A Look into Sonam Kapoor's Closet

Sonam loves Agent Provocateur for their sexy, yet comfortable lingerie

Her favorite is her Agent Provocateur lingerie. It's this red lace thing that she has, she describes it as being beautiful and very sexy.

Sonam Kapoor in an Anuradha Vakil creation.

Next, she loves her Anuradha Vakil outfits. She describes every piece being a masterpiece.

Sonam in a DVF shawl and sunglasses

Her Diane Von Furstenburg dark glasses, jeans, vests, and gym clothes are her favorites.

From clutches to his signature strappy sandals, Sonam adores everything he makes

Shoes are another weakness of Sonam's, she loves her Jimmy Choo sandals and boots.

Sonam seen here with her favorite belt and Chanel bag

She also loves belts, her favorite one being a thick black belt she picked up from London. She says belts are a hot newfound obsession of hers. Her most precious possession right now is a Chanel bag that her best friend gave her. She describes the bag as plain black with gold chains.

Sonam loves Mickey Mouse!:)

She always wears a gold anklet, except when she's sleeping. She describes her style as funky, she says she has the weirdest things written on her tees. She loves her Disney t-shirts, her favorites include Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Superman.

She admits to loving make-up but not knowing how to use it

She also adds she is obsessed with make-up. She says she has two huge train cases full of make-up. She adds she has every color, every foundation, every skin product, though she doesn't use any of it, mainly because she says she doesn't know how to. She says she loves dressing up in dresses and loves fun hair-things.

Make-up Artists Cory and Aniruddha Talk About Body Make-up

Amrita Rao

Primers, powders, and shine are no longer just for the face. They are traveling southward to add that much-needed sparkle to your skin. After all, what’s a perfectly made-up face without a body to match? Enter: Body make-up for that smooth and satiny feeling all over.

Make-up expert Cory Walia explains that there are two kinds of body make-up. The first and the most essential is make-up that involves bringing all the exposed areas of the body to one tone. The second involves highlighting and contouring.

Tone trick
Make-up expert Aniruddha Chakladar says, “On most occasions, it is tough to apply make-up to all the exposed areas to match the face. The best option is to create a new skin tone altogether. So bring down the face tone, while lifting the body tone.”

Dabbing make-up all over, is impossible. Here, it is important to choose the same tone as the face to coordinate texture and shade.
“Before you begin application, smooth over some moisturizer (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion). Dot foundation and then blend with M.A.C 185 Body Buffer Brush,” says Aniruddha. It is also advisable to choose a pan-stick foundation (M.A.C Studio Stick Foundation) rather than messy liquid foundations. “Dust some M.A.C Select Moistureblend to finish,” adds Aniruddha.
If the arms are considerably darker than the face and you are hard-pressed for time to indulge in all-over body make-up, then Cory has a trick: “Apply base and colors on your face as you would have normally, but leave a natural tone on the edges around the face.”
While a face requires minute application, the body demands generosity. “Birthmarks and scars need heavier foundation (M.A.C Full Coverage),” says Aniruddha.
The same goes for a bare back in less-than-perfect condition. It may be tough to slap make-up on a zone that you can hardly reach, but imagine a back that is five shades darker than your face!

Play up
Body make-up is also about playing up your assets with a subtle touch. Aniruddha says that it is necessary to apply a primer (M.A.C Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF50) on the body before the shimmer and shine. Moisturize your body (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion) if the skin is even-toned or else dab some foundation (M.A.C Face And Body Foundation) to make it even.
Brush some M.A.C Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk/Golden Bronze (depending on your clothes), just brush some on the collarbones, shoulders, center of the arms and cleavage.

Body make-up can help highlight the cleavage beautifully. “Highlight the center of the cleavage in a shimmering hue (M.A.C Beauty Loose Powder in Dancing Light or Drizzlegold) and shade the edges of your bust with a darker color or a bronzer (M.A.C Iridescent Loose Powder in Golden Bronze). This gives the perfect depth,” explains Aniruddha.

“An overall sexy glow is easy to attain with a shimmer lotion. Just add some shimmer powder to your daily moisturizer (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion) and create your own shiny lotion (M.A.C Strobe Cream),” says Cory.

Amisha Patel

Here’s another style advice from Cory: If your outfit is dotted with Swarovski crystals and silver work, then use silver shimmer. A gold or bronze shimmer is for traditional zardosi and aari work. Also co-ordinate the shimmer shade with the jewelery tones.

“But be very careful with glitter. A dash on the shoulders is more than enough,” adds Cory.

Shilpa Shetty's Beauty Secrets

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer is her ultimate indulgence

I spend too much on
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer. I love it. They gave me some on a flight and as soon as I landed I went and bought some more.

Baby oil and coconut oil makes my skin soft and supple

My beauty regime is
Simple. I never use soap on my face, and I always make sure I take my make-up off at night. I use a concoction of Johnson's Baby Oil and Parachute Coconut Oil in equal parts – it’s the best thing for my skin.

Using beetroots on your cheeks? That's a first

My best beauty bargain is
Beetroot! If you want a natural flush, boil some beetroot in the microwave and rub a bit on your cheeks over your moisturizer. It always comes out the right color.

Shilpa is always seen with pink-nude lips

My beauty addiction is
Collecting lipsticks. I’m quite a freak about them. I have the same pink shade in every make, but I can’t stop buying them. I especially love Estée Lauder lipsticks.

Her fragrance, S2 is her baby

My fragrance reminds me of
Happy times. All the notes in S2 are favorites of mine. At its heart it contains jasmine, which reminds me of home, and when I smell it, it instantly takes me back to India. It’s very special to me.

My worst beauty disaster was
wearing bright blue contact lenses and red lipstick. At the same time. I have no idea why I did it – I must have been about 21 and colored lenses had just come in big time. It was a complete disaster.

Interview with Make-up Artist: Kumar Iyer

How does make-up help define a woman's personality?
One can easily identify whether a woman is an extrovert or an introvert based on the makeup she uses. Extroverts, usually experiment with bold statements, strong eye makeup or red lips. Introverts usually go for muted colors unless they are encouraged or coaxed to try a bold look, some women wouldn't even try

How would you define true beauty?
True beauty comes from the heart and sparkles in the eyes when you smile. We all are truly beautiful, yes we must smile more often

What is a quick way to change a day look to a special occasion or nighttime face?
Carry kohl at all times, a touch of kohl gets your dreary day eyes wake up to the evening. Also a lip palette with day and night colours, eg. a range of colors including nude lip colors in the day to a touch of glam reds for the evening

What advice can you offer women on how to best choose the right colors for their face?
Buy makeup in the day, apply your foundation and step outside in the day light to check. The glamorous makeup store lighting often foxes our sense of true color. Never try going too pale or too dark. Have make-up experts match your foundation for you.

What is the most important make-up tip we all should consider?
'Less is more', especially foundation.

What is the best way for a woman to improve her overall beauty?
'Inner beauty' radiates externally on your face. A healthy lifestyle which includes exercise and a wholesome diet. We all have to deal with stress by healthy changes in lifestyle, pampering our body with spa rituals, our face with good correct makeup and your heart with good deeds and spirituality or prayers.

What are the current trends in make-up today?
Bollywood trends rule Pakistan/India and wherever Pakistanis/Indians live. Pink is the hot color of the moment.

What advice do you have to make-up artists just starting out?
The Taj Mahal was not built in a day. Experimenting is important but not without prior trial or at an important occasion. Patience, situation handling and a charming attitude helps.

How much art is actually involved in make-up application?
We are dealing with a canvas which actually talks, feels, has likes dislikes and is human. One also has to achieve a look that has to be appreciated by your canvas. In all, it as a form of art, unfortunately it's temporary and is wiped off when the day is over

What are some beauty essentials for women on the go?
A vanity kit with a cleanser, an atomizer either Evian or M.A.C Fix +, cotton and ear buds and Vaseline. Kohl, mascara, your favorite lipstick, compact and yes the bigger your kit the bigger the confusion of choices to be made. Keep it small and simple

What's the worst thing a woman can do to her face?
Wear foundation lighter than her actual color, hoping it would make her fair

What do you think are best/worst trends in the beauty industry right now?
Shine shine and more shine. When overdone looks like grease especially in the tropics. Best trend would be airbrushing, and now we have an entire spectrum of brands to do so.

What make-up magazines/websites do you read regularly?
Whatever catches my attention, the usual Vogue, Elle etc...

I would like to thank Mr. Iyer for this wonderful interview. Ladies if you would like to ask Mr. Iyer any questions, leave me a comment with your name, and question.

Beauty Talk With Katrina Kaif

• My biggest beauty fix is exercise — swimming, jogging, and lifting weights — this gives my face and body a boost of blood circulation, that way my skin feels healthier.
  
  
  
  Some of Katrina's beauty indulgences are Anne Semonin's Oil and Shahnaz's Herbal Clinic
  
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  I kick start my day with three to four glasses of water. I am addicted to Anne Semonin's Balancing Apricot Kernel Oil.
  
  
• My favorite beauty spot is The Shahnaz Husain Herbal Clinic.
  
  
  
  Katrina loves YSL's Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in black, brown, blue, violet, burgundy, and green. She exclaims, "I have every color they've made."
  
• I like to play up my eyes with different colored mascaras by Yves Saint Laurent.
  
  
  
  She keeps her skin healthy with products by Mene & Moy and Lancôme
  
• A beauty rule that I follow is to always cleanse my face of all make-up, however tired I may be. I use a facial cleanser by Mene & Moy which has 4% glycolic acid and Lancôme's Galatée Confort Cleansing Milk to get rid of all facial impurities.
  
  
  
  She swears by Kérastase and Anne Semonin for her hair and face
  
• My quick fix before a party is flat ironing or loose curling my hair. I use Kérastase Bain Volumactive Shampoo which leaves my hair soft and manageable. So styling my hair becomes easy.
  
  
• To deal with a beauty emergency I rely on a mineral mud mask by Anne Semonin. It calms my skin and gets rid of any surprise zits.
  
  
  
  Katrina loves using products by M.A.C and Laura Mercier to make her look pretty
  
• My look for the coming season is traditional with more emphasis on my eyes with different colored M.A.C Technakohl Liners, (my favorties include: Graphblack, Brownborder, Purple Dash, Auto-de-blu, and Jadeway) and keeping my cheeks and lips neutral with Laura Mercier Bronzing Powder and M.A.C Tinted Lipglass in Underage.
  
  
  
  To keep her skin and lips refreshed the entire night she loves Clarins and Smith's Rosebud
  
• My bedside table essentials include Clarins Gentle Night Cream, and Smith's Rosebud Salve to keep my skin and lips hydrated and moisturized
  

M.A.C Viva Glam AIDS Fund Campaign by Make-up Artist Mickey C.

Mickey Contractor and Farah Khan

Mickey Contractor and Farah Khan

Farah Khan, Kajol, Tanisha

Kajol and Tanisha

Mickey Contractor will be holding charity workshops towards AIDS awareness



From Jaya Bachchan to her daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, Mickey Contractor has made beautiful women look even more beautiful. Rani Mukherji swears by his talent & Sushmita Sen thinks he is just wow!

The make up artist, who has been in this field for 27 years now, will be holding make up sessions with all those who contribute for the MAC Aids Fund raiser. In fact, those who buy the M.A.C Viva Glam Lipsticks/Lipglasses will get to spend 15 to 30 minutes with the expert.

Mickey says, “The proceeds, even the manufacturing cost of the lipstick, will be dedicated to AIDS awareness and towards shelter and home for kids of parents, who have been victims of this disease. When I read the facts and the figures about the people who die of AIDS in our country everyday and the children getting orphaned due to the same I get shocked.”

He adds that it’s payback time for him. “Even if it means that I will be completely exhausted through the day, I don’t care.”

Mickey thinks that some people backing off from charity is ‘weird’. He says, “We must not forget that one lipstick can buy a thousand condoms and can be instrumental in saving a thousand lives.”

Deepika Padukone's Make-up Tips

Make-up is a must for every actress, especially if she happens to be the “international ambassadress” for Maybelline. Here are Deepika’s tips, on make-up and more:

• Choose the right foundation shade. If you have great skin, don’t dab unnecessarily, use it only under the eyes and on blemishes — as concealer. Deepika recommends, Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Makeup.
  
  
• Use a mascara, she recommends Maybelline Lash Stylist Waterproof Mascara. The brush is fantastic and adds volume naturally.
  
  
• Suck in your cheeks and apply the blush, she recommends Maybelline Expert Wear Blush. The brush that comes with the blush, it's bristles are soft; clean it after use.
  
  
• Evening make-up need not always be dramatic and over-the-top. If you like the natural look, then stick by it at night too, just add more mascara.
  
  
• Never put too many good things together; they all get lost. Let few great things shine through.

Guidelines to Become a Make-up Artist by: Aniruddha C

• Make-up can do wonders is the most common phrase used nowadays. It is believed to be capable of transforming a plain Jane into a glamorous starlet. The biggest mistake most people in the profession seem to make is in doing away with a personality completely and creating an artificial façade instead. The very aura and essence of a person must come out at all times and the use of make-up is simply to enhance and not transform that aura. The extrovert, the introvert, the shy, the coquettish will each have her own style of make-up.

• Two essential attributes required to make it in this profession are a basic aesthetic sense and the right attitude. This is a creative job and in my opinion you either have it or you don't. Anybody can learn those certain amateurish dos and don'ts in applying make-up but without that creative instinct and flair, there really is no point. If you cannot visualize the person's aura and change through make-up, the profession will seem monotonous and boring.
  

• If you want to broadly categorize three styles in applying make-up, they can be the natural, nude look (which gives the no-make-up look during the day), the shimmer and shine look, and the wild and smoky look. The shimmer look came into vogue and with it did hundreds of different varieties of cosmetic products providing glitter, both underplayed and in-your-face. The smoky look is adopted to provide that extra sensuousness to a person. All these are dependent on the parameters drawn by a person's complexion and personality. Never play around with the fact that what suits one person may not suit another.

• Pakistani/Indian women have always been prided on her incredible eyes. The exotic appeal of the eyes can only be defined with the use of a kohl pencil (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder). Very few women abroad can carry this off with as much élan as a Pakistani/Indian. I believe in focusing more on the eyes than the rest of her face and creating subtle, yet stark nuances with it.

• What is a social life? What is a personal life? If you want to succeed in this profession, no such thing can ever exist. If you think this is a glamorous profession comprising dressing up the rich and famous, you are mistaken. Dedication and commitment are essential and work must come before all else.

• So how do you make a name for yourself? Sheer publicity. The game lies in word-of-mouth where one person will tell five, who in return will tell another 20 and so on.

• A word of advice: Never think that you have done it all or you can't go further. The biggest competition is yourself. You must live by the motto "Tomorrow's work is always better than today's."

Some of Kareena's Favorite Things

This post is not completely make-up related, the scans are from Hi! Blitz Magazine.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

Kareena Kapoor's World:

• Most Glamourous Person: Charlize Theron (I totally agree the woman's gorgeous)
  
• Her Favorite Holiday: Paris, with now ex-boyfriend Shahid K
• Her Favorite Cosmetic: Chanel Le Crayon Khol in Noir (On my 'to-purchase' list♥)
• Her Fear: Loneliness
  
• Her Favorite Designer: Giorgio Armani
  
• Her Favorite Actress: Karisma Kapoor (I agree, I ♥ her)
• Favorite Style Icon: Victoria Beckham (I love her style as well, she's classy as all hell)
  
  
• Her Beauty Tip: She washes her face six to seven times a day with cold water
• Worst Smell: Smell of prawns/shrimp
• Favorite Restaurant: Basilico, she loves the tomato soup there
• Her scent: Ralph Lauren Glamorous
  
• Her best buddy: Manish Malhotra
• Her favorite shoes: Prada, heels/flats, she loves them all
  
• Her sunshine: She can't go through the day without her morning work-out
• Her comfort food: Pav Bhaji (consists of the bhaji, a potato based curry and the pav, bread garnished with coriander and chopped onions)
• Her favorite actor: Shahrukh Khan (I agree, I agree, I agree, he is the sexiest man alive)
  

Lead in Lipsticks

Shiseido

Red Earth Lipgloss

Chanel Lip Conditioner

Chiristian Dior

Lancôme

Clinique

YSL

Estée Lauder

The Brands which contain lead are:

1. Shiseido
2. Red Earth Lipgloss
3. Chanel Lip Conditioner
4. Christian Dior
5. Lancôme
6. Clinique
7. Yves Saint Laurent
8. Estée Lauder

The higher the lead content, the greater the chance of causing cancer.

After doing a test on lipsticks, it was found that the Yves Saint Laurent lipstick contained the most amount of lead.

Also, watch out for those lipsticks which are supposed to stay longer. If your lipstick stays longer, it is because of the higher content of lead.

Here is the test you can do yourself:

* Put some lipstick on your hand.
* Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
* If the lipstick color changes to black then you know the lipstick contains lead.