Beauty / Step-By-Step Candle-Lit Diwali DIY Beauty Tips

Step-By-Step Candle-Lit Diwali DIY Beauty Tips

Beauty Oct 16, 2017

by Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Perfect your candle-lit glow with our Diwali DIY beauty tips!

Diwali also known as The Festival of Light is when family and friends gather to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. The holiday is also one of the prettiest in the world as families decorate their houses with tiny lamps called diyas which contain little lit candles.

The beauty of the diyas is that the flames in each one are unique and always captivating. The intense centre of each flame fades into a soft emission of energy within the diya, which just happens to translate into a modern, lovely inspiration for a Diwali beauty look that suits all South Asian skin tones (and takes less than 10 minutes to achieve).

The fundamental principles of Diwali beauty are softness and glow which impact the shades and textures of makeup and application method. The Diwali look is not about haute definition rather it’s about luminescent romanticism where the shades stay within the metallic family with a strategic use of midnight black to add a touch of definition.

The Diwali look starts with the skin. A glowing complexion is one where the skin is exfoliated to remove dead cells and then hydrated with a glow cream.

An excellent exfoliator is Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up! which uses papaya enzyme to remove dead skin cells. The trick is to remove the makeup, splash on tepid water, take a dime-size dollop of the exfoliator, and then massage it using wide circles on the face and neck, being careful to avoid the under eyes. (Time required: 1 minute)

**Diwali DIY Beauty Tips: Vasanti Cosmetics Brighten Up!** Photo Credit: vasanticosmetics.com

Once the face is rinsed, patted dry and toned, massage in a lightweight, hydrating moisturizer which adds glow. The word glow might make oilier-skinned women cringe but Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is for all skin types. This effective cream boosts collagen and employs hyaluronic acid to retain moisture. The packaging also contains directions on how to massage the face which leaves my face rejuvenated. (Time required: 1 minute)

**Diwali DIY Beauty Tips: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream.** Photo Credit: charlottetilbury.com

The next step is to prepare the skin for makeup with primer. Makeup that is applied directly to the skin will either slide off if there is excess sebum or it is absorbed if the skin is dry. To prevent either occurrence, use your pointer and middle fingers to tap primer into the skin, adding an extra layer in trouble spots. Urban Decay De-Slick Complexion primer is an excellent sebum absorber which sets immediately and does not create an ashen cast.

Women with dry or normal skin will appreciate Givenchy Mister Smooth, a colourless primer that is a tad creamier but rapidly absorbed by the skin. (Time required: 10 seconds)

The next step is eyebrows, and if they are maintained, then all you need to do is to fill in sparseness and set them for the evening. After brushing up the eyebrows with a spoolie brush, use a soft powder to fill in the sparseness at the base of the brows and then add a touch of definition in the tail with a water liner. Burberry Full Brows is double-sided eyebrow product allows you to achieve softly-defined brows in a few strokes.

**Diwali DIY Beauty Tips: Burberry** **Full Brows.** Photo Credit: Clarins Canada

When the eyebrows are filled in set them with a soft gel such as Givenchy Mister Brow Groom in clear. (Time required: 30 seconds)

The next step is to colourwash the eyelids with a matte primer in a neutral shade such as Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Au Naturel (light-to-medium skin) or Caramel (dark skin).

The stick shadow is convenient as a stroke each on the lower lid, crease and upper lid, which is then gently blended with the ring finger, refreshes you as if you just woke from a three-hour nap. Afterwards the eyelashes should be curled, and the eyes are ready for colour. (Time required: 1 minute)

Dior Metalizer Eyes & Lips (limited edition) is a tube filled with possibility. The lightweight gel cream is pigment-rich and the tiniest dollop suffices to cover the lower lid. I apply a dot to my ring finger, close my eye and then tap the Metalizer until I have a diffuse halo of colour that is softly blended into the crease. The product sets in a few seconds and stays on for 10 hours. (Time required: 15 seconds)

The diffuse haze of metal around the eyes is anchored by midnight black liners. NYX That’s The Point pen liner has the tiniest tip with a flexible nib which simplifies application. I like to pull my eyelid slightly upward and then trace the upper eyelid with the pen, starting from the inner-corner and tracing a few millimeters beyond the outer corner of the eye. Afterwards, I line the waterline with Vasanti Cosmetics Kajal Waterline Eyeliner Pencil. This darkened waterline makes the eyes more mysterious, like a burning wick. (Time required: 30 seconds)

Given the softness of the look a subtle mascara that defines the lashes without adding drama is ideal. Givenchy Noir Interdit Masacara delivers the product on an applicator that resembles a mini hairbrush with a pivoting head. The pivot permits you to define each lash creating a finished eye look. (Time required: 20 seconds)

The next step is to contour if this is part of your beauty routine. A quick way to define without veering into hyper-stylised territory is to just darken the areas which you prefer to de-emphasise. For example, I contour my nose by tapping a Charlotte Tilbury Contour Wand along the sides of the nose and under the tip.

**Diwali Beauty Diva: Charlotte Tilbury Contour Wand.** Photo Credit: holtrenfrew.com

The colour is deep but when it is covered by a light layer of foundation, it creates a subtle shadow and softens the look of my nose. (Time required: 10 seconds)

The trick for the under eyes is to neutralize the blueness and then apply a concealer that blends with the rest of the skin. Benefit Boi-ing Brightening Concealer is a thicker corrector whose peachiness neutralizes the blue and can be tapped-in using the ring finger. Follow with a skin-matching liquid concealer to blend the under eye circles with the rest of the face.

Diwali DIY Beauty Tips: BeneFit Boi-ing Brightening Concealer. Photo Credit: BeneFit

Stellar Limitless Concealer is designed for South Asian women and guarantees a wide-awake look. I tap the product on top of the corrector and then blend it in with a sponge. (Time required: 40 seconds)

Now for the skin. I advocate applying foundation only to the trouble areas and for blending-in contour. South Asian skin tones are beautiful and should be seen in their natural glory. Foundations that specifically state that they add radiance or add glow are ideal for the look. Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation is lightweight, blends seamlessly and reflects the light, adding a beautiful luminosity to the face.

To further enhance the glow, use a big blush brush to tap a highlighter such as Bare Minerals Invisible Glow (Medium and Tan are great shades) on the tops of the cheeks, middle of the forehead, chin and center of the nose. (Time required: 1 minute)

For the cheeks use a bronzer-blush combination such as Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Blush Glow to add lustre to the face. Apply bronzer as you would blush to serve a as a contrasting canvass and then on the tops of the cheeks add a pop of pink. (Time required: 1 minute)

The final step is the lips and here you need to factor in the greasiness of South Asian snacks. If you are willing to re-apply your lip product, then fill-in your lips with a neutral pencil such as Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner Pencil in a neutral shade such as Medium Natural Beige, and then apply a layer of Pür Chrome Glaze High-Shine Lip Gloss in Squad, a perfect shimmery taupe.

If you want a lip product that can withstand a few rounds of samosas and pakoras, then Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Lipstick is ideal. This line is unabashedly matte, yet not drying, and its neutral shades such as Deeply Moved and Culture Clash compliment all South Asian skin tones. (Time required: 1 minute)

The above steps will allow you to glow on Diwali and remind people to see you in all your glowing beauty because your skin and features are bathed in light.

Main Image Photo Credit: Meena Khan

Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

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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