<script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=32464068"></script>
Jeena Mitra Banik
Me, I won’t go to sleep without cleansing my face with L’Oréal’s Visible Radiance Cleansing Milk in Winter and Toner in Summer. And I won’t leave home without applying L’Oréal Essence Spot Corrector with UV Control on the face and neck and a moisturiser all over the body. For my hair, every other day, I indulge in a warm oil massage with the juice of a lemon mixed in it and wash it away after an hour with a herbal shampoo and conditioner. As for cosmetics, my faves are Lancôme’s blue/black Kohl Pencil, Clinique’s Translucent Powder and Chambor’s Bourgoise Crystal Lip Gloss. And lots of deo and scents like Boss Woman and Davidoff Cool Water to complete the routine.


Purabi Shridhar
Beauty products and stuff ...hmm! I’m not much of a person for suchlike but yes, there are some musts. And one of these is my lip balm. I don’t use lipstick and since Delhi weather goes from one extreme to another, a lip balm is a must. A hairbrush is another. I always have one in my bag and find I have to use it a couple of times through the day. If I’m travelling, a small bottle of Johnson’s Baby Oil is a vital item. It doubles up as a kohl remover (I always use kohl) and body lotion.

Sheila Kumar
I’m a cosmetic junkie, I’ll try virtually anything if the name’s a sound one and if the product literature impresses me. However, over the years, with so much of travelling. (I’m an army wife) I’ve got my routine down to some regulars. I swear by Clinique’s Dramatically Different Lotion for my face, Prescriptives Made-To-Order Compact (a lovely process whereby they mix many shades of powder to get just the shade you need) and YSL’s Opium for my ‘occasion’ perfume. One big local find is Biotique’s Kajal Stick... totally rave-worthy.Hair is a big issue as mine has a mind of its own. As befits a Mallu, good old coconut oil works well as a tress-tamer; so does John Frieda’s Anti-Frizz Serum. Another Mallu indulgence is a leisurely oil bath using a herbal oil that is brewed back home in Kerala at my grandmother’s house and sent out to the clan in bottles!

Reshmi Chakraborty
My routine? It’s simple: I can’t and won’t leave home without lipstick and perfume. Oh, and some Nivea, too, to help take care of my oh-so-dry skin. For an evening out, I use a mascara. That’s it.

Benita Sen
Well, I’m the product of a smashing beauty of a mother, so I learnt early in life there was nothing much I could do in the beauty department to crawl anywhere near her. That’s why my routine is what people call simple. Early into mother-hood, when my curls got a little too much to balance between baby and career, I lopped them off. Which means, all I need now to look presentable, hairwise, is a comb. A herbal moisturiser with an aloe vera base and a lip salve is enough. And a couple of basic lip colours. See... simple!

Ethel Da Costa
I absolutely can’t get through my morning without my Liquid Neutrogena Face Wash and a dab of Lancôme Skin Whitening/Complexion Balance Lotion. Next, I tease my long curls into some semblance of a demure look with a dollop of ProVitamin C Anti-Frizz Hair Serum; this is my weapon against bad hair days because I have naturally frizzy and obstinate hair! If my hair still doesn’t behave, then L’Oréal Studio Line Anti- Frizz gel does the trick. I finish up with my wet/dry eyeliner by Revlon, Long Pretty Lashes Mascara by Clinique, some Bronze Leaf lipstick also by Clinique or a Earthly Taupe Matte by Maybelline (depends on the colour of the outfit I’ve got on). And last but no way the least, I will never step out, rain or shine, without a shot of Clinique Happy. With Happy, I’m ready to catch the bull, any bull, by his horns!

Shubhra Krishan
Let’s see... my three absolute essential beauty rituals: I spray organic rose water on my face and arms before applying moisturiser. I also spritz (with eyes closed, of course) my face wheneverI’m feeling dull. I give myself an all-over body massage with warm sesame oil before a bath. Ayurvedic physicians suggest a 15-minute massage for max benefit, but when I don’t have that kind of time, I do it at least for five minutes... something is better than nothing. Finally, I use a good quality moisturiser, day and night. If I were to be stranded on an island with just one beauty aid, I would take my bottle of moisturiser. Aveeno is a really good brand.

Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza
Alas, most days I cannot even remember to moisturise my face. So my beauty routine is a one-point one: A tube/bottle of some moisturiser or lotion, which has a perpetual place in my handbag since I tend to put it on in the bus coming to work. I have also kept one bottle of moisturiser with a spray pump in the keyboard drawer at the office so I can see it and remember to... moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!

Namita A Shrivastava
OK, here goes: My Chambor Stay-On-Colour top fave is Coffee Rose and Rose Rose. Also, I just must have my Elizabeth Arden Lipstick, a brilliant daywear colour, soft peachy and nude! I also carry a Shahnaz Husain Kajal, Revlon’s liner and mascara. And oh yeah, I can’t do sans my Lakme base, Clarins blush and St Michael’s roll-on deo. Quite a small stash, and all this is a part of my travel kit, too.

Madhuri Velegar K
After a morning bath, I use a Shahnaz Husain Moisturiser (with rose), so that my face does not collect dust and grime along the workday. After a hair wash, I towel dry my wavy tresses and then use a teensy bit of de-frizz serum... this is a find because it makes my hair more manageable through the week. Ah, I also carry a hair clip always. That way, in case I have to go chasing a story on the two-wheeler to some dust-ridden site, I am not left at a ‘loose end’ — pun intended. For my face, I use a Multani mitti (fuller’s earth) pack once a week, and rub a tomato slice every time I’m preparing a salad... which is almost every day. This helps clean my skin of dirt, and keeps that acne away!





Continued