When you’re living through a pandemic–riddled with anxiety–it’s almost always the little things that bring solace as we watch the crop on our upper lip grow. And the lush endeavour of beauty, my friends, is one such little big joy. So when salons and parlours were given permission to resume business after 57 long days, it’s… Continue reading I visited a salon after two months, here’s what you can expect
Suffocated, claustrophobic and scared, these three words perfectly sum up how I feel each time I wear a face mask. My fears are nothing compared to that of healthcare workers, who wear the masks for hours, tirelessly working to treat patients with COVID-19. The popular social media image of an Italian nurse with angry, red… Continue reading How to treat breakouts caused by wearing a face mask
Bottles of shampoo, body and face wash, lotions… a quick glance at your bathroom shelf is all the proof you need to understand the plastic waste generated by the beauty industry. According to a 2018 study by Zero Waste Week (a UK-based global campaign that creates awareness about the environmental impact of waste generation), globally… Continue reading How to reduce plastic from your beauty shelf
If you’re missing your appointments with your facialist and dermat during quarantine, an at-home facial is going to be the cherry on the cake. Giving your skin this extra attention will address clogged pores, dullness, dry skin and keep lymph build-up at bay. We reached out to skincare experts Dr Jaishree Sharad, dermatologist and founder,… Continue reading How to ace a facial at home
It’s no secret that Dia Mirza is undoubtedly an eco all-star. As the UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, UNEP Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, Mirza has been hard at work fighting global warming, conserving biodiversity, and helping spread awareness on the environmental impact of urban living. In 2018, the actor-producer became… Continue reading Dia Mirza’s top 8 tips for green living
Whether it’s perfecting the rainbow liner or figuring out how to inject glitter into your beauty look, Instagram never fails to serve up major inspiration. We’ve been slacking off on our daily make-up routine while social distancing, but many are finding solace in playing with eyeshadows, highlighting powders and pigments. If you’re a novice at… Continue reading Obsessed with experimental make-up like Alaya F? These Instagram accounts offer major inspo
Katie Becker, ELLE USA “I am in Brooklyn and am very lucky to have a view over the East River and the Manhattan sky line. Staring out at it is my meditation. I’ve also been buying roses and every morning as I tidy up the apartment and prepare for the day, I refresh the water… Continue reading 10 international ELLE editors on spending time at home
In The Beauty Breakdown ELLE talks to beauty obsessives about their desert-island beauty reccos, the experts on their speed dial, and everything they’ve learnt in their pursuit to achieving happy skin. This edition features Iva Dixit, audience editor at The New York Times Magazine. ELLE: Tell us about yourself and your first brush with make-up? Iva Dixit:… Continue reading How this New York City editor discovered the power of red lipstick
If you’ve ever looked up the internet for at-home skincare or hair how-tos, chances are you’ve come across Farah Dhukai’s videos. The queen of DIYs has, over the last ten years, delivered some life-changing beauty tips (hello, fenugreek seed facial!) that have gained her a cult following of over 6.8 million on Instagram. Recently, the… Continue reading Beauty blogger Farah Dhukai’s go-to shiny hair remedy is our new favourite beauty ingredient
Confession: A couple of months back, I signed up on TikTok when the Jonas Brothers recreated the iconic Keeping up with the Kardashians scene, but dismissed it soon after. Fast forward to being bored in the house (and in the house bored!), I decided to scroll through for some laughs. This deep dive left me… Continue reading 5 TikTok make-up tutorials that’ll change your beauty routine
There’s been a lot of conversation in recent years on what it means to be an entrepreneur and what it takes to get your brand out there. But with the coronavirus crisis, the rulebook has been thrown out of the window. Whether it’s missing a crucial harvest season to source raw materials, holding back much-awaited… Continue reading 5 tips for beauty entrepreneurs on surviving the Covid-19 crisis
I have to be by myself? Done! Have done it for a decade. I have to socially distance myself? Okay, I prefer it that way. Handshakes aren’t allowed? Oh God, thanks! Please make this a thing even after all this is over. But… I can’t have help in the house? What? Like, not at all?… Continue reading I’m a beauty author, and I can’t decide whether to bake bread with bananas or teach DIY masking with it
Over the past few years, as the promising league of women-lead natural brands took over our beauty routines, we’ve been introduced to high-performance clean ingredients and decadent ayurvedic rituals that were earlier filed away for the ‘self-care Sunday’ that never happened. In some instances, it also gave the founders a reason to revisit their cultural… Continue reading Raised around the globe, founders of 7 indie beauty brands revisit their cultural identities for inspiration
How can I be trusted in self-isolation while simultaneously being left alone with my bathroom mirror? I can’t be the only one to admit that picking my skin and inspecting every pore is one of my favourite pastimes. Sometimes it’s stress, sometimes it’s the satisfaction of popping a whitehead on my nose. Give me another… Continue reading How I managed my skin picking obsession in quarantine
Bringing Indian beauty labels that have unique ideologies and something out of the box to offer, into the spotlight is thrilling for every beauty junkie. Global Beauty Secrets, a home-grown label with a unique perspective on beauty celebrates the collective wisdom of women around the world. It has a one of a kind philosophy of… Continue reading Global Beauty Secrets brings you time-tested rituals in a bottle
As a consequence of the novel Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve seen beauty brands–both big and small–close to home and around the world rushing to lend a hand wherever possible. Whether it is relocating funds to support affected families or converting factories to provide hospitals with much needed medical essentials, these companies are making a bigger impact… Continue reading 16 beauty brands giving back during the COVID-19 outbreak
When there is nothing to do and nowhere to go, trying out DIY projects to pass the time is tempting. Fiddling with ingredients in the kitchen and coming up with your own dinner recipe is fun but whipping up skincare that actually works for you…there’s nothing like it! So, whether you’ve missed out on your… Continue reading An easy DIY beauty and skincare guide for your face
My daily commute averages at three hours, and I think of myself as an expert at maximising time spent in the back seat of a taxi (watch out for my TED talk). It’s a well-calculated routine that includes snacking, Netflix-ing, and doing most of my make-up on the go. But when rush hour is as… Continue reading The beauty products you need to stay cool while on the move this summer
If there’s one thing that makes all women in the knees—it’s shoes. And, the chances of this happening is higher if the brand in question is Jimmy Choo. The luxury shoemaker has created a poise and that certain red-carpet je ne sais quoi that’s unique to the brand and now it is extending the same… Continue reading Jimmy Choo just launched a beauty line
Halfway through Sooni Taraporevala’s directorial venture Yeh Ballet, I was fascinated by the lead actors’ deft moves and figured they probably spent a decade perfecting their pirouettes. Inspired by a real-life story, the coming-of-age film tracks the journey of two Mumbai boys who overcome their humble backgrounds and win scholarships to prestigious ballet schools. Turns… Continue reading Meet Cindy Jourdain, the expert who trained the cast of Yeh Ballet
The golden skin and hair care Holi rule? Come rain or shine, your skin, body and hair need extra TLC before and after playing with colours. Extreme dryness, rashes, irritation and acne breakouts are just a few ways in which the festival can take a toll on your skin and tresses. So, we spoke to… Continue reading All the beauty tips you need to prep for Holi
