Grooming for a summer Eid

This Eid coincides with some of the hottest days of the year.  Therefore, while we are too busy haggling with our tailors and shopping for the perfect accessories and cosmetics to go with our ensembles, we need to remember to take extra care of our body this season. Grooming before Eid has never been more important. To help with the process, this week Star Lifestyle is bringing you some essential tips and trends in grooming from the famous beauty guru, Farzana Shakil. 

Freshen up your face: 
Our main skin-care goal for this season is to keep hydrated while unclogging and minimising our pores. The extended period of fasts during Ramadan leaves our skin feeling parched and dehydrated. While sweating is generally considered to be good for releasing toxins, heat and humidity teaming up with pollution and stress is not a good premise to avoid an acne breakout. "Skincare needs time and dedication; you can expect visible results when you make it a routine to take care of your skin. Going for one or two treatments before a big event will not have the same benefits as that of a skin care regimen followed regularly," Farzana Shakil says. 

With only days left till Eid, short-term skin treatments are the way to go for those who haven't been too careful with the way they treat their skin. Tea-tree oil is very good for curing acne by getting rid of bacteria. Mix one drop of tea-tree oil with half cup water and gently pat it onto your face with your hands or cotton pads. You can also use ice-cubes to instantly wake your skin up and minimise pores. A paste made of multani-maati, honey and lemon juice does the same thing while leaving your skin feeling nourished. "Opt for oxygen masks and other hydrating treatments to restore moisture and glow in your skin", she recommends.

Liquid lipsticks are all the rage this season, but they also have a tendency to dry out your lips. Make sure to scrub them gently and put on a lip balm each night before retiring to bed, so that you wake up to find them restored, and you won't have to worry about chapped lips for the rest of your day.

This is also the time to thread or wax off the excess facial hair. But for brows this season, you can skip threading and opt for fuller, more youthful-looking brows by using a tweezer to remove the extra hair. 

Nourish your hair:
"While most people blame humidity for frizzy hair, our hair would never actually be frizzy if it were well-nourished. Hair follicles need food just as much as we do, and deep conditioning and protein treatments can sustain the moisture needed to combat frizz. But just like skin care, they will only work if we continue with them over time", she says. You can also get silky, tangle-free hair by treating the water you use to wash it with. Farzana Shakil suggests mixing vinegar with mineral water and using it as the final wash for your hair when showering. While your hair is still wet, pour a few drops of coconut oil or hair serum onto your palm and spread it throughout your hair, mainly focusing on the ends. Also, don't forget to colour your roots before Eid and conceal any visible greys.

Prime your hands and feet
Putting on henna on the eve before Eid has been a long standing tradition in our sub-continent. The last few seasons saw people showing off elaborately intricate designs sprawling up to their elbows, but this season, simplicity is the way to go. Farzana Shakil suggests a delicate bracelet-inspired henna design for our hands this Eid. "You can opt for black henna or normal henna, but it is better to not over-embellish it with glitter and colour because we still want the true beauty and integrity of the henna to shine through." 

Immaculately groomed nails perfectly complement elegantly artistic henna work. "We here at Farzana Shakil's do shellac or gel-based nail colours which last for up to two weeks without any chipping, thus leaving you free to do any work with your hands. We also have a way to elongate your nails if you want", she says. You can also easily DIY nail art and ombre nails by watching tutorials on YouTube. 

Fixing your waxing and mani-pedi appointments before Eid are absolute musts. The expert recommends a spa treatment for your hands and feet to help relieve pain and make them feel extra soft.

On the Eid day itself, which falls in the rainy season this year, being well prepared against the elements of nature is a must. Although rains are a mostly welcome change, especially after the blistering heat of the summer, it is also the time when we face off against the triple make up melting superpower – heat, humidity and, rain. Of course, it is wise to not set out with layers of makeup as such, but going completely barefaced, especially on the Eid day and the fun filled run-up, is simply not an option many!  

So, Farzana Shakil helped us out with some tips and tricks for a flawless weather resistant makeup too!

he basics of makeup for a monsoon Eid: 
To start with, monsoon calls for the use of matte finish makeup. Foundation powder or compact can be used with small amount of water soaked in a sponge. This gives more coverage and lasts for long hours despite perspiration. However if your skin is dry, matte finish may not suit you. In that case, primer and oil based foundation is your wonder duo. Primer builds a smear proof base acting as a natural shield for dust, weather and debris. It also helps reduce perspiration through the pores. Dab a small amount of oil based foundation on your skin and finish it off with a little bit of face powder for a perfect skin look.  

In the absence of primer, the trick to a lasting makeup is water, the expert says. Use a bottle of water and spray it on your skin after applying the foundation powder. Pat your skin with a towel. Carrying out this process several times would result in a smooth, hydrated, glowing skin. 

It is always advised to keep two shades of face powder. One shade that is darker than your skin and the other being a little light. The purpose of this is to apply the makeup that seems appropriate for each part of your face. This is because our skin is uneven and while we tend to opt for shades lighter than our skin tones, it does not look natural. This is why keeping two face powders of different shades can help to blend and find perfect tone to match our skins. The darker shade also acts as an excellent contour tool. 

Use cream blushers when using oil based liquid foundation. Add small amount of powder blushers at the end. Blending is the keyword when it comes to blushers. Blend it outward so that it does not look like a blob of colour on you cheeks.  Use subtle colours in pastel shades to keep it minimal and beautiful.

This monsoon, nude eyeshade is back in vogue. Beige, white, and shiny cream colours are trending, but with the festival around, these could seem a little bland. The option is then to use neutral shades like beige or shiny cream on your upper lid, and accentuate it with darker shades on the corner. This helps to best highlight the eye makeup in the daytime.

When it comes to eyeliner, water proof eyeliners are a no brainer, but the formulation has chemicals and eyelids are very sensitive. It is preferred to use gel eyeliners especially when you step outdoors as these can easily last up to nine hours.  Pencil eye liners can also be smudge free if used over a little bit of foundation powder as a base.  To complete your makeup, use large amount of waterproof mascara to add volume to your lashes. 

Lastly when it comes to lipsticks, gloss based lipsticks are major no as they tend to smudge easily, making matte tints best for the season. Completely avoid gloss or bypass lipsticks and head straight to ultra matte or dry finish lip liquids. Contrary to eye shadows, bright lip colours are in this season. From various neon shades like bright orange, tangerine, fuchsia pink to bolder colours like purple or brown are all at your disposal. In addition hot pink, ruby red, and shades of wine work with almost every outfit. 

Farzana Shakil believes that true beauty begins from within, so while the outward appearance can be somewhat altered through beauty treatments, a healthy diet and exercise can retain that glow and keep your entire body feeling young and fresh. So make sure to drink lots of water and at least try to abstain from excess oily and fried food. Let's keep it light and classy this monsoon Eid.

By Antara Islam and Mayesha Raidah
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed