ASK OUR EXPERT

Ojas Rajani, Celebrity Hair and Make-up Artist, answers queries of beauty professionals, giving them workable solutions that help in enhancing their craft.

How do I ensure that my bride’s make-up lasts longer, especially in outdoor or humid conditions?

-Maria Pinto ‘Less is more’ is always the rule to remember in humid conditions. Make-up tends to slip and become patchy, so the trick is to take a make-up buffing brush and blend your foundation well into the skin in circular motions, till the skin looks polished.Then set it with a setting powder and your make-up will last for more than 24 hours.

My bridal client has blemishes on her face but she doesn’t want heavy make-up. What should I do?

-Afreen Khan For blemished skin, start with a mattifying wax-based primer. Avoid using too much moisturiser, instead use a hydra spray or rose water before starting it, as it will seal in the moisture. Sparingly use a mattifying concealer on the blemishes in warm tones as it will help camouflage. Avoid cool tones. Use a powder foundation in a neutral tone and set your makeup. Avoid liquid foundation as it will aggravate the skin, instead use a powder foundation for a flawless finish.You can spray a dewy make-up fixer, keeping it 12 inches away from the face. It will give your make-up a dewy long lasting natural finish.

How do you handle last-minute changes or emergencies on the wedding day, such as skin reactions or unexpected weather conditions?

-Sofia H. Your make-up kit should always be weatherproof, in terms of products. If your client gets a rash or peeling skin or excessive bloating on the face, you need to remain calm and religiously run ice cubes all over her face for up to ten minutes.This will help calm the inflammation. For peeling skin, use a lubricating product such as Vaseline jelly. Massage it all over her face and then start the make-up. Avoid using powder instead use cream-based products. Sheet masks help to a great extent on allergies. Our mothers’ secret age-old remedy lacto calamine immediately replenishes and calms the skin. In case of bloating, try taking a shot of apple cider vinegar or coconut water. And most importantly, be patient and calm.

I am an experienced bridal artist. How do I get started with fashion make-up?

-Hemina Shah Fashion is your interpretation of beauty. It’s not about copy-pasting any particular look. Enjoy your creativity and experiment with colours and textures. Create your own little portfolio and use it to your advantage in a minimal glam way for your brides or opt for magazine shoots or designer shoots and collaborations with brands to create dramatic looks. But remember, modern women like fashionistas like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez. No one appreciates bizzar high fashion look like that of Lady Gaga.There’s a thin line between creative and crazy. Also, there is not much income in the high fashion scene.

My bridal client is showing me celebrity pictures from Instagram and asking me to replicate their look. How should I handle such requests?

-Sachin Nath The world is influenced by Bollywood hence, stick to the minimal soft glam look of make-up as it retains forever. You need to understand and learn how to uplift your client’s personality with a perfect hairstyle as the right make-up and hair can enhance your bone structure and features and add a dash of glamour. We all like to look glamorous. However, remember the thumb rule ‘less is more.’

To participate in Ask Our Expert and get your questions answered by Ojas Rajani, message your query to @ ProbeautyIndia on Instagram and Facebook. *Questions have been edited for clarity and length.