From Janhvi Kapoor’s classic feline flick to Deepika Padukone’s neutral tones, this diverse roundup of celebrity beauty looks will inspire your festive makeup choices this year
It’s that time of the year again. As the festive season approaches, it’s always fun to plan your beauty looks ahead of time. But perhaps you have more pressing concerns taking up your time? Or maybe you just don’t have the bandwidth to brood over whether a red lip or smoky eye is the right choice for you this year. No problem. We’re rounding up seven celebrity beauty looks across makeup genres that feel immensely festive. Among them, you’re sure to find one (or more) that suits your beauty sensibilities. Pick your favourites!
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1. A classic feline flick
You really can’t go wrong with a simple winged liner look, as Janhvi Kapoor demonstrated recently. A trick to getting it right? Opt for a black gel liner formula and a slim angled brush. Together, they’re the dream team to create the perfect feline flick. Also, make sure you paint your wings on with your eyes open, looking straight into the mirror, especially if your eyelids are hooded. Swipe a nude liner along the lower waterline to make the eyes appear bigger. A bold, ’50s-inspired filled-in brow is also a nice detail to add. Kapoor finished the look with sheer, glossy lips which made the makeup feel fresh and young.
2. A dark, berry lip
Prefer to focus on the lips? There’s no better time than the festive season to whip out all your favourite lipsticks in deep, wintry hues. Aditi Rao Hydari wore her bold lip with barely much else on the rest of her face, and that’s one of the best ways to do it. Eyeshadow and mascara are optional. Once you’ve got your rich berry lip on, just get your base to look even and dewy, define your brows, sweep some highlighter across the cheekbones and that’s it, you’re ready. You could keep the edges of the lip well-defined or go for a more lived-in look like Rao Hydari did by skipping lip liner and using a brush to lightly blur the edges.
3. Neutral tones and smudged liner
If you’re wearing loads of colour neck-down, it’s safest to work with a neutral colour palette for your makeup. Take inspiration from Deepika Padukone. Her smudged liner and subtle eyeshadow along the sockets add enough definition without seeming jarring. To achieve this, blend a medium-brown eyeshadow along your crease and smudge a waterproof kohl pencil in a charcoal hue along the top lash line. Skip falsies and give your natural lashes a good curl and coating of lengthening mascara. A cream highlighter will help you recreate Padukone’s dewy complexion. Then, swipe on your favourite creamy nude lip on to finish the look.
4. A bright lip
Karisma Kapoor makes a case for the bright, perfectly painted-on lip. This is best achieved with a lip brush and a matte lipstick. For a more intense effect, choose a liquid lipstick formula that dries completely matte. Kapoor paired her bright pout with a matching bindi, shine-free skin and what seems like almost no makeup around her eyes. But look closely and you will notice a hint of silvery-metallic eyeliner subtly defining her waterline. It balances the lip perfectly.
5. Flushed cheeks and a nude lip
Everyone’s always going on about choosing between a bold eye or a bold lip. But if you prefer minimalism on both fronts, consider adding a little bit of drama to your look with your choice of blush. Take a cue from Kiara Advani. She paired her classic black-liner-and-nude-lip combo with flushed, rosy cheeks. You could use either cream or powder blush to achieve this. Or, for a more dramatic (and long-wearing) effect, layer the powder blush over the cream. Just make sure you blend away the edges until they’re seamless, and add a touch of highlighter on top.
6. Pastel lids
Let Dia Mirza inspire you to match your eyeshadow to your outfit, even if it’s a bright shade. The secret to making it look cohesive but not too matchy-matchy is to choose an eyeshadow that’s from the same colour family but isn’t a perfect match—you want the slightest bit of contrast. Opting for a sheer, buildable formula also makes it easier to wear. For the rest of the face, avoid any vivid colours that will stand out. Instead, go for muted tones with creamy, luminous textures.
7. A smoky eye and bold lashes
Do you live for drama? Then, Pooja Hegde’s bronze smokey eye and big bold lash look is the one for you. You don’t need too many products for this. Just start with a glowy base, choose one intensely pigmented eyeshadow in a metallic brown shade and buff it along the eyelids—the colour should be most intense close to the roots of your lashes and diffuse as it approaches your eye socket. Then, stick on a pair of dramatic falsies, add a peachy nude lip and you’re ready to party.