Text Dhanashree GuptePhotographs Vikas Vasudev

Styling Dhanashree Gupte & Ananya Mehta

Beauty takes a cue from the canvases of early Italian masters. Strokes of peach

blush, gold hues and dark scarlet complete the picture

B e a u t y B e a u t y

The Renaissance period saw Europe’s cultural rebirth in the 14th-16th centuries. From Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ to Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’,

the period took inspiration from the ancient Greeks in portraying beauty with a mythological magnificence. Luckily for us today, we have high-definition foundations, colour correctors and mineral-based highlighters that allow us mere mortals to achieve an artist’s muse-like flawless skin. Designers dipped into this slice of rich history to give us looks that inspired us.

Balmain is our show for barefaced beauty. This season, models showcased clear skin with pale pink lip stains and brushed eyebrows. At Dolce & Gabbana, this same look took on a regal turn with gold embellished updos, while at Palmer/Harding, international make-up artist for Bourjois, Attracta Courtney created a beauty look with dark, romantic berry-stained lips, flushed cheeks and messy halo braids.

Romancing the Renaissance

Dress ` 12,690, Topshop. Pearl

necklace, The Source

B e a u t y

The ladies of the Renaissance spent hours doing up their hair, so we know the braided do isn’t a fi ve-minute exercise. We love a modern take on the Dutch milkmaid braids. Start by coating towel-dried hair with a bodifying cream to create volume. Blast dry. Then, starting at the nape of your neck on your left side, begin Dutch braiding following the hairline. Continue braiding around your head until you’ve made it back where you started. Tuck the ends under the braid; lock them in with a bobby pin to fi nish. Make this look messier by taking out small strands of hair to frame your face.

Start with a hydrating moisturizer. Layer on a primer that will be a base for the photo-fi nish look. Dab on colour corrector – pale greens over red patches, orange over dark patches under the eye and on pigmentation. Then use a high-defi nition foundation and blend with the Beauty Blender, a must-buy applicator sponge. Finish with translucent powder for that porcelain-like skin. Contour by sweeping bronzer from your forehead to cheek to jawline in a ‘3’ shape. Smile to accentuate your bone structure, then highlight your cheeks, the bridge of your nose, above the upper lip under the eyes and brow bone.

The whole idea of putting colour on your cheeks is to mimic a healthy youthful glow. We love cream blushes in general for the way they melt into skin to create a soft, dewy eff ect, making your skin look naturally fl ushed. However, they’re not foolproof, and if you don’t blend them well, they have a tendency to look streaky and patchy. Pick a cream blush if you have dry to normal skin. For Indian skin tones with olive and gold undertones, rouge in hues of apricot, pale rose and peach work wonders.

Lace blouse ` 3290, dress ` 4190, both from

Topshop. Pearl studs (pack of 4) ` 389, Addons.

Necklace ` 1490, New Look

Colorbar Perfect Match Compact in Nude Beige ` 725

Makeup Revolution London Lacquer Vivid Blush in O Boy ` 750

CHEEKS

HAIR

SKIN

B e a u t y

TIPAdd gypsophila or

baby’s breath to your loose side braid if you like delicate fl owers in

your hair; this works with your hair worn down

or up.

Dol

ce &

Gab

bana

L’Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation in Rose Vanilla ` 1025

Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray ` 1050

Foundation in Rose Foundation in Rose Vanilla Vanilla `̀ 1025 1025 ` 1025 `̀ 1025 `

Corioliss Electrocurl Professional Motorized Curling Wand ` 5999

The ladies of the Renaissance spent hours doing up their hair, so we know the braided do isn’t a fi ve-minute exercise. We love a modern take on the Dutch milkmaid braids. Start by coating towel-dried hair with a bodifying cream to create volume. Blast dry. Then, starting at the nape of your neck on your left side, begin Dutch braiding following the hairline. Continue braiding around your head until you’ve made it back where you started. Tuck the ends under the braid; lock them in with a bobby pin to fi nish. Make this look messier by taking out small strands of hair to frame your face. Vivid Blush

Glamcom Blush in Rasin ` 510

093 FEBRUARY 2016T H E

B e a u t y B e a u t y

Alternatively, gold is a great shade, especially for warm Indian skin tones. Plus, gold can be used for just about any look and occasion and you’ll never look out of place. For this, use a gold palette and, beginning with a highlighter, heavily blend in two shades of gold to create the perfect smoky look. Complete the canvas with mascara.

From dark cherry to berry to oxblood, there are many reds in the lipstick colour spectrum, but not all work on every skin tone. Women with fair skin should choose something pink-tinted to make their eyes pop. Blue-undertone lipsticks complement medium skin tones and also make teeth appear whiter. Start by dabbing on lip balm. Line your lips with a nude shade the same colour of your lips, then fi ll in with the shade you’ve picked. Dab lips with a tissue then apply another coat. Refi ne the edges with lip pencil and clean smears with concealer. Brush translucent powder on the edge of your lips to seal the colour in.

When going for a dark, moody look, a subtle smoky eye is a great option. An easy way to achieve a dramatic, smoky eff ect without too much eff ort is to simply smudge out your eyeliner. Using a dark liner pencil, draw a line at the base of the lashes, then take a small dense makeup bush or smudger brush and diff use the eyeliner for a smoky eff ect. You can also add a small amount of brown eyeshadow to intensify the look further.

Fur jacket ` 5590, Missguided. Necklace worn as hairpiece ` 1345, earrings ` 1545, both Accessorize

EYES

LIPS

Natio Super Long Lash Mascara in Black ` 1010

Blue Heaven Combo Of 2 Xpression Lipstick in R002 ` 250

Glamcom Kajal Pencil Eyeliner ` 410

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To keep your skin healthy and

glowing, eat a fi bre-rich diet. Exfoliate your skin once a week and drink as much water

as you can.

Mua Makeup Academy Eye Palette in Going for Gold ` 410

Natio Defi ne Eye Brow Pencil in Light Brown ` 835

Deborah Milano Ore Waterproof Eyeshadow Pencil in Metal Nude ` 595

095 FEBRUARY 2016T H E