Beauty / How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too!

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too!

Beauty Aug 06, 2025

by Meena Khan | Beauty Editor

Summer is plodding along but what is sizzling is how South Asian beauties are owning the summer look with aplomb and glamour. Previously, summer was looked upon with a mix of zeal and trepidation, zeal because pool parties are fun and trepidation because we would be judged for having darker skin due to our temerity to stay outside to enjoy a pool party. Now our beauty story is about protecting the skin and having fun, because skin is meant to tan in the sun (but we always use SPF!) and we are meant to celebrate summer.

During warmer weather it is challenging to find easy beauty routines which minimise our time in front of the mirror and can withstand the contrast of air conditioning and heat. The following 3 South Asian stars demonstrate that these challenges are easily vanquished with a few well-chosen products.

Soft Definition and Confidence

Sangita Patel, the Canadian journalist, engineer, cancer warrior, and fitness buff, demonstrates how we can work red into a glamourous, summer beauty look. The fundamental element is light as in glossy lips and a highlighter to add luminosity to the skin. Below are a few quick steps that will ensure that you are the lady in red for summer nights…

Sangita Patel | How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: IG @sangita.patel — Sangita Patel | How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: IG @sangita.patel

Define the eyes using a matte, nude shade eyeshadow to colourwash the eyelid. By nude, I mean that the matte nude that works for your eyelid, so for one South Asian beauty it could mean beige and for another it could be a deep kulfi. I love the Armani Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow collection because the formula is easy to blend into the eyelids (i.e. no excessive pulling of the skin is required) and it sets quickly. This collection has five matte shades that will work on a variety of skin tones.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.armani-beauty.ca — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.armani-beauty.ca

Using a smudgy kajal to lightly define the eyes and then disperse the line to create a quick smoky look. I love the Benefit BADGAL Bang! 24 HR Pencil, because it is long lasting formula that holds up in the heat and adds sizzle to the eye area.

**Sizzling Summer Looks for South Asian Beauties. Benefit Cosmetics BADGAL Bang! 24 Hour Eye Pencil.** Photo Credit: www.benefitcosmetics.com

I am thoroughly enjoying the Benefit BADGAL Bounce mascara, because the applicator tip is composed of flexible fibres that coat each lash in a rich obsidian product and. the comb-like bristles separate the lashes. The end results is lifted lashes. The formula stays in place all day and you always look wide awake!

Sizzling Summer Looks for South Asian BeautiesHow Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Benefit BADGAL Bounce Mascara.</strong> Photo Credit: www.benefitccosmetics.com — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Benefit BADGAL Bounce Mascara. Photo Credit: www.benefitccosmetics.com

The cheeks occupy prime real estate on the face, and a well highlighter ensures that your cheekbones look like they could grate mozzarella. I love the simplicity of the Pixi On the Glow SuperGlow solid balm highlighter (4 shades available). The component is a softly edged rectangular shape so when you twist the product up, you can glide it across the tops of the cheeks, and in one fell swoop the cheeks are done. I just tap the edges to make them diffuse, so I look lit from within.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Pixi On-the-Glow Superglow | Image Credit: www.pixibeauty.com — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Pixi On-the-Glow Superglow | Image Credit: www.pixibeauty.com

Sangita’s glossy lips are the definition of summer glam, and a swipe of Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Cherry, a universally flattering red that works on pink, mauve and deep purple pouts, perfects the look!

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Pixi On-the-Glow Superglow | Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Cherry. | Image Credit: www.summerfridays.com

1001 Nights of Soft Glam

British actress, Simone Ashley’s premiere look for F1, demonstrates how soft glam works on deep skin tones. This beauty look will age like fine well; she looks so sensual and gorgeous.

Simone Ashley | How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: IG @simoneashley — Simone Ashley | How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: IG @simoneashley

I consider soft glam to be the older mysterious cousin of the neutral look; same colours but a completely different effect. To achieve this look, you need to have a shimmery brown eye shadow palette, a soft blush and a soft matte, nude lipstick:

Tom Ford Beauty is the master of the brown, shimmery neutral eyeshadow quads. The texture of each shade is always feather light, and you can pat it on using thin layers, so you control the intensity of the depth of the look. The pigment stays on for several hours and it does not crease. For the eye look, I recommend the Rose Topaz quad for light-to medium skin tones and Tiger Eye for darker skin tones. The quads follow the same pattern in terms of colour intensity: the top left shade is a light neutral, the top right is a shimmery more intense neutral, bottom right is the darkest shade, and the bottom shade a is a medium neutral.

I like to colour wash my eyes using the shimmery neutral using a stiff, duckbill shaped brush. I then use a defining brush to apply several thin layers of the medium neutral shade. I wet an angle brush, drag it across the darkest shade, and define the upper eye line. I use a tiny, dome shaped brush to softy line the lower lash line. To draw the gaze upwards I trace the palest neutral shadow under the eyebrow, using a fluffy cotton bud. I finish the look using a feather mascara, like Benefit BADGAL Bounce mascara.

This look is not about a loud cheek, so I prefer to use a neutral stick blush that you can swipe on and bend in quickly. I am delighted that Nars has launched an updated version of its legendary the Multiple Stick. The newest version, leave a soft-focus, blurred finish and in comes in 12 shades, amongst which are 4 neutral shades that will flatter South Asian skin tones, from left (lightest skin tone) to right (darkest skin tone): Sex Appeal (soft peach), Dazed (peachy beige), Behave (soft pink) and Hot Take (apricot). What I have always loved about the sticks is that you can swipe them on the lips and the pigment payoff is strong and you are done.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.narscosmetics.ca — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.narscosmetics.ca

Sweet and Modern

Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan demonstrates that simple, sweet colours that are in the apricot shade range is a fantastic way to be equal parts sweet and modern.

Geraldine Viswanathan | How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: IG @yoyogeraldine — Geraldine Viswanathan | How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: IG @yoyogeraldine

To achieve this look, I recommend:

I am crazy about the Sisley Phyto-Eye Twist because this eyeshadow stick comes in a twist up component so you can literally swipe and go. I use the Gold shade (great for medium skin tones) almost every day of the week, because I love how its whisper light shimmery metallic finish never screams disco, it just emits a brightness in my eye area. The glide is smooth, so there is no tugging on the delicate skin, the colour lasts all day. Two other shades from the collection that will flatter South Asian skin tones are Champagne (light skin tone) and Copper (dark skin tone).

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.sisley-paris.com — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.sisley-paris.com

I apply a thin line of black liner that just extends past the corner of the eye. Lisa Eldridge Kitten Flick Liquid Eyeliner in black is perfect for this subtle, defining eye look, because the tip is tiny (but mighty) and can insert pigment between the eyelashes. The body of the pen is easy to hold so you have maximum control over the thinness of the line.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.lisaeldridge.com — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.lisaeldridge.com

The eye look is light, so I prefer to use a lengthening mascara that is inky. The intensity of the pigment defines the eye area without adding more liner. I recommend the Shiseido ImperialLash MascaraInk because this product is all about intense pigment without excess volume. The bristles are symmetrically placed, to ensure an even application of product.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.shiseido.ca — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.shiseido.ca

A luminous, soft cheek that is diffuse, like a water painting, is integral to the look. A great new launch is the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Healthy Glow Stick in Peachy Glow. The stick instantly impart luminosity with impactful pigment. I found that if I applied 2 thin lawyers on my medium skin tone, the peachy shade comes through. The formula easy to blend into the cheeks.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.charlottetilbury.com — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.charlottetilbury.com

The final touch is a soft, shiny apricot lip. For pinkier lips, you can veer towards apricot shades and for lips that have mauve make sure to use a shade that has more orange. Clé de Peau’s Lipstick Shine collection lives up to its name. The finish is glossy and it moisturises the lips, so you always have a fresh pout. The two shades that correspond with the look are Nectar and Red-Orange Rebel.

How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam - And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.cledepeaubeaute.a — How Simone Ashley, Geraldine Viswanathan & Sangita Patel Nail Summer Glam – And How You Can Too! | Image Credit: www.cledepeaubeaute.a

Sizzling Summer Thoughts

I wish that I had South Asian beauty inspirations for summer looks while I was growing up, because I was concerned about my skin tone. In my case, I had so many acne scars that I was worried (and with reason) that I would tan unevenly, and my scars would look darker.

The three, accomplished South Asian stars in this blog demonstrate that being sun kissed is our birthright because brown skin looks fresh and vibrant when we work with its natural tendencies, rather than covering it up. I also love that the looks run the gamut of colours and textures, so summer, like the autumn and winter, is a time for beauty wonder.

Meena Khan | Beauty Editor

Author

Meena (@meenalaregina) always loved the idea of exploring the non-conventional idea of beauty. Having grown up as a pimply chubby teenager, she wanted to see the change in the world that best reflected your uniqueness as well. Her well-received collection of blogs where she tries on various beauty p...

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