Look Like The Stars With Our Expert Beauty & Fashion Tips Inspired By South Asian Celebs At #TIFF24

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a forum in which creativity and commerce mix… but it is also a space where fashion and beauty shine.  Year after year, the South Asian presence at TIFF has increased, and with it the evolving face of South Asian glamour has been on display and demonstrates how our rainbow of beauty can be embellished with more than just gold.  In this fashion and beauty analysis of TIFF, I examine the looks of five talented South Asian artists and demonstrate how you can adopt their stylish ways into your look.

Durga Chew-Bose

Canadian novice film director of the TIFF favourite Bonjour Tristesse and winner of the Emerging Talent Award, Durga Chew-Bose, cut a striking figure at her film premier, dressed in a classic menswear suit paired with smoky eyes.

When I first saw Chew-Bose in a charcoal grey straight suit with a black button-up shirt, I was impressed by how she stood out decked out in dark neutrals, in a straight line, slim suit whilst wearing only a simple pair of metallic hoop earrings.  Her dark look symbolised the word tristesse (sadness), yet her strong posture made it clear that she was not going to sit and cry in the corner.  Chew-Bose was taking and remaining centre stage, and the sea of pastel gowns just created a canvass against her look which whispered hints of the legendary yesteryear Bollywood legend, the Hunterwali aka the Fearless Nadia, whose action stunts and fashion pushed the envelope of the Hindi screen heroine during the dirty thirties.

In the everyday life, Chew-Bose’s look is practical in that everyone can always use a dark suit for business meetings and interviews, but if the look is too heavy, I suggest investing in a pair of black straight legged trousers.  It mimics the menswear look without being excessively masculine and the leg can pair well with heels, flats and booties. I would pair the pants with a button up dark cardigan sweater, making sure that the knit is a merino wool or cashmere, as Chew-Bose’s look was sleek, even if it was not skintight.  Remember that the bottom of the cardigan should fall a few centimetres past your waistline, so that you can enjoy the length of a business jacket without the formality of one.

Chew-Bose’s beauty beat was all about the simple smoky eye, and for this look I recommend three products:

1. A neutral eyeshadow base that covers discolouration such as Rare Beauty All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick in Integrity (Champagne) or Adventure (bronze);

2. A dark liner that you can smudge using either a smudger brush or a cotton bud, such as the Stila Stay All Day® Smudge  Stick Waterproof Eye Liner ;

3. An obsidian mascara that lifts and fattens the eyelashes so that you expose sclera and create a gorgeous frame for the irises, such as Vasanti Kajal Big Up! Volumizing Mascara.

Here are the quick steps to a create a smoky eye:

1. Colour wash the eye lids with the neutral eye shadow;
2. Curl the eyelashes;
3. Draw a soft line from the inner to the outer corner of the upper lash line;
4. Immediately tap the eye line using a light hand so that the line becomes soft and somewhat diffused;
5. Define the waterline using the same pencil;
6. Apply 2-3 coats of mascara, making sure to add an extra coat to the outer lashes to elongate the eye.

Mehazabien Chowdhury

Bangladeshi actress, Mehazabien Chowdhury, the star of the film Saba, and now an official sensation of TIFF, looked resplendent at her film premier wearing a tulle, cream coloured sari that was accented with silver and pearl beading.

This sari confirms that brown skinned beauties need not always rely on red and other like colours to look glamourous and to command the room – neutrals also suit us perfectly. Chowdhury’s sari is a fantastic inspiration for the upcoming holiday season, for the following reasons:

1. If you prefer muted, classic colours, your shade of cream will always be on point because neutrals are timeless. By your shade, I mean that every skin tone has its neutral, so if you are lighter toned, then your cream will be closer to milk, but if your skin tone is darker, you will likely veer towards a chai-creamy tone;
2. Pearls are always in style;
3. Tulle-type fabric is not heavy, so you can wear it during spring, summer and fall, and always remain comfortable, i.e. no sweaty thigh chafe;
4. The long sleeves are ideal in colder climates, and Mehzabien demonstrates that long sleeves work with saris;
5. The cream colour permits you to play with the blouse. For example, you can always switch out the matching blouse and replace it with a deep taupe and create an overall two-toned chai effect.  Neutrals, despite their practical nature, can be used to create lush combinations of colour that highlight the depth of brown beauty.

Chowdhury’s beauty beat was also on point, as it was soft and worked well with the sari. I love the soft lips, because it is a colour and style that is ideal for work and play, so you do not need to buy extra make-up for this look. To achieve the neutral lip look, I suggest trying out the WanderBeauty Lipsetter Dual Lipstick and Liner, which is a dual ended component, one side twists up to a soft, matte lipstick, and the other is a matching lip liner.  The collection contains 4 neutral shades, so you will likely find your perfect neutral.

Malala Yousafzai

Pakistani education rights activist and Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai in her capacity as a film producer proudly premiered her film at TIFF, The Last of the Sea Women.  Her soft, sea foam green salwar outfit was the perfect ode to the subject of her film which documents the lives of the haenyeo, a centuries-old community of female free divers who live on Jeju Island, South Korea.

As we are in the midst of autumn, a shade like sea foam green might seem counterintuitive to the earth tones that dominate the seasonal palette but this colour contrasts beautifully against ash brown shades.  The kurta is particularly captivating because the bell sleeves which are accented by eyelet-type finishes, and its overall shape evokes the image of an urbane version of the seventies peasant blouse with a South Asian twist.

Yousafzai’s kurta, which I would shorten by several centimetres, can be the basis for a feminine, modern date night look that is suitable for autumn evenings.  First, the kurta’s long sleeves allow you to wear a thin undershirt, so you can add a layer of warmth which permits you to forgo a fall sweater.  Second, the lightness of the kurta contrasts beautifully against a pair of monochromatic, boot cut dark brown or indigo jeans.  I would also cut a long strip from the dupatta and loop it into the jeans as a belt.  The belt allows the eye to transition from the top to bottom, and see the look as a whole unit, whilst playing on the dark versus light in terms of colour scheme and airy versus heavy in terms of fabric weight.

Yousafzai’s romantic outfit was anchored by her strong eyes, which are intense and always framed by strong, thick eyebrows. To achieve the eyebrows, I recommend using a pencil with a microtip and then setting with a clear brow gel.

I am a fan of the Benefit Cosmetics Precisely, My Brow Pencil because the tip is minute and fine, so you can draw individual hairs where the eyebrows are sparse; the pigment is not harsh, so your eyebrows looks natural.  The collection contains 12 shades, so every beauty will find her shade.

After I fill in my spareness, I set my brows using the Live Tinted™ Huebrow Clear Setting Eyebrow Gel, because the applicator has two sets of combs, one set has more space between the teeth, which permits me to deposit the gel, and then the second comb with the denser teeth, allows me lift and set the brows.  I love that this gel never flakes and lasts all day.

Zoya Akhtar

Indian film director and screenwriter, Zoya Akhtar, premiered her film Superboys of Malegaon to much acclaim and applause.  Undoubtedly this screen gem will further cement Akhtar’s reputation as a quality film maker whose storytelling is captivating and magical.

For the premier, Akhtar’s look was an arresting combination of masculine and feminine elements, as she wore a menswear-inspired suit jacket which was embellished with silver beading and a mid-length cream, pleated skirt that also had a beautiful forest green print on the bottom.  The skirt is eye-catching because its pleating gives it movement and modernity, so even though it is long, it is not dowdy.  Moreover, the skirt is autumn-friendly because you can wear tights or high boots underneath, which will keep you warm on cool nights.  The green print possesses a sylvan beauty and because the print moves from the bottom up, it creates the illusion of length.  This type of skirt suits many types of morphology and since the structure is feminine and romantic, it can be worn year-round with flair.

Akhtar completed the feminine elements of her look with long, loose, wavy hair that framed her face and moved freely like her skirt.  This is easy to create at home with a few quick steps and simple products. Here is how to achieve romantic, loose waves:

1. After I wash my hair, I wrap it in a specialised towel such as the Aquis Wrap, because it is designed to absorb excess water. I love my wrap because I just wrap it, and after twenty minutes when the wrap begins to slide off, I find that my hair is 60% dry, and the best part is that since I did not rub my hair the cuticle laid flat and my hair is never frizzy.

2. I always apply approximately 1 teaspoon of a heat protectant product such as the Fable & Mane Mahamane™ Smooth & Shine Hair Oil, by patting it down the shaft of the hair, making sure to never touch the roots. I do not touch the roots because that is where the scalp’s natural oils accumulate, and adding product to this area weighs down the hair.

3. I then separate my hair in quadrants using hairstyling clips like the famous Hold Me Hair Clips from from Drybar.

4. I release one quadrant and using a flat brush and I blow the hair on a low setting until it is about 90% dry. I then plait the quadrant and attach it with an elastic.

5. I repeat step 4 for the remaining quadrants.

6. Once my hair is completely dry, I remove the elastics, and finger comb my hair, making sure to not stretch out the waves.

7. I set my hair with a lightweight hairspray such as Aveda air control™ light hold hair spray which sets the waves without weighing them down.

Alankrita Bora

Indian actress and model Alankrita Bora, starred in the film Tara and Akash: Love Beyond the Realms, which was a TIFF Lightbox screening event.  At the premier, she brought full glamour to the forefront and serves as an inspiration for the upcoming holiday season.

Bora’s black sweetheart gown, with a high slit was a sizzling look that will always attract attention because it is unapologetically sexy.  The gown is interesting because of the wavy beading design and the sweetheart neckline is defined by spike-shaped fabric.  The combination of the two elements infuse the gown with toughness and structure, and it works because Bora looks confident and has a beautiful posture.

If you want to look sexy but are wary of exposing both cleavage and leg in a single look, I recommend that you pick one body part to display.  Given that we are now in cooler climes, I prefer to display cleavage, because it is easier to bundle up in a sweater or shawl to remain warm.  The sweetheart neckline is classic, and if you like the edginess of the spikes on the gown, you can also achieve the same effect by wearing a spiky necklace that lays flat past the collarbones.

Bora’s beauty beat was all about highlighting and gleaming, and it photographed like a dream.  When you wear a gown which displays either the cleavage or the legs, it is imperative that the skin look even and hydrated.  To achieve this look, I recommend exfoliating and then massaging the body with a hydrating body oil that is mixed with a liquid highlighter.

I enjoy using the Rare Beauty Find Comfort Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash because it helps me to achieve smoother skin without the risk of irritation.  The formula contains plant-derived konjac jelly, a gentle exfoliant that buffs and cleanses.

After I rinse and dry off, I mix a body oil such as Naturium The Glow Getter Body Oil, with a few drops of the Live Tinted Hueglow Liquid Hightlighter Drops in Dawn (4 shades available), to create mixture that hydrates the body and leaves a sheen.

You will look instantly glamourous and feel more body confident.

Closing Thoughts

This year’s line-up of South Asian talent was impressive and diverse.  I loved that each artist featured in this blog radiated confidence and shared her own sense of grace with the world. Both their art and style choices highlight the beauty of the South Asian diaspora – and are easy to emulate in our daily lives.