Welcome to our Body Talk series where our in-house Nykaa editors cover educational and important conversations on body health.
From forgetting to take off our makeup to going gung-ho over holographic, here’s the horrible beauty habits and harmful beauty trends we hope will become distant has-beens in 2019:
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Sizzling my hair to a crisp with heat-styling tools
Synjini Nandi, Senior Content Executive, Beauty BookSOS: I’m going bald! Between split-ends, hair fall and constant dryness, I’ve started to look like an electrocuted porcupine despite my most earnest hair-saving efforts – and it’s all because I can’t put down the styling tools. When I was a wee young thing, the other kids always bullied me about my crazy curls, leading to an unwieldy straightening addiction that I still haven’t managed to kick. Not only has the styling added a layer of additional damage, it’s ruined the natural, underlying texture of my hair, too.
In 2019, I’m going to put aside the tongs o’ terror and give my sizzled tips a time-out from this bad beauty habit. I might look like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed every morning, but it’s a small price to pay for a much bigger purpose.
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Falling asleep with a full face of makeup
Zoya Dadarkar, Assistant Content Manager, WebcommEver Netflix-and-chilled so hard, you ended up waking up in a pool of drool, Cheetos and absolutely ALL your makeup from the day before? Nope? Just me, then. The problem is, it's me all the damn time - whether I'm drunk, exhausted or legit just forget - and I'm not sure how long I can keep going on like this before my face literally falls off from marinating in my makeup all night.
This year, I'm putting post-its on all my mirrors, setting alarms and making sober companions JUST for the express purpose of making sure I take my makeup off and avoid this makeup mistake.
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Being a pucker-sucker for bright lipsticks
Mousree Paul, Senior Content Executive, Beauty BookWhen I was a kid, I adoringly watched my mom put on her makeup in the mirror; a beautiful, bright lipstick as the conclusive touch that pulled together the look. Ever since, I've been a teeny bit partial towards that pop of color on the lips - that is, not just the idea of lipstick, but a VISIBLE lipstick. At department stores, my eyes literally glaze over the nudes in favor of reds, pinks or plums. It's this bizarre complex where I feel like I won't look good in a nude.
Of late though, the K sisters - think Kardashian, not Kapoor - have been giving the world some serious nude goals (in every way you can, I suppose) and I have serious FOMO. So, if you're listening, 2019 - send nudes!
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Masking bad skincare habits with makeup fake-ups
Vinita D'Souza, Senior Content Executive, Nykaa NetworkIt's super easy to be lax about your skincare when you live in a post-makeup world. Moisturizer? Naah, I got dewy-finish setting spray. Eye cream? Girl, have you even met my corrector palette? The sins of last night are so much easier to commit when you know you can cover them up the next morning. For too long now, I've put off my skincare routine in favor of fixer-upper makeup hacks, and now I'm worried I'm going to look like Dracula by the time I'm 40. So it’s time to stop these bad beauty habits and makeup mistakes.
This year, I vow to transport myself to a time before base existed. That's right - no makeup allowed. Now, if that doesn't make me pull up my skincare socks, I don't know what will.
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Looking like a real-life Ariel every day
Lakshmi Nayar, Senior Content Executive, Beauty BookThe holographic trend might have come and gone last year, but to me – it’ll be haute forever. I’m convinced I was a mermaid in my last life because - no jokes - I only feel like my true self when I’ve dusted my whole damn face in super-reflective highlighters and eyeshadows. I obviously didn’t think this was a problem until a colleague interrupted me during a very heated discussion last week to tell me that she couldn’t take me seriously because I looked like an art installation.
If I’m honest, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking like an art installation – but I figure that I might need to pull back on the 3D pixels, if only for the sake of work. Maybe I'll try some new trends while I’m at it, too.
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Beauting myself up for liner mishaps and other mistakes
Vinita Daga, Content Executive, Nykaa NetworkOkay, I know I'm not the first wizard who's tried to conquer the perfect wing. But I might be the only one that beats myself up every time it happens - as though my entire life's purpose has been lost to that lopsided liner. Being a perfectionist is tough business - and I'd be totally amiss to not see the parallels between my uneven liner and every other mistake I tend to punish myself for. Remember Cersei's horrific walk of shame in GoT? Yup, that's what goes on in my head every time I mess up this beauty trend. And TBH? Ain't nobody got time for that!
So, whether it's liner or life choices - I'm going to leave the divine geometry to Leonardo. Life is no fun without some messy, asymmetrical mistakes, anyway.
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Reading silly research studies about gender stereotypes
Brionie Pereira, Asst Manager, Beauty BookWhen I was younger and still believed Cosmo had all the answers about beauty, the birds and the bees, I read a silly little study about how men prefer smokey eyes and nude lips on women, whereas women prefer bold lips and easy-on-the-eyes mascara on other women. For some inexplicable reason, I've continued to follow this rule for every occasion as if it's do or die. If I'm on a date, I'll wear a safe, natural nude, only amping it up when I'm out with my ladies. Dumb, I know.
Despite it being a particularly Victorian-age habit, it's still a reminder that we still fall into the small but silly trap of what society prescribes, even in 2018. This year, I'm going to put the Cosmo away with the corset and harmful beauty practises to just do me, boo - bold, red lip et al.