations regarding the look of this precious necklace. You will find mangalsutras made of small black, gold or red beads and gold disk like pendants, also coral beads and even multi-hued cords with varying pendants. The commonly used black beads are said to ward off the evil eye.

Modern Indian brides have a plethora of designs to choose from and often opt for stunning diamond pendants or intricately designed gold and platinum pendants added to their beaded mangalsutras. Bridal jewelry of India has evolved drastically with very sophisticated designs of traditional wedding jewellery.

Indian Brides: Mahasrtrian Brides

(Image Credit : Tanishq)

A traditional Maharashtrian bride is beautifully attired in a green Paithani nine yard saree on the wedding day. The green colour stands for fertility and is considered to be very auspicious for the bride. Paithani sarees are famous hand woven silk sarees from Maharashtra usually embroidered using pure gold threads. Distinctive motifs like peacocks, mangoes, lotus, and coconuts are found embroidered in the sari border and pallu.

Maharashtrian bridal jewelry is simple yet elegant. Brides from Maharashtra wear something called as mundavalya – stings of pearls tied horizontally across the forehead in a cascade from the temples down to the shoulders, framing the face. Matching to the saree the bride wears green glass bangles along with gold bangles. The bride also wears a nath- nose ring studded with pearl and bead and chandrakor (crescent moon) bindi.

Tanmani- is a typical Maharashtrian necklace. It has three or four strings of pearls with a central pendant, or seven or eight strings of pearls attached to a green bead in the centre. Also seven pearl earrings and silver toe rings are a must.