Spice of Life: Saga of smokey eyes, beautiful inside out
The issue was never about choosing between two extremes of a natural look and made-up one. It was about understanding makeup as an art form, mastering the skill of selecting the right products, experimenting with colours, and applying them with finesse.
Since my adolescent days in boarding school, I differed with my peers on my opinion on the use of cosmetics. While my friends enjoyed experimenting with lipsticks, eyeliners, and eyeshadows, I instinctively avoided them. They eagerly looked forward to opportunities from birthday celebrations to farewell functions to movie outings when they could happily roam around with their makeup on. I enjoyed those parties and outings but felt content with my natural look. Perhaps this inclination was inherited from my mother, who never showed much interest in beauty products. Unlike her friends, she stayed away from hair dyes, bleaching creams, and other cosmetics of her era. However, she never imposed her preferences on us. In fact, she once enrolled my sister in a cosmetology course during the summer vacation.
Nevertheless, my teenage years got over but I continued embracing my natural look till my late 30s. However, a sudden encounter with the eight-year-old daughter of my friend changed my perspective. She was prim and polished, confidently sporting a subtle blue eyeshadow and a complementary lip colour. During our brief conversation, she proudly shared how she managed her style independently and even offered makeup tips. I realised that the issue was never about choosing between two extremes of a natural look and made-up one. It was about understanding makeup as an art form, mastering the skill of selecting the right products, experimenting with colours, and applying them with finesse.
This newly acquired wisdom sent a shiver of FOMO (fear of missing out) down my spine, prompting me to give make-up a try. I diligently following my friend’s daughter’s advice and began with lip colours. Just like crayons on the sheet, outline first and then fill in the colour, staying mindful of touch-ups throughout the day, and, of course, resisting the temptation to “eat my lips” was the most important one.
Once I felt comfortable with lip art, I progressed to eye makeup. My initial stride involved applying readymade kajal pencils over the waterline. Some days, it worked beautifully; on others, it would go haywire. Then came the real change: Deal with the OG (original gangster), a homemade kajal extracted from the soot of Diwali lamps mixed with organic almond oil, which is supposedly good for the eyes and apply with a silver suramchi (a fine stick traditionally used for surma/kajal) raided from my mother’s treasure box.
My attempts often went wrong. Sometimes, the kajal would go inside the eyes, and at other times far away from the waterline. If at all, I applied it correctly, it would smudge. My ever supportive colleagues at work helped me wipe away the embarrassment and encouraged me to try again. One day, I rubbed my eyes accidentally, spreading the kajal from all over my lashes to the bottom of my spectacles. As I panicked in front of the mirror, a colleague laughed and exclaimed, “Bravo! These are perfectly done smokey eyes.”
The take-home lesson is that it’s not about choosing between a natural appearance and a beautified cosmetic-enhanced look. What truly matters is wearing your look with confidence. In my case, I’m blessed to have a group of colleagues who are not just co-workers but dear friends also. They fix my crown and keep me motivated through tough times, which eventually enhances my confidence.
The writer is a freelance contributor, and can be contacted at veenat333@gmail.com
