MAC Cosmetics brings out its latest limited-edition, MAC Padma, in collaboration with the successful beauty icon who revels in her ‘dusky’ complexion.
Every year, MAC Cosmetics collaborates with an inspiring personality to create a range of limited editions. This year it’s Padma Lakshmi and the much-talked-about collection is MAC Padma. Besides being super gorgeous, her life has been a journey, where she has played many roles. Model. Celebrity Chef. Author. Actor. And so on. At the MAC Padma Mumbai launch, she confessed that she doesn’t wake up looking the way she did at the event. “I rely on a make-up artist like Sonic (Sarwate, Global Senior Artist, Mac Cosmetics India) or fabulous products when I am doing my own make-up. It’s been a journey. And I have mixed make-up colours ever since I remember.”
MAC PADMA THE LIP PALETTE
Her time as a supermodel on the ramp left her with her deep insights into the world of beauty, practicality and perceptions. That’s why her range is best suited for women of colour (simply put non-white/non-Caucasian complexions). This is not to say that her hot pink lipstick Mithai Pink or her red matte Blue Blood will not look pretty on those with pink undertones, but that they will look amazing on those with olive skin tone! Most Indian women have sometimes lusted for some nude tones that ended up washing out the complexions. That’s because, for every woman, her nude shade is different. Your perfect nude is the exact shade of your lips when you apply some lip balm. So a light pink is not nude for someone with darker lips. No wonder we end up looking washed out!
So if a nude is your actual lip drenched in some balm, why go for nude lipstick at all? Because A. we all have our colour preferences. B. Our lips are often uneven in tone. Balm wears off really quickly and gives no coverage. We want it natural, but as beautiful as possible. Apricot Gold, is a good option for dusky women, and it does offer a good coverage. Since my lips are soft, the creamy texture often slides off leaving a trail wherever touched – on cups, napkins, cheeks and shirts (haha)! Personally, I prefer matte. Moisturising matte. So I take dibs on Nude Fudge.
THE EYE SQUAD
This collection is a labour of love, where Lakshmi draws from the lessons learnt during her modelling and TV show hosting days. ‘Why should brown-skinned women only wear black liner? Why not blue? I feel a royal blue gives a sense of softness to our dark-coloured eyes.’ Says the woman who bewitches with her luminous skin and radiant confidence. Of the entire collection, my favourite is the dual-ended Powerpoint Eye Pencil. It satisfies the Libran in me who is always craving for choice and of course, it is total value for money. Grab Indian Ink/Mossy Green if you want a deep indigo and forest green. Personally, I would skip the Iced Heather/Kerala Sun, that’s a combination of silver and gold. Simply because I feel deep dark (not necessarily black) hues complement my dark eyes and long, black hair better. I have somewhat fallen for the Bordeauxline/Mole Brown which features deep, deep wine-purple with a brown. Interesting colours that work very well on their own and when blended.
The eye palettes, Desert Dusk and 70’s Sunset Squad, are prettily encased in a sleek golden box with stunning colours. Inspired by the colours of sunset, Desert Dusk packs in a fresh blue, while the star of the Sunset Squad is Mumtaz, a rich purple with metallic flecks. So it’s your personal choice here. Which hue tugs your heartstrings? And also depends on how experimental are you with your eye make-up. “If you look into my wardrobe, you will find 55,000 shades of purple, because I feel the purple is one colour that really makes brown eyes stand out,” is how Lakshmi explains the presence of lavender, lilacs, plum and other shades of the purple family in her collection. The dual-toned blush comes in two options – Moon & Shine (warm beige) and Melon Pink (peach-pink). It’s great to see the shades luminescent and natural, so all they do is do bathe the cheekbones in subtle radiance. The shades are such that they can double up as eyeshadow when you want to pack less for your travels.
Make-up for Women On-The-Go
Lakshmi confesses that she has a lot of make-up on her vanity dresser but the make-up that get used every day is the one that is in her purse. “I am always on the move. Sometimes I leave the home at seven in the morning and I am not coming home by 10 pm. So I need to touch my make-up in the car, in the restroom of some restaurant or anywhere. I need products that are functional.” But who said minimal can’t be pretty?
Check out the MAC Padma collection, available in stores and on Nykaa
