Be bold, wear red

Whether you plan to paint the town red with your BFFs or with that significant other on February 14, Valentine’s Day.

Niharika Konidela sporting nude lips

HYDERABAD:  Whether you plan to paint the town red with your BFFs or with that significant other on February 14, Valentine’s Day, Tamanna S Mehdi speaks to some of Hyderabad’s top celebrity stylists to keep you looking on-point to ring in this day of love. No surprises here, red is the colour of the season

Niharika Konidela sporting nude lips

Minimal designs,  flowy fabrics

It’s Valentine’s Day, and it’s the best time to wear a red dress if you have one. If you like to keep it casual, you could also team a red top with jeans and tennis shoes. Dresses in bright and bold floral prints are also very chic. Fashion designer Apeksha Singh from Apeksha the label says for this Valentine’s Day choose pastel colours for the day and classic blacks for the night. She feels, “Sassy yet minimal designs with simple silhouettes are in as the fancy dinner outings have turned into at-home dates and intimate gatherings are preferred overcrowded lounges. For women, Apeksha recommends “cozy ribbed co-ordinates to light flowy dresses (in linen and cotton) paired with simple earrings and comfortable flatforms.” For men, she says, “Relaxed fittings such as linen shirts with trousers or shorts and comfortable sliders.”

‘Be dressed to kill, not get killed’

Ashwin Mawle is a celebrity fashion stylist with 10 years of styling experience. He has styled Jr Ntr, Varun Tej, Pooja Hegde, Raashi Khanna, Ram Pothineni, Nithin, Mehreen Pirazada, Allu Sirish, Sai Dharam Tej and others. He states that this season, the trending hairstyles for men are modern pompadour, sleek gel back and messy front curls, while for women, pixie and shags with messy hair are very in. For a candlelight Valentine’s dinner, he recommends, a “sleek look” and shares: “Gelled back look for men. And sleek straight hair or pulled back look for women.” He adds jokingly, “Be dressed to kill, not get killed,” and recommends wearing darker deeper colours such as teals, olives, and maroon oxbloods.

Love is in the hair!

Anusha Mytreya, CEO and owner, Cocoon Salons, a chain of neighbourhood salons says, “This is the perfect time to play with your hair.” She has compiled some beautiful, trendy yet easy hairstyles that will make you look spectacular.

Express Yourself

Celebrity makeup artist Sandy has created stunning looks for Lakshmi Manchu, Rakul Preet Singh, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kajal Aggarwal, Taapsee Pannu, Ram Charan Tej, Vijay Devarakonda, Allu Arjun, Upasana Kamineni Konidela and others. He says the most sought after makeup item is foundation. “Most brands have satin-textured foundations, which give the skin an ultra-smooth and natural look,” says he. He shares his beauty tips to get that glow on V-Day.

For women

Style 1

Side braid for short hair: An easy style achieved only with a side braid and headband.

• Separate a front section of the hair and create a braid going down the side and tuck it at the back
• Carefully fan the braid out for extra volume
• Add a band

Style 2

Effortless wavy ponytail: Try this cute and fashionable style on medium to long hair.

• For extra lift, backcomb your crown area and gather the rest of your hair into a high ponytail with a hair tie
• Add some waves for extra volume and a chic look

Style 3

Side swept curls: This glamorous hairstyle is classic and elegant.

• Create a deep side part and sweep hair on the side
• Create three lines of braids on the other side and tuck them at the back
• Add some loose curls and let your hair flow down the shoulder
• Use hairspray

For men

Style 1

Messy hairstyle: 

• Start with blow-drying the hair to achieve the shape you want.
• Take a small amount of holding clay and work it into the back of your hair moving forward
• You want it to look rumpled- and not too precious when finished

Style 2

Slicked back hairstyle:

• Make sure you have two-three inches of hair on top and set it with volume-boosting products

Skin Prep
Exfoliating: My fav DIY face scrubs are honey with olive oil or coconut oil added with either sugar or salt or options as ground coffee or oatmeal.

Face Packs: Add besan to yogurt face packs to help remove tan and dullness.

Hydration: Well moisturised skin not only looks supple and healthy, but let’s makeup sit well on the face too. Give your skin boost of hydration by using serums and oils.

Face rollers: Works wonders to define that jawline and help with lymphatic drainage; use after applying a hydrating serum.

Gorgeous makeup looks
Red is the colour of the season: Pair a bold red lipstick with little or no eye shadow, no eye makeup or just mascara.

Bright lipstick with nude makeup: Keep one feature highlighted either lips or eyes.

Thin eye liners: Keep eye liners thin and winged.

Glossy eyes: Apply lip gloss on eyes in place of an eyeshadow to create that glossy effect.

Dewy, bare, nude skin: A makeup no makeup look is the biggest trend ever.

Blush/cheek tints: Coloured tints are trending; add a bit of lip tints on the cheeks to give it a inner glow.

Brushed brows: Soft, textured and fluffy brows.

Smokey eyes:  Apply moderately on the eye and smudge to give that soft smokey effect.