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If you haven’t stumbled across Aishwarya Kandpal on your Instagram feed yet, you need to rethink your algorithm. She's a true blue skincare and haircare enthusiast and has made her mark as a beauty influencer with her fresh authenticity and useful hacks and information, that she delivers in the most fun ways. Whether she’s breaking down the latest K-beauty trends, or showing you her carefully curated haircare routine, her approach to beauty is one that we can't stop loving. Naturally, we had to sit down for a chat with her and get all her insights into the growing world of beauty.
Her Take On Trends
First things first, we asked her what trends she thinks will dominate 2025, and she told us, "For hair, I definitely feel like shaggy cuts, bangs, waves, and easy-peasy styles that are low maintenance will be the vibe this year. And natural hair texture is here to stay (yay!). I don't see a lot of overtly smoothened out hair in 2025. But, big bouncy blowouts? Yes!"
"For makeup, lightweight, glossy, fresh and dewy makeup will retain its throne as people continue to become more comfortable in their skin. We’ll see more skin tints, and more skincare infused makeup. In contrast, we’ll see a lot of bold, metallic eyes, dramatic winged eyeliner, kohl, and neon eye makeup. Purple and cherry coloured blushes will continue to fascinate. Basically, '70s glam makeup will make its comeback."
"Now onto my favourite, skincare! We'll see more multitasking products as opposed to single ingredient ones, because people are leaning towards slower, shorter and more intentional routines, rather than giving way to over-consumerism. Ferments, algae and other natural botanicals are ingredients that will have their moment. Milky toners have garnered a large fanbase, so we'll see more of those for sure. The narrative will move (as it should) from anti ageing to more graceful ageing."
We asked her what she's most excited to try this year and her response was, "I'm really looking forward to trying out PDRN infused skincare products. Iand definitely would love to get more consistent with my LED masks and RF devices."
Her Beauty Routine
This one, we're most excited about. She walked us through her beauty routine and essentials that she'd never skip, "Cleansing is super-duper important to me and even if I don't do anything else, I will wash my face twice a day. In the AM, I use a non-exfoliating cleanser, any serum that's my current favourite, moisturiser (only in the winter), and of course, sunscreen."
"For my PM routine, I'll use a cleansing balm and an exfoliating cleanser, a hydrating toner, an exfoliating toner (3-4 times a week), a treatment serum, retinol (3-4 times a week), an eye serum, a moisturiser and a lip mask. I'll also massage in a hair growth serum every night."
On her experimentation with beauty routines, she recounts her most hilarious memories, "I’ve fallen for the most random internet advice, like washing your hair with beer, or mixing baking soda with water as a shampoo- and they’ve been epic fails. Using eggs as a mask has definitely made me lose friends."
Her Beauty Beliefs
We also had to know if she believes in the connection between what you eat and how your skin looks, and here's what she had to say, "100%! Everything you eat shows on your skin. I love eating walnuts because they provide your body with essential omegas and keep your skin glossy. I love having aliv seeds with milk anytime I undergo seasonal hair fall. I’ve tried to make certain antioxidant rich foods such as sunflowers seeds, salmon, avocados, blueberries, etcetera a part of my daily diet to ensure that I age well and can delay my dependency on clinical treatments. Being an acne prone person, I'm also a fan of gut friendly foods that are easy on the stomach."
We saved the best for last. This is something we all ponder about and just had to know: how should skincare routines change with the seasons, especially in India’s diverse climates? " Focus on water-based products for the summer months. Lightweight, water-resistant sunscreens all through the year, especially if you live in coastal, hot and humid regions like Chennai or Mumbai. Switch to heavier, denser products for the winter months. Oil and butter-based moisturisers, milky toners, and facial oils work beautifully for people who live in colder climates."
We learnt so much from our conversation with Aishwarya, and hope you did, too. Here's hoping this motivated you to follow a skin and haircare routine religiously and more confidently, now that you know all about it.