I remember dressing up dolls and coloring their faces to go with their dresses as a child.
Colors have always fascinated me and their magical attraction has influenced me in several ways – making me want to be an artist at first, then a fashion designer and beauty / makeup artist. My parents (like most Indian parents) guarded their little girl zealously against the evil influences of makeup and its undesirable side effects, not to mention its disreputable association.
Having thus restrained my yearning for colors, I was greatly delighted the day I received my first makeup kit. That was the day I was going to meet Jai (now my husband) for the first time and my parents were in mortal fear that I was going to use a generous helping of all that was there in the makeup box.
That was many years ago, and since then I’ve tried and tested a great many products. All this trial and error has made me picky and taught me a few lessons on the art and science of good makeup.
In the U.S of A I worked as a skin and color consultant for several years helping women learn to pick their colors and teaching the art of makeup. I have also helped clients identify the right regime of skin care according to their skin type and introduced them to age defying products. I have had requests asking me to write about beauty tips, but first things first, let’s talk about skin care.
Product overload isn’t healthy for your skin or your budget. It is good to chalk out a simple and effective routine that is easy to stick to and can be done consistently, and fits your lifestyle.
KNOW YOUR SKIN TYPE
Its of foremost importance to understand your skin type – to do this, get a clean facial tissue and wipe your face first thing after you wake up in the morning.
1. Normal skin –. Oh please, stop kidding yourself –there is no such thing as normal skin.
2. Normal to oily skin-The tissue will have traces of oil from the cheek, forehead and nose area. The other visible signs are – your skin usually looks greasy and shiny, has enlarged pores and is very prone to acne.
The good thing about having oily skin is that it is not much prone to aging and wrinkles.
-The tissue will show no traces of oil. The skin will feel tight after wiping with the tissue. The other visible signs are – flaky, fine pores, prone to aging and wrinkles.
4. Combination skin– The tissue will have traces of oil from the nose and forehead area (t-zone) and the rest of the face will be flaky and dry. The area around the eyes and the cheeks tend to be very dry.
5. Sensitive skin-The tissue will not have any traces of oil. Sensitive skin tends to be dry and is irritated very easily. May have red patches and can get itchy.
Babita Jaishankar 