WHEN it comes to Indian weddings, anyone who has walked down the petal-ed aisle will know that your look and attire comes in for intense scrutiny.
From the make-up, hair and accessories, the mantra for an Indian wedding in the past has been more is, well, more; the bigger the hair, the thicker the kajal, the chunkier the jewellery, all ingredients for a successful ceremony. The emphasis was on standing out.
However as Indian brides and grooms evolve, influenced by Hollywood and Indian cinema to a large extent, the new mantra now is less is more, especially where their make-up is concerned.
Make-up artists told tabla! that brides, both north and south Indian, want a modern, classy, natural and elegant look with an emphasis on one feature... usually the eyes or the lips.
As Ms Salamath Begum of Mythilis Salon and Beauty Parlour said: "Brides just want to look like themselves on their wedding day."
MsA. Shanti, a make-up artist and consultant with Stylemart, has developed a reputation over the last 15 years as someone who firmly believes in the less is more concept when it comes to bridal make-up.
"It's about bringing out their inner beauty and most brides now want to look like the best version of themselves on their wedding day," said Ms Shanti. "They can still have many colours, but it's about how you blend them. You won't see the different colours, like a painter's palette, like you did in the past."
And Ms Rashida Husain from Reflexion Beauty Centre says eyes are getting a lot more attention this season. With their naturally big eyes, Indian brides are realising that their eyes should be accentuated because it just comes out better in the photographs.
"They want either smoky eyes or glittery, shiny eye make-up," said Ms Husain. But not too heavy handed on the glitter though.
Freelance make-up artist Sarah Chaudhry, 25, agreed that giving the eyes a bit more emphasis while keeping the rest of the face simple is the rage among soon-to-be brides.
"Brides ask me for a gold and red smoky eye combination which I've found flatters all skin tones. And if they feel the need for a little more sparkle, we add gold glitter to finish off the look," she said.
And this is where the Hollywood influence comes in, adds MsChaudhry, as brides often ask for the Kim Kardashian look... the defined, smoky eyes of the reality television star. Ms Aarti Naidu of Maaya's Secrets said that thanks to the movies and cable television, brides want to copy the looks of film and television stars.
"Sometimes the make-up concept they are requesting won't suit them so we have to adjust it to make sure it does," she said.
Vanessa Beauty Salon's Elizabeth Mathavan said she has had brides asking for Aishwarya Rai-style eyebrows and make-up.
"Sometimes I just have to tell them it won't suit their face," she added.
Ms Benzin Vincy, salon manager with Rupini's Beauty Consultant, told tabla! that if the brides get the eyes and lips right, it pulls the look together.
"Even if they showed up with just properly done eye make-up and gorgeous lips without doing the rest of the face, they can get away with it," she said.
Another less is more make-up trend among today's brides is foundation. In the past the "pancake foundation", where three layers of powder - usually in a lighter shade - would be applied, leaving the brides with visibly darker necks and unnaturally whiter faces. These days a lighter hand is preferred when applying the base coat.
With "better quality and variety of make-up products" according to Ms Husain, brides are also asking for a "glowing" look which can be achieved with highlighters, luminisers and rouge that range from light pinks to those with a red base.
Indian lips are also getting a make-over. Gone are the days of the fire-engine red lip colours to match wedding outfits. Some brides are opting for a light, sweet pink or nude coloured lip.
However, the nude lip is an idea that some brides are not too comfortable with yet.
