Bipasha Basu Makeup Breakdown - Jodi Breakers Music Premiere

Every now and then I get down with my Bollywood self and watch AVS (Asian Variety Shows) on Sunday mornings. I was watching yesterday morning when the show featured the music premiere of the upcoming movie Jodi Breakers. The lead actress Bipasha Basu made an appearance and I was pleasantly surprised by her new look.

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She is always so sultry, sexy and gorgeous, and she always has on very glamorous makeup. Her signature look involves very thick kohl liner rimming her eyes and more neutral lip colors. However, for this premiere she went for a ultra-winged out cat eye and a bright lip.

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I think it is a fresh look to see on Bipasha and here's how I would re-create it:

Face:

• Medium-Heavy coverage foundation of your choice and shade
• MAC Pro Longwear concealer under eyes and on blemishes
• Translucent powder to set (I like MAC's Prep + Prime loose powder)
• Light dusting of MAC Peaches blush on apples of cheeks

Eyes:

• Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base to prime lids
• MAC Patina shadow on lids
• Black Gel or Liquid liner of your choice to line upper lids and create the cat-eye effect
• MAC Carbon shadow on top of liner (except on the wing) and smudged slightly
• MAC Smolder or Feline kohl pencils to line upper and lower waterlines
• Mascara of your choice
• False lashes (I like MAC 7 lash, but Bipasha's are more like MAC's 2 lash)

Lips:

• MAC On Hold Lipstick
• Clear gloss of your choice

What do you think of Bipasha's look? 

Anushka Sharma's Makeup in Band Baaja Baraat

 Since I have been sick and therefore stuck at home all week, I was able to catch up on my Bollywood movie watching. I have been wanting to watch Band Baaja Baraat. In a nutshell, this movie is about two University students who graduate and start a wedding planning business together, and the movie follows their masti (fun) and struggles as they build their business. I have been wanting to watching this FOREVER because I always wanted to be a wedding planner (still kinda do...but that's a whole other story):

The lead actress Anushka Sharma is a Bollywood newbie and throughout the whole movie she has an incredibly fresh and natural look. 

Of course I couldn't help but do a quickie makeup breakdown for how to achieve this fresh-faced look:

Face:

A good moisturizer like my fave MAC Lightful Ultramoisture Creme

Tinted Moisturizer

Concealer under the eyes on on red/dark spots

A natural peachy or apricot blush to give some color to the skin

A light dusting of powder

Eyes:

Fill in brows, even if you have solid eyebrows, to make them stronger and create a frame for the face

Apply a peach or golden shadow to the lid

Draw a thin line on the upper lash line with a dark brown gel or liquid liner

Line the waterline if you want to (she does this sometimes in the movie)

Curl lashes and apply black mascara

Lips:

Apply a sheer pink stain to the lips and top with clear gloss, or apply a lightly colored pink gloss to the lips

What do you think of Anushka's look in the movie?

Reader Request - Rani Mukherjee Makeup Breakdown

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, with the Thanksgiving holiday.....shopping.....cooking...and, oh yeah, that little thing called work......I didn't have time to sit down and converse with you!

So I recently received a request to do a makeup breakdown for Bollywood Acress Rani Mukherjee's look in the photo below, so here it is:

Since Rani is attending a special event, she has pretty heavy makeup. Here's  how you can achieve this look at home:

Face:

1. Moisturize skin. My all-time fave is the MAC Lightful Deep Ultramoisture Creme.
2. Apply a primer without SPF. My current fave is the Stila One Step Correct.
3. Apply a medium-full coverage foundation that matches your neck and jawline. Again, if you are wearing this look out for an event where you will be photographed, try to choose a foundation without SPF. I like MAC Studio Fix, or Make Up For Ever's HD foundation.
4. Apply concealer under the eyes and to trouble spots. I am totally in love with the new MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer. Ah-Mah-Zing!!!
5. Apply a bronzer that is just a couple shades darker than your skin tone to the hollows of your cheeks. You don't want to go too dark. This step should just add a bit of depth and contour to the face.
6. In the photo, Rani is wearing her blush closer to her hairline than the apples of the cheeks, but I prefer to wear it on the apples of the cheeks. Wherever you apply it, use a peach toned blush without any shimmer. A good one would be MAC Cubic Powder Blush.
7. Top off the look with a dusting of your favorite face powder. Right now I LOVE the Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder (review coming soon!)

Eyes: This is wear the drama is so feel free to have fun!

1. Fill in brows with a shadow that matches your hair tone, to create a strong frame for the eyes.
2. Apply a base to the eyelid and up into the crease. Use a nude if that is all you have. If you have a darker base like MAC's Blackground Paint Pot, that's even better to help enhance the smoky colors.
3. Use a grey shadow like MAC Knight Divine and shade the entire lid, going slightly into the crease.
4. Take a shadow color that matches your skin tone, swirl a crease brush in it one or two times, and apply lightly to the crease. You want to blend out the grey shadow so it looks like it gets progressively lighter as you move up the eye. 
5. Highlight the brow bone with a non-shimmery, vanilla-y highlight color like MAC Vanilla.
6. Line the top eye lid with a gel or cream eyeliner like Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink.
7. Line the lower lid with a long-wearing black eye pencil like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero and make sure the liner meets the end of the line that you drew on the top lid, creating a smooth line all around the eye.
8. Take an angled shadow brush like the MAC 208 and swipe it in a black eyeshadow like MAC Carbon, and trace along the liner on the top lid, over the gel liner, using small, short strokes to set the gel liner and soften the line, so it is not harsh or sharp. Repeat on lower lash line.
9. Take a clean smudge brush like the MAC 214 and smudge the shadow on both lash lines to smoke it out. You want the black to be darkest at the lash line and fade outwards.
10. Use your favorite kohl liner to line the water line. Blink a few times to transfer the color to the top water line (the tight line) and then add re-trace the lower water line to ensure the color is dark.
11. Curl your eyelashes and top with your favorite mascara.
12. Add false lashes if you want more oomph. 

Lips:

1. Line lips with a neutral or my lips but better lip pencil. I like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Wallflower. 
2. Fill in lips with a natural looking pick lipstick like MAC Viva Glam V.
3. Add a clear or coordinating lip gloss to top of the look.

There you have it! BTW, have you had a chance to enter my giveaway for a free $25 giftcard to use on Apothica.com?

Kajal's Eye Makeup Breakdown

My mom sent me this pic of Bollywood actress Kajal and told me I HAVE to try this eye makeup on myself. How cute is that? Over the past year or two, I have slowly gotten my mom to love makeup, and her fave product, like most Indian gals, is eyeliner. 

I know I have talked a lot about eyeliner in the past (remember Eyeliner Week?) but I can't seem to get enough of it. But really, can I get enough of any makeup product? Ok, enough talking, here's how to get Kajal's piercing eyes:

Sushmita Sen Bridal Makeup Breakdown

Even though I already had my dream wedding, I am still mesmerized by bridal wear and love seeing the latest bridal collections from the top Indian designers. (Ok, so please tell me I'm not the only one who does stuff like this!?) 

So as I was browsing through designer Vikram Phadnis's bridal collection from earlier this year, I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous actress Sushmita Sen was looking as she strutted down the runway:

Even her makeup was impeccable....very appropriate for a bridal look and very age appropriate:

Eyeliner Week at Kajal Couture!! Kareena Kapoor Makeup Breakdown

I have been wanting to share with you a few looks, tips, and tricks regarding eyeliner, and what better way than to spend a week talking about this one product that so many of us can't live without!

I am going to kick off with a makeup breakdown that focuses on eyeliner. I received this photograph from one of my readers and was requested to breakdown the products and method to achieve this look. This is a photo of actress Kareena Kapoor from the Bollywood movie Kurbaan. Since it is a rather natural look, I am going to keep the number of products minimal. 

FACE: 

1. Apply concealer to scars, under eye circles, and any other trouble spots. I like the Bobbi Brown creamy concealer.
2. Next, apply a loose powder that provides light coverage but also helps even out skin imperfections. A great one that helps minimize the appearance of fine lines is the Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder. If you have rosacea or other skin concern and want more coverage, you can apply your favorite foundation before applying powder.
3. Kareena's cheeks are pretty natural, so you can either skip the blush, or apply a very neutral blush like MAC Powder Blush in Harmony. 

EYES:

1. If your natural brows are pretty well defined, I recommend leaving them alone and not adding any color. However, if you have barely-there brows or sparse spots, then I recommend filling them in using a shadow that matches your brow hair color. 
2. Apply a neutral color eye primer on the upper lid and lower lid. I like MAC Paint Pot in Painterly since it matches my skin tone. Lighter skin tones should try Bare Study and darker skin tones should try Groundwork. 
3. This is the focus of the look. Kareena is wearing a couple neutral tone shadows on her lids, but you can easily skip the shadow if you want. With a heavy liner look like this, the emphasis will be on the thick liner, so the shadow will just add a bit of depth, but is not necessary, especially if you don't have much time to do your makeup. The shadows I recommend are: a satin shadow in a color that matches your skin tone on your lid - my favorite is MAC Arena, and a warm shade a couple shades darker than your skin tone in your crease - I would use MAC Kid on myself.  
4. Draw a thick line on the top lid using a cream eyeliner and an angled liner brush. I like the Smashbox Cream Eye Liner in Lava, and the MAC 208 brush. You can start off drawing a thin line and add more to thicken the line, instead of drawing it on too thick, and having to remove it all in case you mess up. When you get to the outer corner, flick out the liner just a tad. Pretend you are tracing your lower lash line (without actually tracing it) and if you were to keep tracing 4-5 mm upwards past your eye, that is the direction and shape you want to flick your eyeliner. 
5. Kareena's lower lash liner is more subtle and not as crisp as the top liner. Thus, instead of using the cream liner, use a shadow to line the lower lash line. You can still use the same angled liner brush. The shadow I recommend is MAC Knight Divine. Again, draw a thin line with the shadow using small, feathery strokes, and thicken the line as you go along. When you get to the outer corner, make sure the lower liner meets the outer flick to create a smooth line all around the eye. If you want, you can smudge the lower lash line just a tad using a smudger brush or even your finger. 

LIPS:

1. Keep the lips simple and apply your favorite nude lipstick, that suits your skin tone but does not look so nude that your lips blend in with your face. My favorite is MAC Lipstick in Half 'n Half. 

What do you think? Will you be trying this look at home? 

Stay tuned for more eye liner posts coming soon!!!

Deepika Padukone Makeup Breakdown

One of my family friends in India is pretty well connected and was telling me how Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone is a desi (Indian) girl next door. She eats real food and actually gets hungry, she doesn't spend every last waking second at the gym, and she is pretty down-to-earth. And another thing, she has natural beauty. A lot of actresses rely on the magic that is makeup in order to keep up their image. Deepika looks great even bare-faced.

That inspired me to read a bit more about Deepika Padukone and in doing so, I came across some photos of her from the Cannes Film Festival this year.

She definitely has a hot body, but I think her hair and makeup are absolutely gorgeous:

Her makeup is simple yet elegant, and is appropriate for everyday and a fancy event. Here is how to create the makeup:

Makeup Breakdown - Asin Thottumkal on the Cover of Jade Magazine

Asin Thottumkal, otherwise simply knows as Asin, from the hit Bollywood movie Ghajini, is on the cover of this month's Jade magazine: 

I don't know too much about her, but I just love her fresh look and the playfulness in her eyes. This is a great look to wear just about anywhere and so I wanted to do a makeup breakdown:

Face:

1. Apply a light-coverage foundation that will even out the skin tone, like Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15. 
2. Apply concealer only to areas that have any discoloration, and hide under eye circles. 
3. Lightly apply a neutral colored blush like MAC Cantaloupe (PRO color) to the apples of the cheeks.
4. Set makeup with a dusting of translucent powder like the Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder.

Eyes:

1. Cover the lid in a neutral satin finish shadow that matches your skin tone. I like MAC Kid or Arena eyeshadows if you are medium toned. 
2. Apply a slightly darker color in the same color family in the crease and blend so it looks like you have natural depth to your eye. I recommend MAC Texture or Saddle eyeshadows. 
3. Use a brown eyeliner pencil to draw a thin line on the outer 2/3 of your upper lash line. Get super close to the base of your lashes so it gives the appearance of thick lashes, not eyeliner. Do the same on the lower lash line but draw the line all the way in. I recommend Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Bourbon.
4. Curl lashes and apply your favorite mascara.

Lips:

1. With a light hand, line and fill in your lips with a orange-red lip pencil like MAC Lip Pencil in Redd. You want to create a base for the lip color, not create a mask of color. 
2. Use a lip brush to apply an orange-red lipstick. Be sure to choose a color that is not too dark but still has pigmentation, like the new MAC Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick. 
3. In the photo she is not wearing any gloss, but if you prefer a glossy lip feel free to top off with some clear gloss.

Such looks are great for so many occasions and you can easily glam them up by adding a darker lip color, or a darker shadow in the outer corner of the eye. What do you think?

Gisele in a Saree...East Meets West for the Cover of Vogue India

When I was in India a couple months ago, I picked up stacks and stacks of bridal and fashion magazines. I admit, I still have not flipped through them all, but I did go through my favorite, Vogue India, and am so mesmerized by this picture of Gisele in a saree:

She looks so natural, yet so stunning and I love that she is able to wear the saree, the saree is not wearing her. Of course, us normal people would wear a blouse with a saree, but in the spirit of fashion, its not necessary. Gisele looks so long and lean (who am I kidding, she IS long and lean), and I don't know what it is, but the photo is mesmerizing...

That photo was from the September 2009 issue of Vogue India, where Gisele graced the cover:

Her look is so natural and timeless. I love that she can pull of a super traditional Indian style necklace with a very non-traditional (for Indian standards) outfit.

In this close up look, Gisele is wearing very natural makeup, some taupy shades on the eyes, fresh glowy skin, and a my-lips-but-better pinky lipcolor.

All the images were scanned in, so they aren't fabulous, but I felt like sharing them with you. =)

Katrina Kaif's Beauty Secrets

Katrina Kaif shares with Vogue India her secrets to looking beautiful:

DAILY RITUALS: I take off my make-up with Shu Uemura cleansing oil and massage my face with La Prairie night cream.

FITNESS MANTRA: I have stopped going to the gym because I put on muscle easily. I do Pilates with Yasmin Karachiwala.

SINFUL SECRET: My cappuccino fix... give me good cappuccino and I will trade it for diamonds.

DIVA TIP: Use serum on your hair and use a paddle brush for a silky smooth de-frizzed look.

DAY AND NIGHT LOOK: A moisturiser by Peter Thomas Roth, lip balm and Max Factor mascara to go with my day look, which is tunics and checked shirts. For the night, I tend to dress up more formally so I use a concealer, liquid liner, lip gloss and Giorgio Armani luminous silk cream blush. I set it with powder, either M.A.C NC 41 or Bobbi Brown.

INNER GLOW: I use acai berry supplements to keep my skin healthy. I have wheatgrass powder every day in a drink. I am trying to give myself an antioxidant boost with green tea and am on a macrobiotic raw food diet...

HAIR SECRETS: I use hair masks and Kiehl's leave-in conditioner. My hair is exposed to a lot of styling and blow-drying so I also use heat-protect products. I use Pantene’s three-minute miracle serum; it really works on my thick hair… I love my hair, but I would chop it off for a role.

I like that she uses normal stuff like Pantene and is addicted to coffee....makes me want to be friends with her and have long chats at Starbucks! =)

Bipasha's Beauty Secrets

There is an article on Female First on Bollywood Actress Bipasha Basu's beauty tips. I was hoping to learn about some of her favorite products and tricks to looking good, but instead the actress revealed the very things I hate doing:

- She drinks 10 glasses of water a day - I have a hard time trying to fit in 8

- She eats six small meals at regular intervals throughout the day - I don't do well with the small meal concept...I like food too much

- She exercises 4 times a week at least 1 hour each time - I have no excuses other than the fact that I am just plain lazy

Now, I don't expect to look like her anytime soon even if I did those things, which might be a good thing since my fiance thinks there are much better looking Bollywood starts than Bipasha, but I still think she looks very sultry and exotic.