Live from Lakmé Fashion Week 2024: Backstage Skincare Secrets

If you’re reading this, I bet I know what your Instagram feed has been looking like since the last five days. From designers’ new collections to fashion and beauty trends being spotted by an enthusiastic group of fashion professionals at the venue and online – we know exactly what’s on. The front-row access is now unrestricted thanks to the Instagram live feature. But what goes on backstage is unimaginable. Think makeup ninjas who’re never seen without their magic wand and sprinting hairstylists carrying hair spray in one hand and a teaser comb in the other. In this fabulously swift environment, we managed to catch up with models and makeup artists and what they do to ensure the perfect look on the ramp.

Models quickly move from one shoot to another and during fashion week they move from one show to another in no time. You’d think this hectic schedule, practising for shows till late night and the constant travelling wouldn’t be stressful. If anything, it plays havoc on the skin, leading to breakouts and a dull complexion. Yet, their skin still manages to look amazing even off-duty. If I don’t sleep for 3 nights in a row at a decent time, I’m forced to roam around with raccoon eyes. What we don’t have in common is, these models have access to the best makeup artists and skin professionals at all times. So we thought we could take some of their beauty wisdom for our readers to marinate in their heads.

Here’s backstage beauty access to uncovering skincare secrets that only hair and makeup experts and runway models would know.

In this article

Good Skin Prep Goes a Long Way

It’s all about your skin health. Clean and supple skin acts as the perfect canvas for spotless makeup. This means taking care of your skin in general and of course before going in for makeup. Whether it’s treating blemishes, rectifying dull skin complexion or undertaking a weekly skin cleanup – the key to flawless makeup is good skin prep. We asked makeup artist Harnoor Bhogal, “What’s the one makeup trick that most people get wrong?” Her instant response was an improper skincare routine. She shares, “Prep the skin really well, make sure it's hydrated even before applying makeup and that the products you’re using support your skin to be the best version of itself by addressing your unique skin concern.”

A Religious Skincare Routine is Key

Models may have busy days but so do we. Whether you sit and work at a desk or have a field job that demands constant movement, even the sedentary life and excessive screen time can create havoc on our skin. No matter how tired you are at the end of the day, never skip night time cleansing. It helps to have a steady regime in place so that your skin can relax and unwind the day. Backstage, we asked Priyanka Dakna (model) about her skincare ritual before she goes to bed. Cleansing the face and taking the day off turned out to be a staple each night. Since the skin does all its repair work at night while we’re asleep, it’s a good idea to incorporate a night cream in our routine that works in tandem with our skin repair tissues. Lakme Absolute Perfect Radiance Skin Brightening Night Creme is infused with micro-crystals, vitamin B3, allantoin, and glycerin that brightens the skin from within. Pair it with Lakme Absolute Perfect Radiance Skin Brightening Serum for best results. She adds, “The night before any show, I don’t eat carbs simply because what we eat obviously affects our skin and there is no point of carb intake before sleeping.”

DIY Face Masks For The Win

When exposed to various makeup products for long hours, some days without giving the skin any rest, Priyanka shares her go to is a DIY mask. “Nothing beats our desi remedies. So after I do my night cleansing, I use a Multani mitti face pack. I hydrate my skin really well after this – whether it's moisturising my face or repeatedly using a lip balm. I don’t let my skin dry out before a show.”

Ice, Ice, Baby

For quite some time, ice bowl videos gained massive popularity. You could see celebrities, influencers and everyone really dip their faces in an ice bowl. It wasn’t just for the thrill of it, though ice cold water in the morning will really wake you up. Turns out it’s the best way to knock off puffy eyes and reduce the appearance of dark circles. Apart from the good old concealer that lets us hide our flaws effortlessly, ice is a natural way to do away with a puffy morning face. Backstage makeup artist Prachii Rawat shares “Ice visibly decreases inflammation on the face and will bring your natural colour back to your face. If you’re wanting to achieve a no-makeup look, do this before your minimal makeup routine.”

What’s The Secret to Achieving The Most Natural Blush?

As much as a girl loves her makeup, sometimes she just has to rush to places like the office or perhaps for a coffee date with her girlfriend. When you’re in a hurry or want to achieve that no-makeup makeup look, do this – If it’s morning, start with the ice ritual. It’ll tighten your skin and bring back colour to your face. Makeup artist Daisy Sharma tells us “Use a dewy foundation or CC cream as base and dab a cream blush across your cheekbones.” That’s it. Really easy right?

MUA Lip Defining & Long Lasting Trick

Lipstick that doesn’t come out every hour, after a drink or after taking a few bites of my food; now that’s a dream come true. I’m not a matte lipstick girl. It’s either a creamy texture or a gloss for me. So my burning question, like for many girls, is how can I make my lipstick last long and achieve defined lips? Makeup artist Harnoor Bhogal shares backstage with us – “First define the outline of your lips. Once you fill your lips with desired lip colour, use a small powder puff to smudge proof it.” The trick is to make sure you work the excess powder on your hand, and just press it lightly along the lip line. “This way your lip colour won’t bleed out.”

Ace The Off-Duty Look

It’s incredible how models look stunning on and off the runway, with and without makeup. Perhaps the secret lies in the small tricks that you just read. Add to the list two things that most models swear by, including Prachi. “I cannot do without lip butter. And my sunscreen is precious!” You can go for Pond’s Sun Miracle SPF 50 PA+++ Light Sunscreen which is weightless, fast absorbing and leaves no white cast or sticky residue behind. Slather sunscreen and ace that natural look effortlessly.

Now that you have uncovered beauty secrets revealed by models and makeup artists themselves, the only thing left is to try them out for yourself.