With the country in various stages of ‘unlock’, more and more people are going back to work and starting to socialise again, from meeting friends to going to theatres. Add in the rising pollution and changing weather and many find themselves in quite a beauty conundrum—after almost a year of being shut away, many find themselves scrambling to get back to their skin and haircare routines. Here, we offer some tips and tricks from beauty experts to help you through this transition period.
Face the facts
“Remember the golden skincare rule before you step out: prep, prep, prep,” says Vibhuti Arora, founder of skincare line House of Beauty. “You’ve been at home—that means no direct sunlight, no pollution, and no breaks in between your emails or zoom calls, just indulgent skincare and pampering.” Her advice is to add a facetool, a face exercise or muscle stimulation massage along with your morning routine. “Do not forget to tone because prolonged wearing of a mask at work can lead to acne or pimples. Carry an ice roller or eye-cream to work so you can hydrate when needed,” she says, adding, “A good eye cream can work on your lips as a lip balm too—and don’t forget the sunscreen.”
Makeup trends
“Apply moisturiser and tinted sunscreens below the mask and avoid heavy foundations as they can easily cause break-outs of the skin and also stain the masks,” says Amritsar-based skincare specialist and dermatologist, Ameesha Mahajan of RM Aesthetics. Eye makeup, especially eye shadows, eyeliners and mascara, is trending for obvious reasons. “People are going lipstick-free and sticking to hydrating and repairing lip balms, but for occasions on which one has to go maskless, matte and transfer proof lipsticks are more in vogue,” says Mahajan. Masks are also known to sometimes cause acne, and therefore cleansing your face properly post-makeup is essential. “Double cleanse is the way to go. Use a makeup remover, either micellar water, oil or cream based till all the makeup comes off and the cotton pads are squeaky clean; followed by a face wash,” she says. Moisturise to repair the skin’s barrier.
