By: Melissa Waltz

The need to ensure that we take better care of our skin is at an all-time high. More people are realising that skincare is an essential daily routine to help keep up with our skin’s health. Developing a consistent skincare routine and investing in products that will help you achieve your goals is essential. 

Doing this will help prevent different skin conditions and control any signs of ageing that you may be experiencing. The skincare industry continues to evolve with the introduction of a variety of products that play a great role in ensuring that your skin stays healthy and well cared for. One of the products that are gaining serious traction is facial oils. 

These oils are designed to increase moisture and lock in hydration ensuring that your skin is well protected and nourished. However, you may be wondering why facial oils are becoming so popular. Well, here are some of the reasons why facial oils are gaining such great recognition in the skincare industry. 

They Don’t Clog Pores

With the right facial oil for your skin, clogged pores should be a thing of the past. These oils are designed to penetrate the skin to moisturise and provide added protection. In some cases, using facial oils can help reduce enlarged pores. This happens because the oils can easily pullout fat from the skin reducing the appearance of your pores. 

It is however important to ensure that you consult a dermatologist when it comes to choosing the best facial oil for your skin. This is mainly because depending on your skin type, some oils will clog your pores which goes contrary to what you want to achieve. A consultation with your dermatologist will give you the information you need to ensure that you invest in the right facial oils. 

They Help Keep the Skin Balanced

For most people, the thought of using oil especially on their faces is usually frowned upon. This is mainly because no one wants to walk around with an oily face, at least most people tend to avoid this. However, this thought limits the advantages oils bring to the skin leaving their skin vulnerable to different damaging conditions. 

With facial oils, this concern is fully addressed and you can enjoy the benefits of using oil on your skin without any reservations. Facial oils are designed to bring balance to your skin by controlling any excess sebum that may be produced. This applies to all skin types and allows you to use facial oils without having to battle with the fact that you’ll be too oily throughout the day. 

They are Designed to Seal in Moisture

Moisture is an essential factor when it comes to keeping up with your skin’s health. This is especially important when it comes to people with dry skin. Ensuring that your skin is well moisturised throughout the day will help keep it protected and adequately nourished. 

Most people tend to rely on moisturisers for this but in some cases, only relying on that might not be what’s beneficial to your skin. Instead, consider adding facial oils to your skincare routine. 

Facial oils applied after your moisturiser work well to ensure that the moisture is sealed in and your skin can absorb all the goodness it needs. With this, your skin will stay hydrated throughout the day which in turn reduces any risks of dryness. 

Facial Oils Improve Makeup Application

Makeup is designed to bring additional benefits to your skin especially in terms of appearance. However, to take full advantage of this, you need to first ensure that your skin is well moisturised and nourished. Skincare is essential when looking to invest in your makeup game. 

Facial oils come in handy when applying foundation given that they offer a smoother application. You can think of your facial oil as an incredible primer that will not only improve your makeup look but also add to the health of your skin. Using your facial oil as a primer comes in handy especially for dry skin where the application of foundation can result in a flaky and uneven finish. 

They Help Reduce Signs of Ageing

Most facial oils are derived from plants and are organic which brings incredible benefits to the skin. These oils feature important ingredients like antioxidants that help fight free radicals on the skin. 

These free radicals result in wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging of the skin which are all signs of ageing. Additionally, they also contribute to the appearance of dark spots, acne, and hyperpigmentation. 

Facial oils come in handy to correct this and bring your skin back to a more youthful and healthy glow. Working with a product like honey-infused face oil will not only nourish your skin but also get rid of fine lines and help even your skin tone.

Available for Different Skin Types

There are different types of facial oils in the market that come with some of the great benefits we’ve covered. The best thing about using facial oils is that they are suitable for all skin types which means no one is left out. 

Whether you have dry, oily, combination, or acne-prone skin, you can enjoy the use of facial oils. This convenience is facilitated by the fact that these facial oils are formulated to serve your skin in a specific manner. 

For instance, if you have acne-prone skin, investing in tea tree oil will help treat the acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Studies show that such properties found in facial oils help heal and repair the skin improving its health. Given the variety of products in the market, it is important to ensure that you invest in a facial oil that works well for your specific needs.

Act as a Protective Layer

Given that facial oils are easily absorbed in the skin and seal in moisture, they at the same time keep toxins away from your skin. External factors like pollution that contribute greatly to signs of ageing like wrinkles are easily kept out. Your facial oil will act as a much-needed barrier to ensure that your skin stays healthy and well-nourished. 

 

The new “boxer braids” trend, more commonly known as cornrows, has taken center stage and has been attributed to celebrities and UFC fighters like Ronda Rousey, Black Lively and of course, the Kardashians.

The latest hair trend taking over social media is boxer braids, but is the style really that new? Regardless of the fact that black women have been wearing the style since forever. While there’s nothing wrong with the style and people wanting to copy the look, braids are not a “new favorite” and simply an old classic: Cornrows, similar to braid styles like French braids that have been around for decades.

The boxer braid look is no-fuss, low maintenance – and works just as well in the gym or the boxing ring as on the red carpet.

It’s every girls dream to look perfect.  But for all you girls you have to get a good beauty routine, just by dabbing a good mascara, moisturizer or CC cream or just playing with your hairs won’t work. We bring you step by step to achieving the look this fall with Beauty & Make-Up Expert Ms. Aakriti Kochar of Oriflame.Strobing is the new contouring – sported by Hollywood celebrities popularly on red carpet recently. Instead of dark shadows, use a cream illuminator or lighter color highlighter in powder or cream form to chisel the face. Dab it on your cheek bones, bridge of the nose and center of lips. It brightens up the face and takes much less effort. (Ref. The One blush and highlighter duo is perfect for soft flushy cheeks and tones of strobing). Use Very Me Peach Me Perfect skin glow for strobing over your foundation

Bronzing your cheekbones very softly using a blush in tan with slight shimmer finish on your cheeks and slight touch on the forehead and chin & you’re ready to go! Your skin will look warm and healthy like a Festive glow.  The One IlluSkin blush shimmering rose has two warm shades – one as a bronzer and the other is warm pink one can choose from.

Dark lips are here to stay this autumn/winter from 2014-2015: Bordeaux, Berry, Plum, very deep red in matte finish are popular tones as seen on runaways coming soon. The ONE Color Stylist lipsticks are rich warm shades one can use this this winter depending on your skin tone. Create an edgy look with these warm shades this festive season

For fresh day looks – shades of orange: mandarin, coral and apricot on eye lids as a smooth wash of matte colors. Mascara your lashes and maybe a hint of white eye liner on the water line to complete the freshness of the look is all you need for winter day time.

Bushy eye brows are staying back yet another season – they are bold and make a statement. Keep away from tweezers and fill in those thick brows as they define your face.

Big bold eye liners from extended variations to graphic eye liners to strokes are the new way we all are going to see liners. Specially if you have big round or almond shaped eyes like most of us Indian girls have, sport dramatic eye liners with your Indian wear with soft cheeks and lips.

If you haven’t so far, try the dolled up eyes with bold beautiful voluminous lashes with The One Volume Blast mascara which gives your lashes 24 times its original volume and is pitch black. During day time, chuck the eyeliner with these dolled up lashes – add a nude liper and strobed cheeks to complete this look for the day or bright fuchsia matte lips for the evening.

Coming to hairs French girl buns, messy chignons, top knots accompanied with softly smudged smokey eyes or eye kohl look. And finally use warm tones of blushers instead of pink or coral tones during the evening. This does an added definition as well as brightening your face.

From glittery eyes to dark lips, the fall 2015 beauty trends are stunning, dramatic and a must try for everyone.

The Dewy Makeup Look

This trend is very elegant and looks very natural. The beauty trend was seen on the runway show of Michael Kors and you can carry this look to any occasion.

Face- Naked healthy skin with luminous glow was huge hit on runway. Barely visible foundation and flushed cheek instead of contour can help you to achieve the beautiful look.

Eyes- Leave the silver and gold, this time it is Bronze which is trending.  Bronze can be used to highlight the upper eyelids and lower eyelids and goes out well with the naked skin and pink lips.

Lips- Pink lips or nude lips are the perfect match for the naked face. It helps to focus on the glow of the face and make it look natural.

The 50s Inspired Look

This trend is very strong and bold where lips are the highlight of the look. The trend was seen at the Marc Jacobs Fall 2015 runway show.

Face- Matte skin is in the trend and is gorgeous. One can go for a matte face primer and powder foundation to get the perfect matte skin.

Eyes- The eyelids are highlighted with a shimmery silver eyeshadow. The glossy eyeshadow and defined eyebrows balances with the matte dark lipstick and matte skin.

Lips- The dark lipstick is the one that will pop out the whole look. A matte wine colored lipstick, dark red or dark purple will go perfectly with the matte skin.

The Smokey-Smoldering Look

The Smokey eyes are never out of trend was seen at fall runway shows of Nicole Miller, Ellie Saab and Burberry.

Face- A flushed skin is the base of this look. Contouring is out and pink or coral blush are in the trend.

Eyes- The eyes are major highlight of this look. Smudged lids, edgy eyeliner and clumpy mascara are used to get the look. Bold shades of gray, green and brown are perfect for smudgy eyelids.

Lips- Lips are kept nude or added with shine with lip gloss. The lip is kept nude so that it can highlight the smokey eyes.

The Minimal Bridal look

This fall, the bridal trend is about keeping it minimal. The trend was spotted at fall bridal shows of Marchesa and Monique Lhuillier.

Face- Dewy and radiant skin is perfect for the brides to glow on their big day. The cheek bones are highlighted with pink or peach blush to give the natural look.

Eyes- Thick defined eyebrows are in trend. Eyeshadows in shiny shades of gold, silver, peach or pink are perfect for this look.

Lips- Lips are also kept natural and little glossy, so it blends perfectly with the whole look. Pink and peaches are the color for this season.

By – Shefali Jauhar

The year 2014 definitely underwent a sea change of beauty makeovers. While some donned looks I could personally kill for, the others were just… (To put it that way) Here is a list of some of the fast catching beauty looks spanning all the seasons:

Short is Hot

It’s time to wave those long locks goodbye as 2014 witnessed some dramatic hair transformations with many opting for shorter manes. From pixie cuts to asymmetric cuts, short hair definitely stood out this year adding to raw feminine beauty. From the likes of celebrities such as Kristen Stuart, Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway to Jourdan Dunn, short hair seems here to stay.

Bang Bang!

Bangs emerged as a beauty statement this year. An ideal hairdo for long foreheads, bangs help define the face and not to miss, it makes one look young. Having bangs myself, I take pride in this trend and recommend y’all to try this trend atleast once in your life! It adds an element of fun to your hair making you look unique.

The Partial Buzz

The year 2014 was all about feminine edginess especially when it came to hairstyles. The partial buzz cut was a common phenomenon among youngsters and celebrities alike. Giselle Bundchen, Charlize Theron, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus (majorly) were some of trendsetters of the partial buzz cut.

Slicked Back Hairstyle

From the runways to the red carpet, slicked back hair has been trending all year. It gives a clean yet chic look. Whether heavily gelled or simply swept back it gives a highly minimalistic & sophisticated appearance.

Lipstick Trend

Think tangerine, blood orange, fuschia! This year was all about the brights worn with contrasting skin tones to make the beauty statement. Apart from these bright shades, marsala also became the raging colour for fall. Whatever trend might come and go, one colour that will never fade is rich Red. What a LBD is to dresses, such is red to lips.

The Blue Eyes

Blue was a popular eye shadow choice this year. From the lights to the darks, from matte to the metallic, blue as an eye shadow shade works well with evening looks. As a colour, it really flatters all complexions.

Fresh-faced beauty

Taking the beauty-comes-from-within-dialogue seriously, a lot of women have gone makeup free. Going along normcore routes, many are opting for the natural look sans foundation and the frills. Following beauty the parisienne way is definitely the next ‘in’ thing!

Armpit Sensation

Taking things from natural to bizarre, a weird trend did the rounds in 2014. Several youngsters took to Instagram to show their affinity towards dyed armpit hair! Let your imagination run wild and imagine all the colours of the rainbow. Your reaction? Yes, exactly.

 

 

 

The onset of laid back sun kissed carefree summers is meant to be beautified by Spring Summer 2012 trends by MAC heralding the revival of an altogether more feminine and sensual approach to makeup.

After last season’s toughness and androgyny, this season the beauty is all about sophistication yet reality, contemporary but not forced and ultimately about pure, unadulterated gorgeousness. The beauty trends for Spring Summer 2012 are as flows.

NOUV·EAU
From the romance, nature–inspired shades, sinuous shapes and sensitive colouring of Art Nouveau, to the delicate side of 1920’s glamour, the soft side of the season is all about tinting the skin with washes of colour.

Veering between the pretty and pure and something more glamorously edged, these looks are less about recreating a retro look from the past and more about reinterpreting femininity by capturing the spirit of an era.

While lips and cheeks get a look-in with stains of fondant-y peach, apricot and strawberry tones, it’s a trend that’s essentially eye driven: lids and lower lashlines enlivened with diffuse, single-toned watercolour washes of pastels and flesh tones through to mink and rubs of charcoal. “What really feels contemporary is a colour that’s washed all the way up to the eyebrow, without any shading and highlighting in it,” adds Terry Barber noting that structured shading and multi tones would fast turn these colours in a bridesmaid-y direction. “The edges are still beautifully blurred so that the effect isn’t Pop Art” he adds.

The kit? “Second-skin texture powders and creams and bigger brushes,” explains Lyne Desnoyers. “A larger brush gives a looseness to the application, which is key.” You’ll likely want to forgo mascara, too — there’s still an enduring appeal to a mascara-less lash this season, now a mainstay in the beauty lexicon of modernizing a look.

ATH·ELITE
It’s athletic yet chic…plumped and pumped…wet-effect and maxed with moisture: skin this season is all about a dewy, sporty, spa-fresh feel.

It’s near to naked but certainly not raw — the new complexion is about perfection that’s elite in its amplification of health and hydration: a focus on skincare and plenty of ‘pre and post production’ on base is essential.

“This is a beautiful, glowing, no-makeup look with a more sporty and real feel to it than we’ve seen in the past: there’s definitely nothing relevant about a full-coverage base this season,” confirms Diane Kendal, doyenne of an ‘apparently effortless’ nude look. “Take a heavy foundation and add all these wet highlights and it goes into ‘alien’ territory,” agrees Sam Bryant. “You want base to look perfect, but still very sheer and youthful.”

How to achieve it? “It’s all about what you put underneath or on top of a foundation now,” explains Terry Barber. “Priming it, spritzing it, buffing it, moisturizing it, massaging it to give it a super hydrated feel.”

Highlights and gloss are back in a big way, too. “We’re quasi not powdering at all this season…or, if we are, there are so many wet highlights added that the effect is still utterly about sporty, plump skin,” says Lyne Desnoyers. Cue a rise in highlighting with imperceptible flesh — akin Metal X tones and skin-twin shades of Cream Colour Base, which retain a real skin quality superior to the more synthetic effect of Gloss Texture. “Think of it as hyper-highlighting,” says Terry Barber.

While a sportive skin is the canvas, a streamlined detail matters too: add an energetic strength and sophistication to the look with a full (but not heavy or masculine) straighter, squarer brow that’s deepened without being drawn-in. Or think linear on the eye, adding structure and dimension to the face with a gesture of liner.

Stripped back to its main message, this is a trend for simply great, super desirable skin. Prep + Prime yourself!

ORE·INSPIRED
Every summer begs the inevitable beauty question: tan-chic, or not? Or, more precisely: what treatment of warmth feels appropriate for the warm season now?

For SS2012, it’s certainly not about a desert tan, even though the looks reference a worldly, well-travelled woman. In fact, it’s less about warming up the complexion itself and more about using tan-relevant and tan-related shades to accentuate the lips, cheeks and eyes.

Palette-wise, think metallic, creamy copper, rust, terracotta and peach and sideline anything that’s traditionally flat, matte and brown-based. An element of reflection and heat is the key update to make on tan tones for SS2012. “Tan shades with a metallic edge have a preciousness and sophistication,” confirms Lyne Desnoyers. “Their inherent light-reflective nature ensures they never draw lines on the face in the same way as flat colour, making them appear immediately chic and flattering.”

The focus is on the features, yet the skin is still the ultimate canvas for these looks. Go easy on base and build in an athletic bone structure with metallic highlights that create what Terry Barber is calling ‘Olympian cheekbones.’ “Now cheekbones are very beautiful and not so masculine as we’ve seen in the past. We’re using a lot of Metal-X in Fusion Gold or Cream Colour Base in Shell on top of them — an extreme highlight takes away the need to contour,” he explains.

Add something of a burnished eye or an earth or sand toned lip and you’re good to go: wisely warm and not a hint of WAG…

NEO·N
Graffiti inspired. Dynamic. Stripped back. Ultimately urban…this season goes faster with punchy, sportive colours setting the stopwatch on fashion and beauty alike…

Gorgeous, not grittily graffiti-esque, it’s about wearing neoprene colour against plump, workout-fresh skin and an aerodynamic brow in an effortlessly chic, considered way. A move on from the aggressively hard-hitting, stamped-on brights of last summer, the new sophisticated athleticism of this season’s fuelled-up shades is about giving the face a beautiful detail rather than a fierce shock of colour.

While they tap into the trend for energetically engineered, high-tech (and high colour, high print, high shine…) fabric that is so omnipresent this season, the new bright beauty statements of SS2012 have a subtlety to their statements:yes, these scuba shades are striking, but they’re never stamped on or harsh….

Think touchable and sensual…intelligent and singular…pure colour but not Pop Art…desirable not Disco…and don’t work too hard at it. If it looks like you’ve simply swiped on a strong lip on your way back from the gym, you’ve pretty much nailed it…

Makeups are meant to lionize a woman’s beauty double the times than her natural look. It must be noted down that perfect make up for the perfect occasion can do wonders but if little bit goes wrong then it can make blunder. Every season denotes a different set of makeup stratagem. Year 2011 has also showed vivid variety of make up throughout its different seasons. While spring summer spoke more about loud and vivid notes, the winter has set a bit calm and composed memorandum.  

The spring summer experimented with a huge range of vivid and bright colors starting from eye make up to cheeks and lips to nails. Fashionistas were mostly found flaunting eyeshadow in hues of yellow, orange, red, blue and green during the summers. Electric color eyeliners were also showcased. Whilst black shades of eyeshadow as ever was absolutely in this season. If we are speaking about black how can we forget the smoky eyes which has proved its immortality.

While coming to lips neon, bright coral and red has topped the spring summer. Various shades of luscious pink lip colors along with shades of cantaloupe and watermelon were also seen hitting the runway. Orange, brown and peach colored blush were highly implied to emphasize the cheeks.

Mostly strident and neon shades of nail paints along with the very evergreen black and red were accentuated all throughout the season.

Coming to the autumn winter the color orange wasn’t ready to leave its position and is still continuing to hit the market. Bright shades of orange along with the neutral orange tone lipsticks to eyeshades are very often found being teamed up with beautiful dresses.  Along with the orange tones opulently pigmented shades of neon pinks and reds are blended to highlight the upper eyelids. The Soba and Crystal Eyeshadows have also spelled its magic everywhere. Indigo colored eye pencils and Smolder Eye Kohl are mostly acclaimed by the chic followers.

The most flattering eyelashes were showcased this season . Just like the summers red lipsticks were found thrilling the runway at the autumn winter collection parade. Perfect matte red, cherry red, orange red and amber warm red were mostly accentuated.

But the makeup tone for this season has slightly calm down compared to the summers; mostly bronzers are seen to contour the face rather than the blushers. Though red lips are very much in but natural lips with a mild shade of brown and pink are frequently stated. Even the nail paints for the winters are inclined more towards the nude, matte, beige and various creamy tones. The dazzling metallic and glittery paints along with the nail art treatment are also all set to spell an aura during the winters. Simple and understated are the perfect words to define the beauty of this autumn winter. 

Often it’s been presumed that gorgeous outfits and accessories is enough to complete a look whereas hands and especially perfectly groomed nails tell a tale about woman. Beautifully adorned nails not only add extra charm but even append grace to a female’s personality.

Nail trends also tend to patronize analogous characteristics of a chameleon by changing its drift every season. While we replace the summer nail palette with dazzling autumnal rich colours of earthy greens, navy blue, Ombré and taupe which is taking a world of manicures by storm for this Fall.

The upcoming season is inclined more towards the nude, matte, beige and various creamy tones.  The dazzling metallic and glittery shades are also all set to spell an aura in the spring. These glittery shades include the one coat glitters, square glitters, bar glitters and chunky glitters. While incase of the metallic paints, bronze and silver tops the list in the 2012 chart.

The creamy pitch inducts grays, chic corals, soft pastels, and mellow yellows, wishy washy pink mixed in with cool ombre and metallic designs for the next season.

Transparent crystal nails accentuated with a contemporary approach can be flaunted for both casual as well as an evening look.  

But without the red nail paint, the party look appears imperfect. The color red is a decisive facet defining a women’s inner charisma. So the red chrome will continue hitting the market. The royal retro red, the cherry red and the apple red looks wonderful and elegant with a red or black evening gown.

As red continues to sustain the next season, black too persist with its voyage in molding chic impression on the nails. Black shade on properly edged nails grandeurs the hands. Black emphasizes the punk as well as the Goth look along with the elegant and the casual.

If eyes are the mirror of heart, or brain, then those glinting ones come with loads of disarming positivity, where you sometime trace your love map. So this season, give your eyes a little more shimmer with gold sequins – without ransacking your vanity bag.

Givenchy’s Spring Summer 2012 catwalk came up with metallic half circles below and above each eye. The show featured models’ eyes dotted with silver sequins to present a parade of innocent yet so modish models. Very unique, yet so wearable the look is catching the attention of stylists worldwide, sparing the layers of kohl.

Easily do it yourself look can be attained by making the sequins the key feature of the look. All you need to do is to use two eye shadow colors, one nude and one in the matching of the color of the sequin with a subtle coat of mascara to be done with your eyes.