Sultry looks

Bearing this in mind, says 12-year-old Sohini Chowdhary, “I like blue, black, orange and yellow nail paint. I wear them because I don’t want to be left out in these happening times.” Her sister, Deepali, prefers the all-time – favourite browns because they suit every occasion’. Sonal, a collegiate strives for a natural look with a natural shade on her lips and a white on her nails.

Amanpreet Sidhu, a University student, uses foreign brands only when it comes to looking good. “The summers are a time to use light shades and my favourite is matt mauve. Chocolates make my lips look delicious all the time and enhance my beauty. Silver and gold are reserved only for very formal occasions.” Her friend, twinkle, uses “these outrageous colours to scare the guys away” while Puja sticks to pretty pinks and reds for an ultra feminine look that’s chic and smart.

Raminder Arora, a housewife, sticks to her rusts season after season though light shades sometimes take over on a hot summer’s day. Burgundy is a new addition to her range of colours which she likes. Colours have failed to arouse her interest “for they are ideally suited for svelte teenagers”.

Kanwal Raj Singh of Sarup Singh and Co. says, “The sales of Lakme, especially browns, is maximum. Lakme has grown with the Indian woman while the rest have just joined her. Revlon is a close second, usually demanded by youngsters.” Sales at Empire Stores and Jagat Singh and Sons support his statement.

Geetanjali Monga, a fashion designing student, states in a professional tone,“A stain of deep colour – wine, berry, plum, chocolate suits just about anywhere and is an easy addition to the minimal makeup women prefer. The changing face of the eternal Indian woman is captured well by these shades.”

The staid browns are a “No, No”, for Mansi who wears colours to reflect her moods. “I’m in tune with what’s hot, bold, romantic and sensual. Unusual colours catch the eye and turn a head invariably,” she says. Neelam remarks,“Life is so humdrum – colours brighten my nails yellow. It reminds me of sunshine and never fails to give a bright start to my day.” “Nothing but blues and blacks for me. Since the wild jungle book is in and that’s the mood of the shockening 90’s I’m ready to reflect it,” adds her friend, Mona.

Nidhi and Taranpreet feel, “It’s exciting to experiment with colours. They give us a sense of exclusivity.” Nitty Krishan, a young housewife says. “I love both breathtaking colours. They enhance the joy of life and blaze a trail to the unknown.”These handful dare devils who can be cool, act bold and look sexy have their counterparts who don’t appreciate new wave in make-up. The low sales of these zany colours in city shops confirm this. Says Savita of Empire Stores,“Brown is the selling colour these days. All age groups would rather buy a brown than an orange or a black, barring the few exceptions.”

Shaina Malhotra, a jewellery designer find these colours “obnoxious and jarring. They might suit the very fair supporting western outfits, if at all they do, and that’s where it ends.” Even Jasmine, the jazzy, when asked if she went in for purple, green or black looked as if she was hit on the head with a hammer. Indignantly, this 21-year-old retorted that she used lipstick and nail polish to look beautiful and not to caricature herself: “The giddy limits are not for me!” A +2 student, Girija emphatically says,“I don’t approve of these new shades. They look very campish. None of my friends use these colours. I wouldn’t hesitate to disown them the day they do.”

Whether you like the soft mellow look or are turned on by the exotic and the sensuous colours Lakme, Tips and Toes, Elle 18, Revlon and Chamber have shades to flatter every type of woman and suit every pocket.

Tips and Toes are priced at Rs 45 and Rs 39 for a lipper and nail enamel respectively. Popular Lakme with 63 shades to chose from has Rs 63 for the lips while 40 shades of nail paint are priced at Rs 40 each. Orchids has a lipper for Rs 185 and nail enamel for Rs 110. For those who think no price is too high to look nice go in for one of the 28 Revlon shades or Chambor, a whooping Rs 235 for the matt collection and Rs 215 for the cream, frosted look.

Delicate soft pinks, wild and wacky blues, bold gold’s, sassy silvers, passionate purples, gorgeous greens and raging reds make a bold statement without the fuss of additional make up wizardry. You can’t go wrong with colours like these to take you through the day and into the night. So, add sparkle to your smile and glamour to your tips and let the guys worship the ground you walk on. These colours are there for you to dare and give you makeup the glamour and excitement it deserves.