Beauty secrets from beautiful people



Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but if you have some of the
finest beauties to behold, how do you differentiate the better from the
best? Well, that's what the cosmetic tips of the stars reveal, helping
draw that near obscure line between the initiated and the arrived.



Sonali Bendre:

"I have a very sensitive skin, and anything unusual bothers my skin. I
can't even use something like besan to wash it. It doesn't agree with
me. When I get up, I just wash it with water and a non-moisturising
soap. Moisturisers don't gel with me. The less I do to my skin, the
better. The only thing I consciously do is to never sleep with make-up
on. I use baby oil to take off the make-up and then wash it off with
soap and water. If I'm going out in the day, I wear a very light
lipstick and mascara. If I were going out in the night, I'd add on a
liner and a very light eye shadow. I like Mac."



Malaika Arora:

"I believe that to look good, you must have a healthy skin and for
that, the age old recipe of loads of water is what I believe in. First
thing I do in the morning even before drinking tea or coffee is to
drink warm water with lime and honey. I follow this up with literally a
liter of water and then start my day. I don't smoke or drink, so these
things are naturally excluded from my diet.



I believe that water flushes out all the toxins we accumulate
throughout the day. The kind of lifestyle we lead, eating fast food and
also frequently eating out is harmful. So water is the first medicine I
use. Then come all the cleansers, moisturisers, skin globs etc. I use
these but what I follow strictly is exercise, healthy eating and
keeping my skin very clean. Last thing before going to bed, I wash my
face with Margo soap. It's a neem soap, mild and very good for the
skin. Then I drink a glass of warm water and go to bed. My skin is very
oily so I moisturise it with an oil-free moisturiser after washing it
lightly."



"In cosmetics I use a lot of moisturisers, mascara and kohl pencil.
Other make-up is minimal, I believe that one should highlight the
attractive aspects of one's face. I have high cheekbones so I highlight
these with a blusher, to achieve a sun-kissed, flushed, healthy look. I
use cosmetics by Body Shop or Mac because these shades suit the Indian
skin."



Juhi Chawla:

"I believe in the 6 to 8 glasses of water for the skin tip. I drink
lots of water. Besides, I have a very simple routine. I just use a
moisturiser and an eye cream to keep my skin moist. Generally, I keep
it very clean. For face wash, I use La Mer. They have a mild washing
lotion, which I like. I use their moisturising lotion and an eye cream
from Clinique.



To fight dry skin, I drink lots of water, eat curds and lots of green
vegetables and salads. I eat less spicy food and opt for more of the
boiled and baked variety. When my eyes feel tired, I lie back with
slices of potatoes on my eyes to remove the tiredness from them. After
I remove my make-up, I use a cleanser to clean my face.



I wash my face with a very mild soap. "I don't apply any creams at
night or any other time, but if I feel like using something, I opt for
the moisturiser again at night. I find leaving the skin alone is better
than doing hundreds of things to it. Allow your skin to breathe freely
by keeping it clean. The lesser you meddle with your skin, the less it
meddles with you."



Rani Mukherjee:

On eye care: "I don't take any special care of my eyes. Except when I'm
feeling tired, I use an eye toner, which is rose water. And it really
helps because after that, my eyes do feel cool and clear. That's my
secret."



Manisha Koirala:

"I think I've inherited my flawless skin texture from my parents. I
keep it very clean and wash it with lots of cold water and use
moisturiser to protect it. To take off my make-up, I use baby oil. I
don't do much to my skin. I'm going out, I just use a little blusher
and nothing more. I prefer my face to be clean of make-up. If I'm going
out in the night and it's a dressy occasion, I use a bit of mascara and
liner but not too much. No make-up during daytime. I drink lots of
water and juices but not with the intention of keeping my skin looking
good."



Archana Puransingh:

"The only thing I really care about is my hair. I cut it and look after
it regularly. I just like to wash my hair and leave it dry. I don't
even blow-dry it. I love sitting at a hair salon to get all the works
done - waxing, pedicures, manicure, facials, etc. I don't follow any
beauty regime. No creams, face packs and masks for me. The only thing I
do regularly is wash my face before I sleep and brush my teeth and
nothing else. The only allowance I make is that I use Neutrogena soap.
I bleach my face maybe once in nine months. So for me, hair care is the
most important."



Hema Malini:

"My skin is good because God made it so. I keep it very clean and free
of make-up as much as possible. I visit the beautician often and let
her take care of my skin. Farida, my beautician, makes this nourishing
aroma oil for me, which is excellent. I use this on my face and even
before applying make-up. I don't use foundations for the most part. I
think the skin should be allowed to breathe naturally. I concentrate on
the eyes and leave the skin alone. Sometimes, I use a light lipstick
but that's all. Before sleeping, I apply my current favorite night
cream, Aveda. When I do my own make-up, I only work on the eyes and use
kaajal."



"I think your skin has a lot to do with your eating. I eat a lot of
green vegetables and seldom eat out. I also eat my last meal before 8
p.m. and make sure I eat very little. This really helps your
complexion. Not too much food or spices and very little oil. I'm a curd
person and have it in liberal doses. I use the usual cosmetics."



Mahima Chaudhary:

"I have a dry skin. As soon as I get up in the morning, I wash my face
and apply moisturiser. I don't do much make-up except for using kaajal
and lipstick. I think lots of sleep, lots of water and the fact that I
follow a vegetarian diet helps in keeping my skin clean." "I keep
changing my moisturiser and use different cleansers for my eyes and
face."



Raveena:

"I don't use any kind of cream or scrub on my skin. It has always been
very soft and smooth. I have totally stopped using pan stick since I
neither have pimples, blackheads or any facial hair. When I'm shooting,
I use some pancake and shading. When I'm home, no make-up at all. Eat a
lot of yoghurt, curds, cucumbers and cooling foods. Also drink a lot of
water to keep your skin without blemishes."



Kareena Kapoor:

"Don't use any chemical preparations," she advises. "Control your
eating and drinking habits and your skin will be glowing forever."



Tabu:

Tabu believes that her favorite accessory is her great-looking hair. "I
shampoo my hair regularly. Using a shampoo regularly makes your hair
look dazzling. I also believe in oil therapy for my hair. I oil my hair
at least twice a week. I also apply an herbal hair powder, which we
make at home, to nourish my hair. I make it a point to blow-dry my hair
if it gets wet or after washing it. That really helps. I believe, that
if you have straight hair, use shampoos with cleansers and if you have
thick and coarse hair, avoid shampoos with added proteins, as they tend
to worsen the hair condition. For normal hair, use mild shampoos made
with moisturisers.



Nandita Das:

"I drink a lot of water, starting with about three glasses after I wake
up. I wear kaajal on a regular basis. I use a lip pencil whenever I go
out and that's all. I go to the beauty parlour once in a while to get a
nice hair massage or for dipping my feet into water for pedicure, when
I'm tired. But mostly, I have a very ordinary lifestyle."



Bipasha Basu:

"Make-up is mostly for the eyes. If I've done my eyes, it's enough. I
prefer a highlighter on my eyes and use kaajal. I dislike lipstick. I
love lip-glosses. On an ordinary day, if I'm going out, I use the Mac
Shimmer, a moisturiser with sheen and not a foundation. I like mascara.
And for blush, I use YSL Bronser."