Before you buy make-up...

Bharti Taneja lists out the pointers to keep in mind before choosing make-up products

Everyone loves make-up. But with so many brands in the market today, it’s quite difficult to choose the perfect one. Also, there are many other factors to consider: what kind of ingredients to go for, how should the formulation be, whether the product is organic, if the product is sulphate-free, and a lot more. But, here’s a simple guide to help you pick the right make-up products:

• Know your skin type: Different people have different skin types such as oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, and even combination skin. So when it comes to make-up products, one shirt doesn’t fit all. A matte shade that works well for your friend might make your lips even drier or the eye shadow that looks gorgeous on your cousin might look disastrous on you. So, keep your skin type and tone in mind and pick accordingly.

• Go for reputable, known brands: Almost all reputable products tend to be safer as most of these brands spend months and months on research and thereafter, test their final products multiple times before putting them in stores. So, you can be assured that these reputed products would not cause any allergic reaction and would not harm the skin.

• Test it out: Be cautious of ‘miracle’ products on the shelves. These products tend to give you the feeling that it is too good to be true. They look fabulous on the model, whose images have been heavily photoshopped several times, but how much magic they can create on our skin tone is highly questionable. Follow your gut feeling and decide whether it is going to be effective for you. The best way to find is to try it out. Try a little and then take a round of the store. Come back and take a look at it again. If you like it, buy it, or else, simply let it go!

• Read the label: Next comes knowing what your product contains. First and foremost, it should not have any harmful chemicals such as lead or aluminum. Knowing the ingredients the product contains and how they function will save you a lot of trouble. The knowledge will also help you understand your skin and what ingredients will suit it, thus giving you maximum benefits. So next time, spend some time reading the label as well.

• Check the expiry date: Yes, this is an obvious point but most people overlook its importance. While shopping, we get so enamoured with the packaging of the product that we forget to look at the expiry. Many times, some brands offer heavy discounts on soon-to-expire products and we get so carried away with the discounts that we do not realise that the product would be worthless in a few days.

• Think versatile: It’s the day and age of multi-tasking, so why not expect the same from our make-up or beauty products? A BB cream that gives you flawless coverage as well as sun protection, a lipstick that double up as a lip balm or a sunscreen with a sheer coverage — multi-purpose products are the need of the hour. Check for products that can go together from your eye to your lip, all in one package. When you do that, you can save money and look fabulous as well.

(The author is director & founder, Alps Beauty Group)