Keep: Eye pencils
Throw: Eyeliner
Do away with those liquid liners for the duration of these four months. We speak from personal experience when we say that the last thing you want is the rain washing away your lovely cat eye after you spent several painstaking minutes mastering it just half an hour before. Instead, keep those eye pencils handy. We agree, they might not give you the precision of a liner, but keep at it and sooner or later you’ll learn how to define your peepers with a not-so-pointed tip.
Keep: Lip colours that border on cherry reds, fuchsias, oranges
Throw: Lip colours that border on nudes and browns
We prefer to stay in during the monsoons but in the off chance that we’re forced to be social, we prefer to bring our A-game with the brightest lippers ever. With our foundation and other paraphernalia packed away for the rains, what else can we rely on to add some colour to an otherwise dull evening? Our current favourites are the Lakmé Lip Tints in Candy Kiss, Pink Sorbet and Orange Tease.
Keep: Sunscreen with SPF
We’ve all dealt with this common misconception many times before and yet we continue making the same mistake. Yes, the clouds can block the sun but they can’t do anything about the UVA and B rays that can still affect your skin just as they did in the summer. So be wise and let keep your sunscreen close. And if you haven’t heard or read yet, reports have been pouring in that sunscreen might be the best way to slow down ageing.
We’re stocking up on the Lakmé 9 to 5 Super sunscreen with a mattifying finish.
Keep: Hair elixirs and oils
Throw: Heat and hair styling tools
Of course the monsoon feels lovely when you’ve got the rain running through your hair. But like we’d mentioned earlier, your hair doesn’t like that too much. Rainwater will bring with it pollution, dust and other impurities floating in the air, basically, things that are not welcome for your scalp. Show your hair some extra TLC by investing in nourishing elixirs and hair oils and indulging in hair massages or champis once a week. Also remember to always wash your hair if you’ve got it wet in the rain and dry it thoroughly to keep that cold and viral infection at bay.
Keep: Nail filers, moisturising cream, nail colour
With streets laden with so many potholes, you’ll lose track of how many puddles you step into within the first week of the monsoon. Your feet need extra care during the rainy season, especially if you’re the kind who prefers open toed sandals over a pair of robust gumboots. If you are, check yourself into a foot spa every month (we love the Orchid Foot Spa at the Lakmé Absolute Salon) to give your feet a good scrubbing and a much needed pedicure. It’ll keep the dead skin and fungal infections (very common during the monsoon) at bay and allow you to experiment with the prettiest shades of nail colour for your toes. Win-win we think.
Written by Girija Naiksatam on Jul 02, 2014