Get ready to be beautiful

‘What should be my look for the day?’ — is an important question most Malayali women ask these days. Carefully they choose their favourite products and apply the moisturiser, foundation and compact first. Then comes the lip shade and eyeliner style. Should it be the simple eyes or winged eyeliner, pinup or bold? She is happy as she zeroes in on the pinup style and completes the look.  Gone are the days when makeup was considered as something awful. Young Malayali women have started embracing it and are open to experiments. They don’t hesitate to wear bold colours on their lips and bring out the smokey effect on their eyes. One reason behind this shift in attitude is internet penetration. It has opened a whole new world of makeup options before them and there are makeup bloggers and vloggers to guide them. All one needs to do is to choose what suits her skin tone.

“It is evident” says Swetha Vinod, a Kochi-based beauty vlogger, who is an architect by profession. When she started her YouTube Channel ‘Glam Tzu’ one-and-a-half years ago, things were different. “Earlier, people used to judge those who apply makeup. Though people watched videos, they didn’t dare to do it while going out. Now, you won’t spot a girl without at least lipstick in Kochi,” she says.  Like Swetha said, most millennial women carry makeup kit in their bags, along with the comb. “I follow videos on YouTube and Instagram for new styles in hair and makeup. I search for homemade remedies too,” says Nidhi James, a third year Fashion Technology student at St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam. She chooses normal makeup for regular days.

One of the looks Swetha created.

 “An eyeliner and lipstick would do on normal days. If it is a special occasion, I will do contouring and use highlighter,” she adds. Nidhi is a follower of a beauty brand on social media, which keeps her updated about new products introduced for various skin tones.  Her friend, Mansi Joshi, is a follower of Natasha Moor on Insta. “She comes up with some interesting styles,” says Mansi, who is also an actor. “I like the way she blends makeup and brings effects, natural and glossy, to the look.” Mansi too prefers light makeup on campus, but when asked about her favourite style she says, “I like smokey effect. It will gel with almost all looks,” she opines. 

Entrepreneur Priya Menon prefers natural ingredients over brands and she uses the internet to find those natural remedies. From the internet, she has learned how to make kajal, shampoo, conditioner, scrub and even foundation. “We all know that the products in the market contain chemicals. So, I thought of making them at home using locally available ingredients. First, I made kajal. I knew the basic steps to make it, but it would smear. I surfed the internet and found out that adding crushed almond and a few drops of ghee would solve that. I created it and it was good,” explains Priya. 

In her opinion, washing your hair with baking soda diluted with water would serve the purpose of shampooing and a mix of coffee powder and coconut oil is a good scrub. “You can even prepare foundation at home using arrowroot powder and cocoa powder,” says Priya. “If it is a westerner’s tutorial, that person would be listing the ingredients available there. Then, I will have to find regional alternatives. Coconut oil, which is available in plenty here, is the base of majority of homemade items. All this information is available on the internet. You need to spend some time on that, that’s it,” adds Priya. 

More than blogs, people prefer video tutorials. However, it depends who one chooses. If you choose a tutor, whose skin tone is different from yours, you won’t get the desired outcome. Swetha says that is one reason why she started her own channel. “I used to follow a few. But, it was hard to find those who matched my skin type and use locally available products. Hence, started own channel,” says Swetha. “A major chunk of my followers are South Indians. No matter how many new vloggers appear, they would follow me as they can relate to me.” In her opinion, a vlogger becomes a beauty enthusiast’s part of life over time. “There are two kinds of makeup— natural and full-coverage makeup. Keralites prefer natural makeup. They do the latter for occasions.”  She believes that the trend will grow with time. “Obviously, it will grow. The fact is, deep inside, every woman wants to look beautiful.”