Bharatanatyam is a globally acclaimed Indian classical dance form that is performed with utmost discipline and training. Like any other traditional Indian classical dance form, in Bharatanatyam as well, special attention is paid to the overall attire and appearance of the dancers performing.
Aside from sticking to a particular Bharatanatyam dance uniform, dancers also wear bold and colourful makeup. It is part of being graceful and expressive through their overall attire. Today, we are here to talk about the makeup that is done by Bharatanatyam dancers and how you can successfully achieve that look without any help.
Keep reading till the end to find out the steps that you need to follow for achieving perfect Bharatanatyam makeup.
1. Setting up the perfect base
For any makeup look, the base is pretty important. If you achieve the base makeup right then your makeup lasts long and looks great. Remember, since you’ll be performing, you’ll be requiring waterproof base makeup.
If your base makeup starts to rub off due to sweat then the entire look will turn into a disaster. Begin by putting on a matte consistency primer. This will help your makeup stay for a longer time.
Next use a mattifying foundation and concealer. Once you are done, take a concealer which is a shade lighter than your skin tone and apply on the high points of your face and on your eyelids.
This will highlight the features of your face making your overall makeup expressive and vibrant. Blend everything to perfection for a flawless base makeup.
2. Highlight your eyebrows
The next step includes highlighting your eyebrows till perfection. The upper area of your face which includes the eyes and eyebrow is the focal point for Bharatanatyam dancers.
Dancers express through their eyes and it is important to highlight this feature with perfect makeup application. For the brows, you can use eyebrow pencil which comes with a spoolie brush.
Comb your brows with the spoolie brush and line them with the eyebrow pencil. Now, use eyebrow powder over the brows to give the lined brows a more natural look.
3. Apply the eyeshadow
Next comes up, applying the eyeshadow. As mentioned earlier, the eyes are supposed to be highlighted in Bharatanatyam dance makeup and eyeshadow does the job pretty well.
The best way t0 apply eyeshadow is to pick three shades from the same colour tone. For instance, if you’re choosing a pink colour tone then use the darkest shade of pin just above the upper lash line.
Then add the second shade pink horizontally above the darker shade and finally the lightest shade of pink on the brow bone and rest of the eyelid. Blend together the three shades till you get desired results.
4. Enhancing the eyes with Kajal and Eyeliner
Bharatanatyam dancers use kajal and eyeliner to further enhance their eyes and make them look bold and expressive. Therefore, once you’re done applying eyeshadow, apply a thick line of kajal on the lower lash line.
And a generous amount of eyeliner over the upper lash line. Give it a slight winged look to make the eyeliner more appealing. Finish off the whole eye makeup with some mascara strokes on your lashes.
5. Lip liner and lipstick
The next step involves some lip makeup. There isn’t much you have to do for the lips. However, just make sure the lipstick doesn’t smudge during the performance.
For smudge-free lip makeup, we suggest you line the lip first before directly applying lipstick. This will give your lips a clean and flawless look.
Use a good quality lipstick for an attractive look.
6. Tend the cheeks with some blush
Finally take a nice pink blush and apply the blush on the apples of your cheek. Use a creamy blush for a natural dewy look or you can go for powder blush for a more vibrant and lighter look
