The New Indian Express ·
Beyond the brush: How makeup is becoming a form of storytelling
Makeup once came with a fairly straightforward brief: look better. Even out the skin, conceal what needed concealing and accentuate what was considered beautiful. Today, that brief has been rewritten. Flowers, butterflies, abstract forms and cultural motifs are finding their way onto faces, while festivals such as Bonalu, Janmashtami and Durga Puja turn colour, symbolism and adornment into part of the visual celebration. On International Makeup Day, CE explores how makeup has moved beyond mere enhancement, becoming a language for mood, memory, identity and storytelling.
For Hyderabad-based cosmetologist and makeup artist Ananya Rao, the growing popularity of face art is rooted in expression. “The face art trend that has recently started is all about expressing oneself through art. It can be a form of emotion,” she says.
She has also observed artists using face art to make stronger social statements, particularly around issues affecting women. “When cases of abuse and other crimes are increasing, I have seen people doing really strong makeup on the face to put forward a statement that this is not working out for us,” she shares.
