“It’s Diwali time. The house is buzzing with the sounds of relatives meeting each other, sweets being offered for the second time and somebody shouting out to gather everybody for a photo shoot. Diyas adorn the entrance, festival clothes are taken out of the wardrobe and getting ready becomes an event by itself.

The makeup can build the celebrations during Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali, and Badi Diwali. To begin a little more softly, a softer blush and blurred lips were required. Choti Diwali is all about a wash of mauve across the eyes, cheeks, and lips, and Badi Diwali is all about drama with metallic shadow and a long reverse cat-eye.

The three festive make-up looks give a different personality to each day, from the less make-up to a more expressive evening look.

Dhanteras: Blurred Soft Pink Rose Lips

You don’t need sharply defined lips, or a heavily glossy base for a minimal Dhanteras makeup look. Fresh, fuss-free finish with soft blended cheek colour and rose-stained lips.

Use a moisturiser suitable for your skin and apply sunscreen when you are out during the day. Once the skin products are settled, add sheer face foundation. “Don’t layer it all over the place, use concealer in specific spots or dark circles.

Add a little rose or soft pink to the cheeks and blend away any hard edges. Keep your skin soft glowing and powder only in the oily parts. You can still see the natural skin texture, the base doesn’t have to be completely airbrushed.

A touch of colour on the eyelids with a beige or light rose eyeshadow. Apply a thin line of brown to your top lashes and lightly coat with mascara. The liner is kept simple so the blush and lip colour can really pop!

Apply lipstick in the middle and then use your fingertip or lip brush to blur outwards for blurred rose lips. The colour should fade out to the outline, not be cut off in a hard edge. Blot once, then see if the center needs a spot of colour.

Hair note: Surprise detail is a braid woven into a scarf. To make a three-strand loose braid, thread a thin silk scarf through it, leaving the ends free. They use a colour from the outfit to tie the styling together.

Mauve Makeup from Lids to Lips for Choti Diwali

The Choti Diwali makeup can be a little more radiant but not as dramatic as the main evening. Mauve ties the eyes, cheeks, and lips together, with different depths and textures to make it interesting.

Spread a thin layer to create a medium coverage foundation. Use a lighter concealer around the nose and mouth, build up where necessary.

Apply a rose-mauve blush on tops of the cheeks, blending it out toward the temples. Start small, especially if you are going for a deeper plum. A swipe of highlighter lends a dewy finish to cheekbones. First Liquid Recipes. Second powder.

Blend a plum brown into the outer corners and add a muted mauve shadow to the lids. The darker tone on the outer lash line defines without darkening the whole lid.

A soft smudged plum brown liner works for this. Mix before the formula sets, one eye at a time. Finish with a light coat or two of waterproof mascara, separating the lashes while the product is still workable.

Pair with rose-mauve lipstick to pick up the blush. You don't need to match the exact shades. Monochrome makeup is just varied enough to avoid being flat, with softly shaded eyes and diffused cheeks and a satin lip.

Hair Note: Half up hair with rope twists woven and crossed. Take a small section either side, twist and cross at the back and pin, leaving the rest of the length loose.

Badi Diwali: Shimmery Reverse Cat Eye

Badi Diwali is the time for bolder shapes and reflective textures. A reverse cat-eye pulls the eye down to the lower lash-line and metallic lids add festive vibe to the finished look.

Gradually build up to more coverage, blending around the hairline and jaw line. Add some more defined blush and soft blended contour for dimension. Cheekbones get a hit of face highlighter for a reflective finish. The eyes are the big focus.

Press champagne or silver shadow on lids. Champagne offers a softer contrast to dark liner, while silver lends the look a cooler, bolder finish.

To create the reverse cat-eye, line right under the bottom lashes with a dark brown or black pencil. Lift the outer end to the tail of the brow, soften the edge with a small brush. Build up the shape slowly. Look straight ahead and examine both eyes.

Keep the upper liner near the lash roots Fuller lashes can even out longer lower lines. You could also try falsies if you are comfortable with applying them. Make final corrections to the base. Remove any fallen shadow.

The rose-brown lip is defined enough to hold its own against the metallic eyes. Neatly outline with matching pencil and apply an even coat of colour. It’s the combination of the reflective lids, the dark liner and the fuller lashes that create the drama, not the dumping it everywhere.

HAIR NOTE: Pair the metallic lids and reverse cat-eye with a sleek, sculptural ponytail. Keep the front smooth and pin the lengths into soft loops, leaving the face clear so the eye makeup stays visible.

FAQ’s

1. How can someone reapply blurred lipstick without creating a dark outline?

Apply a small amount to the center of the lips and blend out to the edges with a clean fingertip or lip brush. If you go around the perimeter a few times with liner, you may get a more defined outline than you want.

2. What can someone do if mauve makeup looks grey or muddy on their complexion?

Go for a warmer rose-mauve or berry-mauve instead of a grey-heavy pale shade. Eyes, cheeks, and lips can be in the same colour family but different depths to suit the complexion.

3. How can someone remove metallic eyeshadow fallout without spreading it across their cheeks?

Don’t flick it off with your nails. Gently brush away loose particles with a soft clean brush. Applying the eye makeup before the foundation makes it easier to clean up any persistent fallout.

4. How can someone touch up a reverse cat-eye that smudges during the evening?

A cotton bud and a little appropriate make up remover will sort out any unwanted smudge keeping it away from the eye itself. Leave area to dry. Fill in missing base and redraw only that part of liner.