CHENNAI: Have you been rampaging through the internet, looking for inspiration on what to wear this Diwali? Are you tired of seeing heavy anarkalis and shiny salwars? Do yourself a favour and keep your over-the-top heavy ghagras and sarees away…unless of course, you want to spend the fireworks sundowner being a real downer while trying to manage a lehenga that weighs half of what you do. Don’t worry, our columnist Saumya Chawla speaks to several Chennai-based experts for a few ideas to get your motor running!
That Cake On Your Face!
The gold you buy this season doesn’t have to be the only thing that glitters. No, really. With Huda’s latest eyeshadow palette, there’s very little you can’t do! While we have our hearts pinned on her latest Faux Filter Foundation, Chennai’s top makeup magician, Prakruthi Ananth shares her secrets with us.
“It’s so easy to choose the wrong foundation or even wear too much of it! The trick is, to swatch it on your chin. It’s also best to wait for at least 15 minutes to check if it gets grey,” she shares. Dayan Mohammed, senior makeup artist agrees. “Try not to use a lighter shade of foundation to make yourself look fairer. You also don’t necessarily have to match your makeup to your attire. Makeup has no rules!” he opines.
Now that we have the foundation out of the way, how do we really make our look pop? “Add a coloured liner or a dash of glitter to really take it to the next level!” Prakruthi smiles. Don’t be apprehensive about wearing glitter. We aren’t talking about our middle school strobe mascara…our glitter makeup looks graduated with us. The trick is to choose one area to apply glitter and let that shine. Keep the rest neutral. If you’re really extra, you can hide your roots with glitter gel and deflect all the haters! Follow her Instagram page: @prakatwork.
Panel Picks
My go-to high end product this season has to be the MAC Diwali Special eyeshadow palette. MY favourite drugstore pick has to be the Nyx total drop foundation
—Prakruthi Ananth, makeup artist
It would be a fantastic change to see Chennaiites experiment with colours apart from the usual gold, bronze and black. I have always felt like even a full face of makeup looks incomplete without a little bit of contour!
— Dayan Mohammed, senior makeup artist
Diwali has become trendier in the city. People are trying many kinds of accessories. Nath, tikkas, jhumkas and chaandbalis…Even the haathphool as a ‘trend’ has caught on!
— Shruti Sekar, designer, Athea
Hairy Tales
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten your lovely lady locks. Mane Guru and style director of Tony & Guy, Sunit Trikha, tells us just how to keep it fresh. “Blow drying and ironing is easy, but flowing beach waves are the perfect finishing touch with a sari. You can also do your hair up in a soft bun with lots of curls,” he opines.
Wear This, Match That
Let’s get real. There’s a fine line between looking like Bappi Lahiri and like Deepika Padukone from the new Padmavati trailer. Very, very fine line. Coco Chanel once said, “Before leaving the house, a lady should look in the mirror and remove one accessory.” Peenal Jain, our favourite accessory guru and the one-woman army behind Zahana, shares her insights. “A woman shouldn’t wear more than one accessory that stands out. Maybe earrings or a statement necklace, Keep it minimal,” she opines. Her favourite jewellery haunts in the city? Kushals, Amrapali, Lifestyle and H&M.
Shruti Sekar, stylist and designer with Studio Athea, gives us something to nibble on. “Stick to neckpieces that flatter the necklines.” While she urges us to create an interesting mix with pieces you already have, she advises us to do so with restraint. “With accessories, less is always more!”
I see women teaming up extremely westernised jewellery with very traditional outfits frighteningly often. That can be best avoided
— Peenal Jain of Zahana
Masculine Matters
We haven’t forgotten about the men in our lives, who so very often get away with doing so very little. Shruti Sekar, from Athea Designs shares an interesting twist. “You can put a spin on the classic kurta pyjama with a contrast embroidered bandhgala,” she smiles. Team this up with a brocade jacket and gladiators and you’re Diwali-ready. City Express approved!
City Connect
A silk dhoti and a colourful shirt would be my pick for Diwali. But it was always tough to wear one as it slips every now and then. Holding phones is also difficult! The new velcro dhotis has made wearing one so convenient to wear one now. Both my sons who would never sport a dhoti have also started to wear one. Advent of technology to have a dhoti with pockets is out of the box and so useful.
— Satish Jupiter, PR professional
For a change, I will be wearing a lehenga and it is going to be a Sabyasachi. I do all my shopping only at Evoluzione!
— Sneha Nair, socialite
I’ve never been a ‘jewellery person’, celebration or otherwise — a pair of pearl studs is my best friend. The only piece of jewellery I absolutely adored and did not want to part with was a family heirloom I wore last Diwali. A vintage Opera necklace encrusted with semi precious stones; it belonged to my great grandmother. This was a piece that had survived the transitions of time, circumstances and geography. I didn’t cherish it because it was flashy, nor was it because of an odd compliment. It was simply the sense of identifying with someone I never knew at all, a memento from a different time. Last Diwali was a rare occasion as I incorporated tradition into my otherwise contemporary ensemble!
— Lahoma Bhattacharya, student
My grandmom would always wear a nine-yard sari, with jewel tones and Kanjivaram weaves every year. I’d wonder which one she was going to wear and when I’ll get to wear one! She’s sadly no longer with us. So my mother cut one of her nine yards, and made a six-yard sari for herself. I turned mine into a salwar! This way, we will always have her with us
— Sahithya Jagannathan, model and anchor
Panel Picks
For fashionistas on a budget, you can easily mix and match something from the closet and team it up with bold oxidised jewellery
— Ruchi Kothari, designer
I think Chennai is expensive, and there are very few options from where you can buy Indian clothes from. I’d suggest people to get garments customised by a designer, so they get what they want, what fits them well and can be made in a fixed budget
— Dixitha Kothari of Kinara Designs
However, We Love…
Prerto-Olympus
earrings on www.prerto.com
Style tip: We love it against creams and colours alike!
NYX Professional Makeup Cosmic Metals Lip Cream at nykaa.com
Style tip: bring out your fake eyelashes for some extra drama!
Soch Maroon and Gold Salwar Suit with Dupatta on www.soch.com. `8,998. Grab it on sale for `6,000!
Style tip: Pair it with a classic gold wedges
Teal juttis at for `2,600.
Style tip: Looks perfect with outfits that end above the ankle!
Beads potli by Sanskrriti.com for `500.
Style tip: Wear shades of beige and cream to really make this pop