Beauty / How To Glow Like A Diya: The Ultimate Diwali Beauty Guide

How To Glow Like A Diya: The Ultimate Diwali Beauty Guide

Beauty Oct 10, 2025

by Meena Khan | Beauty Editor

Glow like a diya this Diwali with our ultimate beauty guide—discover gold-infused makeup tips, radiant looks, and festive glam perfect for every celebration.

Diwali, the festival of light, is observed by millions of South Asians all around the world. It is a time to reflect on how light always trumps darkness and in true South Asian tradition, there are parties galore tinged by golden glamour.

My favourite memories of Diwali are when I would approach my friend’s house, and I could see the diyas lined along the front walk. The nights were cool and dark and what stood out was how the little flames flickered like pops of gold. As my mom, my beloved father and I climbed the stairs we could hear the laughter, and we saw even more gold decorations. We hurried inside so that we could partake in the joy. The beauty of those Diwali celebrations leads me to conclude that gold is integral to a fantastic Diwali beauty look.

In this blog we explore how to use gold to evoke the beauty of the diyas.

Golden Eye

Peepers that come in various shades of coffee and caramel are innately designed to work with varying shades of gold because the dark and light contrast is visually arresting.

If you want a pure metallic eye, I suggest mixing metallic shades such as copper, bronze and gold to create a gradation of colour that results in a smoky eye forged from metal, not darkness. To achieve the metallic gradation I love Kulfi Zari Eyes Eyeshadow because i) the pigment load is rich so the shade in the pot is what the shade on the eyelid; and ii) the formula permits you to tap it into the delicate eyelid with minimal effort and it sets quickly. I suggest tapping Sona Sona (champagne gold) on the mobile lid and then adding Bronze Brocade (deep champagne) in the crease.

**Quick Steps to be the Golden Girl of Diwali! Kulfi Zari Eyes Eyehshadow in Sona Sona.** Photo Credit: www.kulfibeauty.com

I then suggest lining the eye with a smoky kajal pencil such as Live Tinted HUESTICK® Legacy Kajal Crayon in Legacy in this manner: apply a dot in the middle of the upper eyelash line and then using a smudge brush create a line from the centre going to the outer corner and then repeat the same gesture from the centre going to the inner corner. The goal is to create a deep grey line that softly defines the area.

Since the kajal is creating smokiness, it is important to expose maximal amount of sclera, because bright whites create a great canvass for the metallic shades and soft smoky line. The first step is to curl the eyelashes and then applying a curling mascara. My personal favourite for the lifted, doll eyelash effect is Clarins Lift & Curl Mascara, because the applicator coats each lash and the bristles separate them, so each eyelash is curled. The bulbous tip ensures that even the lashes locate at the inner and outer corner of the eyes will be covered; the trick is to hold the wand at 60 degrees to the corner of each eye to glide the tip on the lashes. Since the bulk defines and curls, I apply a single coat to the bottom lashes to achieve light definition and maximal sclera exposure.

If your outfit has some colour and you want this reflected in the beauty look, I recommend the Clé de peau Beauté Eye Color Quad 504 (limited addition) for three reasons. First, the packaging is so stunning that I gasped when I first touched the case. It is an ode to dark florals punctuated by the arresting image of a deer and leopard having tea, with a golden holiday train rushing over their heads. The imagination that fuelled this unique holiday artwork is unforgettable! When you take this quad out for a touch up, you will attract attention! Second, the four shades are shimmery but they each have a sprayed overlay of gold, so when you first swipe it on the eyelids you will have extra gold, so it heightens the glamour. Third, once the gold overlay is used, you are left with four shades loaded with shimmer that impart hints of lavender, pink, milk chocolate and café au lait which will work for the full holiday season.

For a soft metallic look, I love applying the café au lait shade on the mobile lid and then I define the crease using the milk chocolate shade. The gold shimmer is not an afterthought in this quad; it is an equal billing co-star to the soft, feminine shades, and raises the brown shades to a luminescent level. Given that the colour intensity is soft, I prefer to use a liquid liner such as the Shiseido ArchLiner Ink, because its angled tip permits you to deposit product in the inner corner of the eye elegantly, so the line is smooth and uniform form corner to corner.

I also like to add a volumising mascara to add weight to the ethereal, shimmery eye. A great one to try is the Estee Lauder Turbo Lash High Powered Volume + Length Mascara because the bulk sets quickly and my lashes looks 92% fuller. The ingredients include nourishing oils such as maracuja argan and castor, so my lashes feel softer and look bouncier. I love taking care of my lashes and looking glamourous!

Golden Girl

All shades of brown skin benefit from a touch gold, as it heightens the beauty of brown skin and helps to tie the skin into the golden Diwali beauty look. The trick to this golden girl look for the festivities without veering into Goldfinger territory is to be judicious in product use. There are two ways to achieve the golden complexion.

The first way is to add one to two minuscule droplets of luminizer to your foundation. My favourite one is the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter because it comes in 10 shades, so all South Asian beauties can find their perfect shade. When you mix it with foundation, it spreads easily, sets quickly and you look luminous. To increase the wattage subtly, I add a half of a miniscule droplet on the top of each cheek before I apply a blush. You look lit from within, and you will glow!

If you prefer a matte complexion with a hint of gold, I suggest this sandwich: add a single, thin layer of powder highlighter to the cheeks, follow with a thin layer of powder blush and then seal with a light touch of highlighter. The thin lawyers allow the shimmer of the highlighter to show through the colour and the second touch of highlighter emphasises the light. Benefit Cosmetics Cookie is a golden pearl highlighter that flatters all shades of brown skin.

A desi-versally flattering shade of blush is the Estée Lauder the Sculpting Blush in Mauve Mystique, a shade that makes the cheeks look naturally flushed; it is ideal for glamourous night. I love that when you pass the blush brush once you deposit just a hint of colour. The thin layers permit you to control the intensity of the blush.

If you prefer to use a cream blush, I recommend using a cream highlighter because if you add a powder highlighter you will end up with a paste. A wonderful, easy to glide on highlighter is the Pixi On-the-Glow Superglow in Gilded Glow. It has a smooth texture and delivers a sheer layer of pigment that you can quickly disperse with your fingertips.

I then like to dab on a cream blush such as Summer Fridays Blush Butter Balm in Soft Strawberry, and I continue to dab until the blush mixes with the highlighter. The combination is soft and fresh.

Golden Kisses

Nobody wants a Midas kiss but luscious, luminous lips match well with the ethereal beauty of gold… or does it? Priyanka Chopra mesmerised the world with her 2017 Golden Globes look in which she looked regal in a stunning gold gown and lips painted in a deep merlot. Her look taught us that we can contrast with gold for an unforgettable look, and where gold hypnotises us into the light, strong lips provide structure which is an essential element of a beauty look.

If you want to anchor your lips with a deep berry shade that stays on pout even when it encounters samosas and pakoras, I suggest trying the Vasanti Cosmetics Matte Crush Lipstick Pencil in Berry First Kiss. The desi-flattering shade evokes memories of gorging on Java plums whose dark juice ruined many a t-shirt as I grabbed handfuls to eat on the spot.

If you a prefer a red lip, Clé de peau Lipstick 527 (Limited edition) which also comes in the same stunning packaging of its eyeshadow palette sister. When you take the tube out of your purse, people will look, and when you apply one swipe of satin ruby shade which contains a touch of gold shimmer, people will be mesmerised. The texture is butter soft, so it glides seamlessly across the lips and makes the lips look plumper and sensual. The pigment load is rich so even if you have multiple shades on your lips, e.g. mix of mauve of pink, the colour will look uniform from corner to corner.

However, if you prefer a neutral lip, because that is your style; I suggest having fun with the intensity of the shade and texture. With all of the golden touches in the beauty look, it is easy for a glossy, neutral lip to get lost, so by focusing on a matte texture you add structure and boost the lips with their own special touch. Revlon has a wonderful array of shades, and two are outstanding from the Super Lustrous™ The Luscious Mattes Collection: Pick Me Up and Shameless. Both shades glide on smoothly, and the former is a lighter shade that evokes the sixties and the latter is more of a mauve tone and evokes the nineties.

Golden Thoughts

Diwali is a simply resplendent and chance to appreciate the importance of positivity in our lives. The diyas are tiny but so mighty in terms of impact because its colours are magnetic and so well-suited for all shades of brown skin.

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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