Indian Beauty

Tradition and Excellence

India has long been known for its beautiful women. With its exotic makeup practices and vibrantly colored clothing, it is no wonder that India is a trendsetting skincare and cosmetics hub in Asia.

India does not only embrace beauty, but it exudes excellence as well. From the perfect, articulate design of henna, to the strategically colored faces and stained lips, Indian beauty has always been a source of example for other cultures looking to get noticed, be original, and beautiful in their thinking and design.

Henna

Henna decoration started in the Middle East and India, and has begun to grow in popularity in the West. Henna resembles a standard tattoo, only it is much richer in detail and is not permanent.

Also referred to as Mehendi, henna is a product derived from an evergreen plant with crushed dried berries added to form its reddish brown color or black hue. In India culture it is most often placed on the hands and feet. Traditionally, henna is worn by women particularly during wedding celebrations.

Henna is popularly found here in America in amusement parks, beach side malls, and anywhere else where people are vacationing and are in the mood to try something a little different. However, henna will always remain rooted in India where it is a symbol of beauty and culture more than it is recognized as a form of novelty or amusement.

Kohl

Kohl is an Indian beauty term used to describe makeup on the face. Commonly referencing eyeliner, it can also stand for rouge, lip color, and even hair shining oils.

Kohl is an Indian face makeup used by men and women alike. The lip color is made from berries and a particular red mineral mixed together with fine oil. The result is beautiful. Unlike our store-bought makeup here, many Indians prefer to stick to tradition with their makeup. This is especially true in groups who perform cultural dance and other loyalists to the older days where makeup and being beautiful in general required extra effort.

Kohl in the eyeliner sense is actually made from ground up sulfide stirred together with olive oil. This has been a type of eyeliner that reaches beyond India and into the tombs of ancient Egyptians. Originally designed as a sunscreen to reflect the glare while outdoors in the extreme heat of the region, today it is used to enhance beauty and a striking allure in the eye area of the Indian woman.

Modern Media

Today's Western society has really started to revere Indian beauty as well. The writer and director Gurinder Chadha has made a huge impact in the way that we see Indian beauty here with her popular line up of films in recent years.

One of the most notable is Bride and Prejudice, a Hollywood take on Jane Austen's popular novel Pride and Prejudice. The movie, which grossed an impressive amount of money here in the States, exhibited many examples of Indian beauty including the use of makeup for weddings and the cultural application of kohl, henna, and many other face and body decorations.

The look of Indian beauty is embraced everywhere from the red carpet, where Bride and Prejudice's leading lady, Aishwarya Rai, is often found wearing traditional Indian clothing to premieres and photo shoots, to its roots back in India where it is exhibited and celebrated through dance, music, and other forms of performance.

Getting the Look of Indian Beauty

There are many manufacturers of Indian beauty products, one of them being Classic Creations. Making and exporting products straight from India, they are mostly natural, herbal, and classic Indian beauty.

Some products that they sell include body tattoos and bindi dots, which often complete the makeup look in India. While we decorate occasionally with body shimmer, they use these jewels and decorations to finish off their look. The website itself says it best, "As old as tradition and as new as the times, with a change in perceptions about beauty and adornment, the aboriginal indian bindis has now become a fashion statement."

No matter what Indian beauty look you are going for, consider learning more about this gorgeous culture with so much heritage, tradition, and influence on the cosmetic world past, present, and future.