Base Instinct: Make-Up Artists Spill Their Festive Glam Secrets

8 hours ago

4 min read

The festive season brings with it a calendar full of celebrations, and the search for beauty looks that can keep up from the first diya lighting to the final dance of the evening. It's the time of year when radiant skin, statement lips and long-lasting glamour take centre stage. So, rather than relying on fleeting trends, we turned to the experts behind some of the industry's most flawless faces to uncover the products, techniques and beauty secrets they truly swear by.

Anu Kaushik, Celebrity Makeup Artist

For her, the secret to great makeup is simple: start with great skin. Her go-to is Embryolisse moisturiser for a hydrated base, followed by her signature trick — applying cream blush before foundation for a natural flush that looks like it comes from within. Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation is her pick for a light, second-skin finish, while a Shumera eyelash curler and Benefit Goof Proof brow pencil deliver the finishing touches. For festive makeup, kohl remains essential, but her rule is restraint — let the skin, eyes and features shine rather than layering on too much product.

"The right makeup should never overpower your face or personality. It should enhance what is already beautiful and make you feel confident in your own skin, only more elevated."

Lana El Bakkar, MEAI Education Manager, Huda Beauty

Breaking the usual makeup order, Lana starts with the eyes before moving on to complexion, making fallout easier to clean up and leaving the skin looking fresher. Her beauty bag essential is Huda Beauty Easy Bake Pressed Powder for quick touch-ups, while her colour-correcting approach is all about precision — Mango for discolouration, Peach for darkness and Pink Pomelo to brighten and lift. Her biggest rule? Thin layers win. Build gradually, touch up rather than redo, and only apply product where you actually need it.

"We are all beautiful. Makeup simply gives us different ways to express that beauty and amplify our unique features."

Arti Nayar, Celebrity Makeup Artist

For festive makeup, Arti Nayar’s golden rule is, less is more. “Just because it’s festive season doesn’t mean you need to use foundation, corrector and concealer.” Instead, she recommends spot-correcting, followed by cream blush and contour, then setting it all with Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. The secret to making the colour last? Layering creams with powders. For an extra hit of colour, she suggests layering NARS Orgasm Powder Blush over cream blush for a fuller, fresher finish.

For lip colour to last longer, her trick is "Always put on a lip liner before your lipstick — fill in your full lips with the liner. Apply your lipstick, dab it with a powder puff, then reapply the lipstick on top of the powdered, lined lips."

"Just because it's festive season doesn't mean you need to use foundation, corrector, and concealer.”

Saikat Chakraborty, National Artist, M·A·C Cosmetics India

Saikat’s secret weapon is M·A·C Fix+, sprayed throughout the makeup routine rather than simply at the end. The key is giving every layer time to settle before adding the next, helping avoid a heavy or cakey finish. His second rule is equally simple: powder sparingly and stick to the T-zone. “Don’t use everything everywhere. Hold back, have restraint,” he says. For him, the best festive glam is built gradually, layer by layer — never all at once. "Never underestimate the power of a lip liner," Saikat says. He ranks it above lipstick itself when it comes to building the perfect lip combo or lip look.

Namrata Soni, Celebrity Makeup Artist and Founder of Simply Nam

Namrata’s first rule of festive makeup is restraint. “One should let the skin breathe,” she says. She starts with well-prepped, hydrated skin, using thin layers and concealing only where needed. Rather than doing everything at once, she builds each look around one star feature, whether defined eyes, flushed cheeks or a statement lip. “Add the colour where it naturally belongs,” she says, whether it’s a morning festive pooja or evening glam. Her go-to is the Simply Nam Velvet Cream Magic Blush, built gradually on the apples of the cheeks and blended upwards for a lit-from-within glow. For eyes, she reaches for the Dawn to Dusk Eyeshadow Palette, adding Pixie Dust Multi-Use Glitter Glow in Rose Gold for shine. On lips, Satin Soft Lip Crème in Rosenyn Toasted Caramel adds a warm, polished finish.

"Great makeup is never about masking, but about understanding what your skin needs and enhancing what is already there."

Festive Face Card Essentials

Festive beauty is all about elevating your signature look with a touch of celebration. Think luminous skin, softly sculpted features, statement lips and just the right amount of sparkle. Whether you're dressing up for intimate gatherings or grand festivities, consider this your cue to embrace the season with a little extra glamour.

Huda Beauty Faux Filter Corrector in Peach Light