From Saptami glow to Dashami glam: Makeup looks for every Puja day

Durga Puja is just around the corner, and it’s time to gear up for the festivities. Puja means food, late night adda, gatherings and, most importantly, fashion. And where there’s fashion, makeup inevitably follows — because what’s a festive look without the finishing touches?

So, a little help with a quick, fuss-free look that comes together in no time can go a long way. My Kolkata got in touch with popular makeup artists Reshmi Chakraborty and Abhijit Chanda, who walked us through a step-by-step makeup tutorial for four distinctive puja days you can dare to try at home without a fuss. 

Saptami

The festive gala begins with Saptami, when it’s time to slip into the Puja mood, leaving behind daily commutes, piles of homework, pending deadlines and mid-semester exam results.

“Saptami calls for light, fresh and simple makeup,” observed Reshmi Chakraborty. “One must not overdo the look on this day. Keep it minimal with a light-shaded eyeshadow, a plump lip colour and plenty of inner glow.”

Start with — cleanse, hydrate with toner and moisturiser, and smooth with a primer and concealer. 

“Enhance your features with a fine base finish with compact powder and a little bit of blush on the high points of your cheekbones. When applying light soft makeup, the blush tone must be pinkish. And when we are getting ready for a glam event we can apply a bit more blush facewise,” Chakraborty said. 

While adding the shine with bronzer, highlighter and setting spray, you can keep the glow shimmery yet minimal, letting natural features shine. For eye makeup, go with any nude shade in accordance with your outfit and finish up your with a glossy shade of lipstick. 

Ashtami

Ashtami calls for a festive look that feels elegant without being overly dramatic. Abhijit Chanda demonstrated a subtle, dewy look built around luminous skin, nude tones and softly defined eyes to suit the Ashtami vibe. 

“This is contemporary, but also very Indian and meant for the youth — a versatile combination that can take you from morning anjali to an evening pandal-hopping plan,” he said. 

Begin by prepping the skin with primer before blending a light-to-medium coverage foundation for an even, natural-looking base. 

Conceal under the eyes, over pigmented areas and on the high points of the face, keeping the coverage light enough to let the skin retain its freshness. 

For the eyes, sweep a nude eyeshadow across the lids to create a soft, neutral base. Add depth by working a richer shade into the inner corners and along the upper lash line, blending the edges carefully for a seamless transition. Coat the lashes with mascara to define the eyes without making them appear too heavy. Then comes the festive touch: sweep a hint of glitter across the lids to catch the light and add just the right amount of sparkle to the otherwise understated look.

Keep the lips soft and neutral with a light brown lip liner followed by a nude lipstick. Applying the lipstick with a brush helps create a smooth, diffused finish and keeps the colour subtle. Once the makeup is in place, set it with a setting spray to help it last through the festivities.

Complete the look with a timeless black bindi, an unmistakable finishing touch that brings together the contemporary makeup and traditional Ashtami aesthetic. 

Navami

Just a day before bidding Bengal’s beloved Durga farewell, it’s time to bedazzle for one last festive night before the countdown begins all over again. Navami is an unofficially declared day for glamour and sass, when you can turn up the drama and let your makeup do the talking.

“For this day, master the art of a smoky, glimmering eye look while keeping the rest of your makeup balanced to complement your features,” said Reshmi Chakraborty. 

By now, we all know how to prep our skin. Once you get past the initial steps, go for a soft pink blush rather than an overpowering shade that could compete with your eye makeup. Apply a balanced amount of highlighter and contour your T-zone to bring out the glam for a festive night.

Next up, the most important step in any glam look — the eyes! Define them with smoky eyeshadow, mascara and kohl. Add a touch of shimmer over the eyeshadow on both eyes, making sure to cover the entire area.

“Cover the entire area so that your eye makeup sparkles wherever you look,” Chakraborty said.

The final step is to choose a nude lip shade to balance out the heavy eye makeup.

Dashami

For Dashami, Chanda suggests a soft, earthy glam that centres on warm brown tones and a fresh, luminous base. Start with moisturised, primed skin and apply a light-to-medium coverage foundation, blending it seamlessly for an even finish. 

Follow with concealer under the eyes, over pigmented areas and on the high points of the face, then set the base with a light dusting of setting powder. 

Add a natural-toned blush to the apples of the cheeks and a subtle touch of highlighter for a healthy glow.

For the eyes, sweep a matte brown eyeshadow across the lids, then deepen the outer corners and upper lash line with a rich chocolate brown. 

Define the lower lash line with brown kajal and smoke it out with a lighter brown eyeshadow, blending the edges for a soft, diffused finish. 

Add a touch of glitter to the lids and coat the lashes with mascara for added definition. Finish with a brown lip shade to tie the look together. 

Keep the hair loose and let your tresses flow freely for an understated yet festive Dashami look.