Make the moon shine

Karva Chauth is round the corner. Know what colours and trends work for you

Make-up:

Karva Chauth is a special day for all married women. Mehndi, sindur, glass bangles, bindi are all part and parcel of the Karva Chauth festival. But, at work, your make up has to be toned down.

If you have a clear skin, leave out foundation. After cleansing, apply a sunscreen with a built-in moisturiser. For oily skin, apply astringent lotion. Then apply powder. Or, use powder compact. Avoid applying too much powder and pay more attention to the oily areas of the face.

Press the powder all over the face and neck, with a slightly damp sponge. This helps it to set and last longer. If you wish to use foundation, apply a water-based one. Add one or two drops of water for a lighter coverage. Then apply powder.

For eye make-up, line your lids with eye pencil or kajal. Over this, apply a line of brown or gray eye shadow for a softer effect. Then, apply mascara. This helps the eyes to look brighter, but prevents the “heavily made-up” look. Mascara should be applied in two light coats, rather than one heavy one.

For lipstick, avoid very dark colours like dark maroon, as they look even darker in the fluorescent lights of offices. Go for pinks, copper or bronze. Orange and shades of orange are the new trend. Or, you can also use light pastel colours like mauve or pink.

A bindi is an integral part of make-up for karva chauth. Look for a decorative sparkling bindi, to match the colour of your bridal dress. Following a healthy lifestyle will help to reflect radiance. The right diet, exercise, adequate sleep and relaxation are absolutely essential to good looks.

A few weeks before the festival, start going for walks. Of course, take your doctor’s advice first. Deep breathing exercises are also helpful for calming the mind.

Dress:

New brides and young wives like to wear their bridal dress for Karva Chauth. It gives them the opportunity to look like a bride again. Today, apart from red, many other colours are popular, like magenta or pink, or out-of-the ordinary colours like sea green, turquoise blue, lavender, strawberry, fushcia, rust, copper, purple and so on. Two colour combinations are also popular.

Lehenga cholis are fashionable, or one can go for fashionable salwar-kurta, with richly embellished kurtas. As for saris, instead of the traditional way, it can be worn in a way that shows off the decorative choli and the heavy “aanchal” to advantage.

As for jewellery, diamond, white stone jewellery, or coloured stones, are in fashion. Dull or oxidized gold may also be worn. Different alloys are being used too and so are different kinds of finish, even with gold, like matte, oxidised, antique look and so on.

Traditional wear is usually favoured during Karva Chauth, because it is also associated with fasting and puja. However, as in other aspects of life, the influences of global trends, films and fashion are also felt in our traditional occasions.

By: Shahnaz Hussain