B-town brides Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma show you how to keep it glamorous yet understated

When Deepika Padukone tied the knot with Ranveer Singh, in a private, no-mobile photography event in Lake Como, fans waited with bated breath for the first pictures of the bridal couple. While much has been written and said about her trousseau, most were left equally awe-struck by how beautiful Dippy looked. The actress accentuated her big brown eyes keeping the rest of the make-up minimal. Her hair was also very clean, pulled back in a centre-parted bun that let her face shine through. A far cry from her elaborate looks in her films, she stuck to a more subtle do for her wedding.   

HAIR SHOULD COMPLEMENT MAKE-UP

It’s not just Deepika, Anushka Sharma too, who married Virat Kohli last year, opted for a soft and muted make-up look. The talking point for her shaadi was her bun adorned with beautiful flowers. Vanessa Fernandes, Salon Director and Bridal Expert, BBLUNT Salons, says when selecting a hairstyle for your big day, it’s important to keep in mind the events, the venue as well as the weather conditions and wardrobe you have in mind. Identify the hairstyles that complement your make-up preferences and any features that you want to accentuate. “For pheras, an updo works best. It looks classic, neat and is the best option to keep your hair off your face. There are many variations, from a tightly tucked bun as in the case of Anushka and Deepika who also chose to middle part it and keep the look slick to a chignon or a low bun with messy wisps of hair framing the face. Flowers like orchids and full-bloom roses are popular accessories. 

“For a slightly more traditional red ensemble like DP’s, you can dress the bun with mogras. For both their reception looks, the middle part also highlights the symbolic sindoor,” avers Vanessa. As for the reception, cascading curls flowing beyond the shoulder is a good choice. Anushka’s wavy look was chic and neat, she adds.

Deepika Padukone opted for a well-balanced look for her mehendi (left); Anushka Sharma (right) adorned her bun with flowers for her wedding

A WELL-BALANCED LOOK

Brides are much more evolved today. Earlier, we used to see garish, loud lipstick and excessive eye make-up. The urban bride has become more aware of what looks good on her, says Clint Fernandes, make-up and hair expert. “If you take a look at Deepika, she did smoky eyes, a muted lip colour, blush was minimal and a little bit of contouring, overall it was a well-balanced look. That is the trend people are going for. At the end of the day, it should look very visual. Brides want to look modern and not very dated, glamorous yet understated,” he says. Anushka, too, looked pretty — she didn’t have a bright mouth but a very fresh look. Considering that brides usually end up wearing heavy lehengas and have to stand for hours, heavy make-up is avoidable. “Go for gold on the eyes or hues like apricot, pink and caramel. For the mehendi and sangeet functions, the bride can go more glam and experiment with a metallic eye or heavy liner. As for the pheras and reception, a more elegant and understated look is advisable,” adds Clint. 

EYES DO THE TALKING

Whether papped at the airport after a long-haul flight or snapped at a salon run, Deepika always manages to look glamorous. It’s no wonder then that she made for a radiant bride on her big day. Kapil Bhalla, make-up expert, mentions that anything she does looks fantastic. “Let the eyes do the talking for both wedding and pre-wedding functions and keep everything else soft. Avoid a very dark smoky eye as not everyone can carry off. Instead, work a nice brown smoky do with some glitter to add some highlights. For Indian skin tones, stick to a basic blush palette from dusty rose to peachy pink hues,” he says, adding that dark, bright lips are avoidable unless one wants a matte red for the main ceremony day. Hair should be simple for the pheras, as traditionally Indian brides have so much going on with jewellery, maang tika, flowers and sindoor. A simple pulled-back style like Dippy’s works well for those who have symmetrical face shapes.