Beauty tips and make-up for Karwa Chauth

Shahnaz Husain

With Karwa Chauth right around the corner, it’s time for you to look your best for this special occasion.
 Karwa Chauth is that special day which grants married women the sanction to look picture perfect from head to toe to stand out in the crowd.
Every woman wants to look stunning on this day despite day long fasting.
Following a healthy lifestyle will help to reflect radiance and vitality during the festival. The right diet, exercise, adequate sleep and relaxation are absolutely essential to good looks.
Keeping in view safety precautions during the Pandemic, it’s always a good idea to get essential beauty treatments like waxing, threading, manicure, pedicure and facial well in advance before you go for the mehendi application or the final makeup to avoid chaos till the last moment and safety from coronavirus.
The age-old tradition of henna designs on the hand forms a lovely part of Karwa Chauth as well. Women apply mehndi on their hands and feet. For best results, you should get it a day or two before Karwa Chauth as it is quite possible that you will be busy on the day with various rituals so you might not have enough time for yourself. This will also help you to get the perfect   darker  colour. After applying henna, keep it on for an hour or two, dabbing with lemon juice and sugar mixture from time to time. The longer the paste is kept, the darker the colour .The henna paste should be removed by scraping it off. It should not be washed off. In fact, apply oil and avoid washing your hands with soap and water for a few hours.  
After the colour has developed, avoid working with water as much as possible so that  it doesn’t fade . Always prefer a good design which suits the  natural shade of your skin. It is also seen as a good sign when a woman participates in a ritual with her hand decorated with beautiful mehendi designs.  
Women start shopping for this occasion from a long time but still miss out the important cosmetics that they need. So, for a perfect look, always try to buy all the important cosmetics: lip colour, eye makeup, nail colour  in advance to ensure that you look best on your special day. Cosmetic treatments, new hair colour or style, or nail art, should be tried a few days before this auspicious day. This will give you ample time for rectification in case of any goof-ups.  
So, always try to buy all the important cosmetics that you need in advance and spare enough time for hairdo, makeup, and saree draping. This will ensure that you look best on your special day. Use home remedies which include aloe vera, honey or green tea. You can also use milk while taking a bath. Apart from the make-up, choose everything well in advance as one does not want to waste the already depleted energy going around the markets for the outfit or the shoes. It is important to take a rest on the day to look your best.
Red bangles, preferably made of glass, are a must at Karwa Chauth. These, mixed with gold bangles from one's wedding, make for the perfect accessories for Karwa Chauth.
Mix a mask at home with two teaspoons wheat bran (choker), one teaspoon each of ground almonds (badaam) curd, honey and rose water. Mix everything together into a paste and apply on the face, avoiding the lips and area around the eyes. Wash it off after 20 minutes.
For a “quick fix” pack, mix honey with egg white and apply it on the face. Wash off with water after 20 minutes. It leaves the face soft and glowing.
For dull and tired eyes, dip cotton wool pads in rose water and use them as eye pads over closed lids. Lie down and relax while the mask dries. It helps to remove fatigue and brighten the eyes. The fragrance of rose has a calming effect on the mind.
Mix one teaspoon each of lemon juice and honey with one egg. Beat them together well. Massage the mixture lightly into the scalp. Then wrap the hair in a hot towel for twenty minutes, before washing the hair. Your hair will have more body and look shiny and manageable.
For oily hair, have a hair rinse after shampoo. A tea water and lemon rinse will add shine to the hair. Boil used tea leaves again in enough water. After boiling, you should have about 5 to 6 cups of tea-water. Cool and strain it. Then add the juice of a lemon and use it as a last rinse after shampoo.
Make-Up
For make-up, first, cleanse the skin and apply a liquid moisturizer. For oily skin, apply an astringent lotion. Cover blemishes with a concealer, before applying foundation. To conceal acne pits (tiny holes in the skin, left by acne), take a little concealer at the end of a cotton bud and fill the pit with it. Then apply foundation. Try a gold foundation for this special occasion. Dot the face with it and blend with a moist sponge. Lightly dust golden tinted powder to set the foundation. Highlight the cheeks with a blusher, blending well, so that it gives the face a natural glow.
Outline the eyes with kajal or dark eye pencil. Apply it to the upper lid and smooth it out with a cotton bud. Gently blend a line of kajal or eye pencil on the lower lid. Then apply mascara.
Gloss is popular for the lips. Go for red and shades of red. Use a lip liner the same colour as your lipstick. Apply gloss on top of colour, unless you prefer the matte look. If you don’t want to use bright red, go for shades like brick red, cherry, rose, plum, wine, burgundy or dark pink.
A bindi is an integral part of make-up for karva chauth. Look for a decorative bindi, to match the colour of your bridal dress. A bindi, studded with small sparkling stones, combined with a bright colour would be most attractive.
In order to look pretty on this big day, Always avoid trying out various new cosmetic  products and treatments for the skin.  Always stick to the products that suit your skin best and it will give you the desired results.
The red vermilion , Sindoor mark in the parting of the hair is the sign of a married woman, and this daily ritual for some is and a must ritual on the occasion of Karwa Chauth for all.
Finally, the mangalsutra, expected to be worn at all times, is certainly a must-wear on Karwa Chauth. Comprising of black beads in a gold setting, it stands for sacred love and protection against evil eye.
The author is an internationally famed beauty expert and is called herbal queen of India