Sonakshi Sinha-Inspired Makeup Tips For Your Big Fat Indian Wedding

Summer is not only about sunshine, it is also about weddings, and if the wedding is a big fat Indian one, glamour is the rule! At Sonakshi Sinha’s recent nuptials, her neutral and red wedding outfits with timeless make-up demonstrated that regardless of your colour palette the rule always applies.  In this blog, I breakdown how Sonakshi’s eye make-up took centre stage and her soft complexion and neutral lips played strong side heroes in her nuptial looks.

The Eye Look – How To Choose What To Do?

An easy rule of thumb to follow is to decide on your outfit and then develop the make-up look.  If your outfit is a neutral shade like cream, camel, soft metallic or taupe, you can have fun with more a more elaborate make-up look.  Conversely if your outfit veers towards jewel tones and primary shades, the make-up should focus on defined eyes so that they standout next to the colour.

I recommend starting with the eye makeup, by brushing up the eyebrows, filling in the sparse areas and setting them with a clear gel.  I then curl the eyelashes and apply eye patches.  The latter step ensures that the skin under the eyes is plump and smooth for concealer, and the patches will catch errant particles eyeshadow. I recommend the award winning Wander Beauty Baggage Claim™ Eye Masks because they infuse the delicate area with hydration, reduce the appearance of fine lines, depuff and smooths the area, so concealer application will be easy.

Softly Smoking Hot

Sonakshi’s eye make for her private wedding ceremony was a soft smoky look that ensured definition without hardness and did not create any shadow that brings out dark circles.  To achieve this look, I recommend colour washing the eyelids in a soft matte neutral shadow from the Violette_FR Yeux Paint collection.  This pigment rich, blendable shadow collection includes three neutral shades, Tendre Corail (great option for deep skin tones), Tout Doux  (fantastic for lighter skin tones) and Petite Culotte (perfect for my medium skin tone). I only need a droplet of product to colourwash, and the colour sets in seconds and does not crease.  The shadow instantly brightens the eye area, and you have a strong base for subsequent powder shadow colour that will withstand the rigour of the festivities.

To create the soft smoky eye Nars newest Quad Eyeshadow palettes in Koh Rong (great for darker skin tones) and St Paul de Vence (ideal for light to medium skin tones) are fantastic options).  Each quad is numbered similarly in that the top left shade is I, and going in a clockwise direction the shades are numbered II, III and IV.  This is how to use the quad to create a soft smoky look:

1. Using a stiff, duck-billed brush, fill in the mobile lid using shade III;
2. Using a soft bristled brush, softly define the crease using shade II
3. Using a stiff angled brush, dip it in shade IV and tap it gingerly along the top eye line to create a soft look;
4. Using the same brush, use the remaining shadow make a soft line on the lower lash line, being careful to not tug excessively and to not add too much colour;
5. Using a smudger brush, tap the lines to make them softer and smokier.

To ensure that the eyes have a touch of sootiness use a volumizing mascara that separates the lashes.  I recommend the Vasanti Kajal Big Up! Volumizing Mascara because the pigment is an unabashed obsidian, and the bristle dense brush ensures that each lash will be coated in product.

The Thick Black Line

If your outfit is jewel-toned follow all of the tips listed above, except for the smoky eyes and replace it with the steps outlined below.

Sonakshi’s reception outfit was a classic, resplendent red, and her eyeliner was pure Dream Girl of the seventies.  For this liner, I like to use a black liquid liner such as the Clinique High Impact Easy Liquid Liner because it is a pure black shaded and the thin tip allows you to vary the thickness of the line according to the shape of the eye.  Here are the steps that I use to create the winged liner look:

1. I trace a thin line from inner to the outer of the eye;
2. At the outer corner, I look down and carefully draw a thin line that is 60 degrees pointed towards my temple, and is only 1-2 millimetres long, and I immediately repeat this step on the other eye;
3. Depending on your eye shade and outfit, you may wish to add another millimetre to the outside line but think conservatively because if the line is too long it could easily veer into kitsch territory
4. Take the liner and connect the outside edge of the outline back to the eye line so that you create a triangle
5. Fill in the triangle with liner;
6. Once the triangle is filled, stand back and review if you need make the line between the corner and mid-pupil thicker, if so, trace a parallel line to the original line.

Glowing Base

Sonakshi’s skin in both outfits was low wattage glowing with softly defined cheeks.

Dark circles are not an option for this look, and I recommend using a matte concealer that has lasting power.  If you prefer a stick concealer, as I do for the summer months, the legendary Clé de peau Concealer (12 shades) is amazing.  It is featherlight so you can apply a few layers and it will not settle into fine lines.

I like to use a compact bristle brush to paint on the layers, such as the Shiseido Tsutsu Fude Concealer Brush, because its head is small enough to shade the inner corner of the eyes. I use the Toffee shade, since the peach shade is evident and this single product serves as both a corrector and concealer.

If you need a colour corrector, I will never tire of recommending the Live Tinted! collection of Huestick® All—Over Color Corrector because it really makes short shrift of stubborn circles.  This colour corrector pairs well with a lightweight serum-like liquid concealer that can be built with thin layers.

Tula Radiant Skin Brightening Serum Concealer (20 shades) is a wonderful option because this a skincare driven product, that provides medium to full coverage that resists creasing and brightens the eye area.

Once the undereye area is set, I like to use a light base that evens my skin tone, not hide it.  Remember that every shade of brown is pretty and is meant to be appreciated, and this appreciation starts with us making sure that we use products that match our under tone and skin tone.

If your skin in on the oilier side, a matte foundation that is lightweight and will last all day on the skin is the Guerlain No-Transfer High Perfection Foundation – 24H Care & Wear (16 shades).  This lasting foundation is matte, but not flat, because it contains a hint of pure 24-karat gold (which is perfect for a big fat Indian wedding!) and skin care ingredients such as the hydrating white peony extract.

If you are looking for a subtle glow that creates the illusion of 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep, Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid (13 shades available) is the answer.  This lightweight fluid firms and brightens the skin and leaves a soft satin finish that allows your skin, not the discolouration, to peak through.

Once the complexion is completed, I like to work on the cheeks, by tapping on a luminous blush, and Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush is a great two-in-one product. In each beauty look, Sonakshi’s face is softly structured without any hard lines and this highlighting blush allows you to achieve the same soft structure.  I am fascinated by the texture of this blush, because it is fine milled and goes on whisper light, yet it imparts so much light and it look effortless. I like to dab it on the tops of my cheeks up until my temples, to create a lifted look.

The final step is to set the face, and this is where we need to be wary of translucent powders, because for darker skinned beauties, this shade sometimes looks ashen.  Given that weddings are intense image capturing events, during which you are photographed and captured in other types of media, it is prudent to use a lightweight powder that matches your skin tone, to set the concealer and to create a soft veil on sweaty areas such as the upper lip and forehead.  Rare Beauty Radiance Setting Powder (5 shades available) is a silky powder that smooths, blurs and controls shine.  Its lightweight feel is a great way to create a fresh finish.

Lips – Neutral And Knowing

The element that makes Sonakshi’s wedding make-up modern is her use of the neutral lip in both her cream and red coloured outfits, when the classic choice is to use red lipstick with the red outfit and a brown lipstick with the neutral one.

The main advantage of a neutral lip at a wedding is that when you bite into one of the many pakoras, samosas and sweets, the lipstick is bound to come off.  If you choose a dark colour, the smudged lip is obvious to all and asunder, a neutral lip not so much.

I am big fan of the Ctzn Cosmetics neutral lipsticks and liners because the website’s quiz takes the guesswork out of finding your perfect neutral lipstick- gloss – lip liner combination.

However if you prefer a chubby stick, which is on the comeback trail, I recommend the Nars Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencil. When I swipe on the chubby pencil, I am swept back to the nineties when this format was king, and I love it.  The convenience is unbeatable, and the matte finish is lasting.

Beauty Bliss

Being a wedding guest is an exalted honour because you have been chosen to witness an important day in the life of a couple that is taking a step towards a common dream.  Part of this honour comes with the responsibility of looking your best, and as Sonakshi demonstrates, the beauty look does not need to be intricate or excessive to be a winning one.  A few well-chosen products and a fundamental belief in the beauty of your skin colour are what you need to look great at the festivities.

Featured Images from left to right: Sonakshi Sinha www.bollywoodhungama.com and www.economictimes.com