How can I look prettier? Makeup Celeberation

The face is no longer a blank canvas. Instead of asking, “How can I look prettier?” ask a more interesting question: “How do I want to look, and even more important, how do I want to feel today?” Some days it is a good idea to be dressier to pep up your mood; no reason required; a feel-good factor is a reason enough.

That’s my idea of moving the makeup from correction to expression.

Some days it is red lipstick (read: pink); other days, a shade of nude on the lips. Some days it is Kajal. Some days it is nothing, only a red Bindi. And some days it is glitter at 11 in the morning because I want to! Frankly, why not?

Because makeup has never been just about beauty. For me, it’s been a personal canvas; I paint what I want. I remember once drawing my Bindis, and the office staff would guess my mood by the style of the Bindi. It is an identity choice, expressing fun, rebellion, femininity, transformation, confidence, and sometimes an I don’t care attitude.

Bollywood trendsetters

Think of Madhubala’s luminous face, defined brows and soft lips. Then came Sharmila Tagore’s Asha Parekh era, with dramatic eyes and the beehive. Zeenat Aman‘s free-spirited 1970s aesthetic, and my favourite, Rekha’s unmistakable kohl and deep lips, flowers and an unshakable, classy Indian look. Even artists like Raja Ravi Verma painted those Indian looks to enhance a story on their canvas. Sridevi’s expressive eyes and Madhuri Dixit’s blush-and-lip combinations are still on a roll.

In India and around the world, make-up has deep roots, long before it became one of the most dynamic markets.  Home-grown makeovers, from organic Kajal to Ubtans, turmeric-sandalwood paste, and Alta, are culturally rooted beauty rituals that have always expressed identity, empowerment, and self-love.  

The extraordinary journey

From Egyptian kohl to Bollywood’s winged eyes. From Marilyn’s red lips to Kardashian’s contour. From Lakme’s early lipstick counters to beauty delivered to your doorstep in minutes. The journey has been extraordinary and transformative. For decades, Indian beauty advertising was dominated by ideas of fairness, bridal beauty and occasion-based makeup. Not anymore. It’s an era of liberalisation and social media, exploding with choices, aspirations and quick gratification. The Indian woman is no longer waiting for a magazine to tell her what’s fashionable. She watches a tutorial at 11.47 pm and orders the lipstick at 11.52.

A 2026 report on Flipkart’s beauty business found 50% year-on-year growth, with Gen Z accounting for nearly 60% of beauty purchases on the platform. Even more interestingly, almost two-thirds of beauty searches were coming from non-metro cities.

The future of makeup may not be about looking younger, fairer or “perfect”.  Personally, it is simply about looking more like yourself on that day: ‘I give a dam look’, or your boldest expression, or even your most unapologetic one. Embracing every tone of being you.

After all, makeup doesn’t change who you are. It merely gives your face a little editorial assistance. And sometimes, let’s admit it, the face deserves a good headline too.