How to do Tamil Bridal Makeup

India is a diversified country with various cultures and rich heritage. The lifestyle and wedding styles followed by all the cultures are different. As we all know the Tamil community’s believes in simple living which is very well reflected in the marriage rituals they follow. The Tamil bride generally wears a bright coloured sari with jari border. The colours opted by them are bright and vibrant like red, green, yellow etc.  The eyes are highlighted the most keeping the rest simple. The brides are generally laded with gold jewellery along with waist lock- an ornament worn around the waist. It’s the signature mark of all the Tamil brides.

So here is a small tutorial which will teach you how to do Tamil bride makeup.

How to do Tamil bridal makeup:

THINGS REQUIRED:

• Face-wash
•  A good moisturizer
• Concealer
• Eye shadow
• Eye liner
• Lipstick
• Compact powder/ loose powder
• Primer
• Lip balm
• Mascara
• Kajal
• Lip gloss
• Lip liner
• Jasmine flowers

Step 1: Cleanup
A good facewash should be used to cleanse away the impurities and dirt from the face. Pat your face dry with a towel. Follow it by a good toner.

Step 2: Moisturising

Apply a good moisturizer according to the skin type so that the skin is hydrated and there are no rough patches.

Step 3: Primer
A primer should be applied to the base for the makeup to stay for longer hours.

Step 4: Concealer
A good branded concealer should be applied to hide dark patches and imperfections. It should be applied around the eye, blemishes etc.

Step 5: Foundation
One should be very careful while choosing a good branded foundation. It should go with your skin tone. Generally one should take a tone higher than the skin color.
Foundation should be applied in dots in a circular motion. One can use rosewater in order to blend the foundation with the skin.

Step 6: Eye makeup

Eye shadow:
A golden shimmery or copper shimmery eye shadow should be chosen. A paler color should be chosen for the areas near the vicinity of eyebrows. Use an eye shadow brush to blend it well. One line of the eye shadow should also be applied to the lower lid.

Eye liner:
A medium thick eye liner should be applied.

Kajal:
A medium thick line of kajal should be applied. A waterproof and smudge-proof kajal should be chosen.

Mascara:
Two coats of good curling mascara should be applied.

Step 7: Blush
Natural blush shade with glitter should be chosen. Apply it to the cheekbones to highlight it well.

Step 8: Loose powder/ pressed powder
Apply a little of a loose powder or pressed powder. Make sure you don’t apply it too much. Just dab a bit.

Step 9: Lipstick
Before applying a lipstick one must apply a good lip balm to keep your lips soft and hydrated. Lipliner should be applied. One should go for a subtle shade. Red or coral shades should be worn. Apply the lipstick using a lipstick brush. Gloss is optional. Use a blotting paper in order to remove the excess lipstick.
Apply a coat of loose powder and then dab it with a blotting paper for the lipstick to last long.

Step 10: Bindi
A small shiny bindi is worn by a Tamil bride.

Step 11:  Jasmine flowers
The hair should be plaited traditionally and decorated with a bunch of jasmine garlands.

Finally the look is complete to steal million hearts.
Use these tips for the makeup that get the gorgeous look on a day which is a onetime affair in women’s life. The hair should be gathered and plaited traditionally and adorned with jasmine flowers to give that elegant look.

Bridal Eye Makeup Tips

Bridal eye makeup is more than just about shadow and liner-it starts from a good foundation, like the whole bridal look itself.

For longer lasting makeup, and a clear canvas, foundation or ideally eye makeup primer should be applied to the whole of the lid-this will give something for the shadows and liner to stick to, and give extra lasting power. Airbrushing a base for the eyes is another great way to get a flawless base-in fact airbrushing the entire foundation for bridal makeup is highly recommended.

Bridal makeup is all about looking good in the flesh, and in photographs. For the photographs, the application of makeup needs to be heavier than normal, but this doesn't have to mean looking overdone. There are three main area that need extra attention-the brow bone, middle lid, and inner corner of the eye-these are the areas that need to catch the light, and if done correctly, will make eyes look defined, multi-dimensional and shining in pictures, and of course in the flesh.

Brow
Choose a highlight color that is reflective, but not glittery-a good pearl white or cream is perfect (white for gray/back shadow, cream for browns/taupes). The highlight doesn't need to go along the whole brow bone, it just needs to go in the area directly below the arch of the brow-this will draw the light to that area, making the brows look more defined, and giving the face dimension.

Middle Lid
After applying the eye makeup look, take some of the same highlight color as used on the brow bone and dab it into the center of the eyelid. This will not be totally visible to the eye, but the reflective pearlescent particles will catch the light in a photo and make the eyes look wider and brighter.

Inner Corner
Using the same highlight color again, dab it into the inner corner of the eye, over the tear duct. This can be blended a little along the bottom lash line as well. This touch adds brightness to the look, and gives a fresh feeling to the eyes. In photographs this will also counter any tendency for eyes to disappear into a dimensionless shape, as the points of reflective material at the three key areas will catch the light and bring the eyes alive.

False Lashes
Although a full set of lashes doesn't appeal to everyone, having some additional 'oomph' in the lash department is essential for a formal bridal eye makeup look. If you can't do at a full set, then a couple of well-placed individual lashes as the outer corner of the eye will widen and give a more dramatic make-up look.

If these points are taken into consideration, then bridal eye makeup can really be the centerpiece of the bridal look-creating not only a beautiful bride in the flesh, but a beautiful bride in the flash-and seeing as though you will be looking at the pictures for years to come, both are equally important.

Indian Bridal Makeup Tips - Easy & Fast Beauty Glow

When chirpy reader Annie wrote to me asking for some advice on her makeup for her upcoming wedding, I was beyond thrilled to share what I knew with her. Now, I am not married yet, but many of my friends have been and I have learned a lot from their wedding makeup woes. This is what I wrote to Annie...I hope it helps other brides to be.

When you read it you will notice that I talk about humidity a lot, that because I have tried to aim this for brides getting married in summer / rainy season in India. Again, all this is just my opinion, something that I think I would do if I were to get married. Please feel free to share your tips and tricks to help other brides look their best on one of the most important days of their lives.



Before you start applying makeup run an ice cube all over your exfoliated face and neck. It helps with the pores, makes you feel fresh.

Invest in a great concealer and an under eye brightener. I personally think a great concealer is much more important than foundation.
Rec: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, MAC Moisture cover / Studio Fix, Stila Perfecting / Illuminating concealer, Bobbi brown Corrector , Cream Concealer, Conceal FX by Cover FX.

You never know when you might end up getting the dreaded pimple on your face. So keep a concealer, spot acne treatment handy to combat that acne. Don't let that tiny spot ruin your perfect face. Slather some acne treatment, concealer and hide it .

Use mattifying full coverage foundation.
Rec: Cargo / Cargo Blue Ray / Make up forever High Def Makeup/ Cinema Secrets Foundation / MAC Studio Fix / Cover FX

Use MAC Strobe Cream / Clinique Uplighting Liquid Illuminator under your foundation. Alternatively you could also mix it with your foundation and apply all your face and neck. An alternate to it would be the
It gives a glowing effect without looking shiny / shimmery apart from moisturizing your face.

Use a primer before applying makeup. This provides a great base for even application of makeup.
Rec : SKINN Orchid Mattefying Gel, Prescriptives Primer

Keep some oil absorbing sheets and translucent powder, brush handy...just in case the oil glands act up.
Rec: Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets, Boscia Oil Absorbing Sheets

If you are going to be changing into multiple sarees/ lehengas through the ceremony, go for a look that compliments most outfits. Use golds, copper,bronze,browns with a lil bit of reds, pinks,greens coz most wedding outfits revolve around these colors.I have some looks on my blog with coppers, bronze n golds.I will make more over time :)

Do not forget to use a primer on your eyes.
Rec: Makeupforever Eye Primer / Urban Decay Primer Potion



Glow is the key word here - not shimmery, not shiny and definitely not plain matte. So, get a highlighter to highlight your cheeks, bridge of your nose, forehead and chin. This should give you the glow you yearn for :)

Rec: NARS Albatross, Prescriptives Warm Dark Highlighter, Stila all over shimmer powder, LORAC perfectly lit powder in Spotlight

If you want to contour your face, use a matte blush in a shade or two darker than your natural skin tone to do the job for you. Remember the "3" step? If not, check it out here

Invest in good skin care. Try brightening, rejuvenating serums and creams. Use good under eye treatments.Get some facial masks which condition your skin and try using them weekly once or twice(as advised). That being said, do not make any drastic changes in your skin care routine days before the wedding. If your skin has been behaving good, just stick to those products.
Rec: Shiseido UV Whitening Massage Cream, Clinique Total Turnaround Visible Skin Renewer, Clinique Brightening cream.

Good hair products to keep your hair in place. Tame those fly aways, so they don't take the attention away form any jewellery you use on your hair.
Rec: Ellen Lavar Instant Shine Mist

Use a gentle lip plumping cream/gloss/lipstick.
They fill in the lines on your lips giving a more full appearance. Apart from this your lips will look great in pictures because any shimmery/shiny gloss reflects better on a smooth surface.
Rec: Sally Hansen Gentle Lip Plumping gloss, Lip Fusion Lip Plumping Gloss

Use a Lip primer underneath your lipstick prolonged wear. You can also layer your lipstick so it doesn't fade away easily.
Rec: Sally Hansen Prep and Perfect Lip Care

Complete the look by spraying on a Finishing spray. You can alternatively also spray on some cold water using a spraying bottle. This adds additional hydration - the key to great skin.
Rec: MAC Fix plus, Amore Pacific Face Mist

Use a waterproof mascara. There will a lot of humidity and there will be tears...so don't take chances with a normal mascara.
Rec: Clinique Lash Power Mascara.

Use false lashes only if you are comfortable with them. If not stick with good ol mascara to open up your eyes.

Brows!! Do not use black color to fill in the brows. Use a matte brown shade or a taupe shade to fill in your brows. Use a powder instead of a pencil for a more natural finish. You can also tame them with a brow gel. Remember to highlight your brow bone. It makes your arch look better and more defined.
Rec: Anastasia brow kit.

Depending on your dress you can choose if you want to apply body makeup. I would advice against it...keeping in mind the humidity, the fire (if a Hindu wedding). Dont forget to use a moisturizer, you want want ashy elbows and feet. Alternatively you could go for a shimmery moisturizer so it adds a healthy glow to your body.
Rec: MAC Strobe Liquid / Clinique Uplighting Liquid Illuminator

Try on your look for the day plenty of times before the actual day. This will give you opportunities to correct any mistakes/ find better ways of applying a certain product and just experiment in general to achieve the perfect look. Take pictures under various light, with flash, without flash etc so you know the make up looks good under any kinda lights. Some makeup products look great in day light but leave a white caste in pictures, beware of those.

Make a list of the products and the order in which you used them in your trials. You can never miss anything with a list in hand. I am sure you will have a lotta things on your mind that day. That is why you need a list telling you what goes where n when. Besides, if you are using a makeup artist this list will help him/her give you the look you want.

Lastly, you will get lots of advice from lots of people on how they think you should look...but in the end, its your wedding and you are the one to decide what you want to look like on your day. So, listen to everything that everyone has to say...but do what you think is best for you. Because, no one understands your skin or you hair more than you !
Brides, do let me know if this helped you. I sincerely hope it did!! You can always leave a comment below if you have any other questions.

Stay Beautiful and Gorgeous!!

7 Tips to Glowing Wedding Skin

1. Everyday-routine:
If you really want to to the best for your skin, you’ll need to start a skincare routine about a year before. It’s no problem if you just don’t have that long before your wedding day – just adopt these skincare habits as soon as possible and you’re good to go.
 
 2. Eat More Watermelon:
No matter what your skin type is (oily, dry, normal or combo) it craves water. Drinking water helps (also try with a slice of lemon in it), but snacking on watermelon works too and whats better now we’re in the summer season. Other super foods for your face such as: grapefruit, broccoli and lettuce are also good.

 3. Deep Clean With a Mask:
A mask will not replace your daily skin care routine; it’s only to enhance it. Since the mask stays on longer, it will help melt the hard sebum (or oily substance) in your pores, something washing alone won’t do.” If your skin is oily, use a mask every other day. If you have dry skin, once or twice per month should keep oil and dirt from building up.

 4. “Shrink” Your Pores With Microdermabrasion:
You can’t actually change the size of your pores. “The deeper a pore is, the bigger it looks on the skin’s surface”. BUT… you can minimize the depth of your pores to make them look smaller. Use Microdermabrasion, glycolic acid and other chemical peels that exfoliate the layers of bad skin and minimize pore surface.

 5. Use Salt Scrubs to Soften Elbows:
This is something brides often forget about. Add a bath to your weekly routine and add bath salts with sodium bicarbonate. The sodium bicarbonate will break down dry patches and make your skin a sponge for moisture.

 6. Use Skin-Specific Moisturizer:
-OILY SKIN: You don’t need to add more moisture, but you need to hydrate. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ferulic acid, both will help your skin maintain water.
-DRY SKIN: Stick with the hyaluronic acid or ferulic acid, but don’t worry about finding an oil-free formula. Your skin craves moisture.

-BREAKOUT SKIN: Choose a moisturizer that’s noncomedogenic. It should say so on the bottle.

-SENSITIVE SKIN: Your go-to is a fragrance-free product.

 7: Control Oily Skin With Blotting Sheets:
If you’re on the go, blotting papers will help keep your face shine-free. If you need a more advanced solution: use a mild face wash, skip the toner and add a lightweight oil-free moisturizer. Excessive face washing will kick oil production into overdrive.

How to choose your wedding shoes?

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.
-Marilyn Monroe

We know that it’s not easy to find a perfect pair of shoes to say  ‘I do’, but once you find it, you will fall head over heels in love with it! Shoes can be a real beast if you chose the wrong pair. In order to prevent any possible complication, read the advice bellow.

• Choose your shoes before your final wedding dress fitting. Your tailor need to know how high your heels are so he or she know how to adjust length of your dress.

• Make sure that the shoe really fits you. Try them on and spend some time in them in the store, because shoes that feel comfortable at first, may not be after five minutes . If possible, wear them at home and return them if they don’t fit you very well.

• If you are not used to very high heels choose pair that suits you the best. Remember that  you have to spend whole day in the same pair of shoes, so make sure to check heel height before buying it. Stand up and try to raise yourself on your toes so there’s at least an inch of space under the heels. If you can’t do that, choose pair with lower heels.

• Practice at least once day for about week before your wedding. Spend 15-30 minutes wearing your shoes at home. Your frets have to get used to the new shoes. Pain is bad sign. If they don’t feet, return it to the store, no matter how much you like it. You have only one pair of foot and shoes can be replaced.

Bridal Lemmings: The Crop top Lehenga

Not sure about you but I am utterly OBSESSED with the crop top lehenga. I love the silhouette, its so modern and light and considering two of my cousins are going to be married soon as soon as they find a match (Im looking at you Mo & Pri) ..I am SOOOO going to get these people.
The crop tops are from Ridhi Mehra FYI and the skirts I guess are just something you could get your local tailor to pull off. Infact, im kicking myself for not having discovered these during my SIL’s wedding !!

Whaddya think people? Love these as much as I do?

DIY Bridal Makeup Tutorial

We’re a bunch of beauty junkies on this little corner of the blogosphere (see our Makeup & Beauty Pinterest board), so when pros like Shena Cox offer to impart some wisdom, we happily oblige. It’s a step-by-step tutorial to recreate this soft, ultra romantic look yourself with flawless film images from Tina Boyd & Co. Grab your makeup goodies and let’s get started!

From Tina Boyd & Co…. I partnered up with Shena Cox and we wanted to show how to get a romantic look, even if the bride has to do it herself. From a soft romantic blush color to the perfect bun, everything you need to match that vintage lace dress. Bridal makeup is all about emphasizing your best features. It’s not about demonstrating how well you apply your makeup. So keep it soft and simple. Sometimes minimal is key. Even though wedding makeup is usually very simple and neutral, it’s one of the most difficult makeup looks to create, since it has to be PERFECT. After all, it is your special day! I will show you how easy it can be.

FOR THE SKIN

• First apply MAC’s strobe cream to the entire face to brighten, clarify and illuminate the skin.
• Next, apply my staple eye product when doing makeup on brides – fast response eye cream – which is a caffeinated eye cream with instant effects. It de-puffs, erases the look of dark circles, firms, soothes and softens the skin around the eye.
• Lastly, I apply a primer to ensure that skin will look smooth and your makeup will last all day. I used Make Up For Ever’s HD Primer on our model.
• I began with a “prime makeup look” which includes foundation, concealer, and enhanced brows. (I used Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose, MAC Brunette Brow Pencil)

FOR THE EYES

• Start off with an eye shadow base or primer. I used MAC’s Paint Pot in Layin’ Low. Apply a thin layer of primer beginning at your lid blending evenly up to the arch of your brow. I find that using a flat concealer brush similar to MAC’s #252 brush works best for applying your primer.
• Using a fluffy blending brush apply a taupe, medium brown toned, satin textures eye shadow to your crease to blending the shadow in a wind-shield wiper motion back and forth. This will accentuate the shape of your eye and define your crease. I used MAC’s #224 Blending brush and eye shadow in “Soba”
• Next, using a smaller, more tapered fluff brush, apply a small amount of a peachy brown eye shadow to your crease and lash line creating a side ways V and blend. I used MAC’s eye shadow in “Texture”
• Brush on a golden bronze color to your lid and inner corners of your eyes to really open them up. I used Urban Decay’s eye shadow in“Half Baked” and MAC’s 252 Brush.
• Apply a warm matte chestnut brown shadow along your lash line using a precision shading pencil brush. I used MAC’s eye shadow in “Brown Script” and MAC’s 219 Pencil Brush.
• Apply a light, frosted, golden peach shadow to highlight the arch of the brow. I used MAC’s eye shadow in “Motif”
• Using a cleaned fluffy blending brush blend all of the colors together to create a blended, seamless eye look.
• Finish off your look by applying a black gel liner and mascara.

FOR THE CHEEKS + LIPS

• To complete the look, apply a soft peach matte blush, a highlighter to illuminate her cheekbones and a soft peach lip. I used MAC’s blush in “Melba”, Mac’s highlighter in “Whisper of Guilt”
• On the lips I used MAC’s lip pencil in “Hover”, MAC’s “Kinda Sexy” Lipstick and MAC’s Cremesheen gloss in “Richer Lusher”