It’s lights, camera, action time!

It’s Diwali, a festival that is all about lights, camaraderie, fire crackers, family, friends and feasts. And that means, it’s also time to dress up in our ethnic favourites!

For After Hrs’ Look Of The Week column, we roped in South Indian actor Hariprriya to show you how you can dazzle this Deepavali.

Incidentally, the actor, who’s perhaps spotted mostly in western wear, loves to go desi and waits for an occasion to go traditional.

“Deepavali is my favourite festival as it brings back fond memories of my father. He always ensured that just not us but also his employees looked their best on this occasion. So even to this day all my family members make it a point to dress well and celebrate the festival in a grand manner. The only thing that has changed is that we now burst crackers as a customary affair only. As kids my brother and I used to love bursting crackers. But now we realise that crackers mean pollution and waste of money. But to keep the tradition alive we just light up a few sparklers and decorate our house with diyas,” she says.

And since Deepavali means a lot of work, which goes beyond decorating the house, the actor says she gives comfort a priority when it comes to dressing up for the occasion.”There is a lot of running around to do. The day begins with a visit to the temple and then we come home and start preparing traditional dishes. I join my mom in preparing kajayas, which also happens to be my favourite sweet. Basically there is a lot of work to do but since people keep coming home to wish us all through the day, I need to look presentable as well. Designer cotton saris are the best,” she adds.

Without further delay, read on to find out how you too can look like a million bucks on Diwali.

Colour me Pretty
Make up is intrinsic to Hariprriya’s professional life. But you’ll never catch the actor complaining as she loves to experiment with her looks and eye make up is her favourite! For the Look Of The Week makeover, she opts for smokey eyes. Her trusted make up artiste Manju blends gold, maroon and black eye-shadows from MAC to create this effect. He also uses kajal by Faces that make the actor’s eyes look even more expressive. The eyes were finally complete with a swipe of mascara on the lashes. As for Hariprriya’s lips, two shades — red and maroon — by Lakme were mixed to create the desired effect. The actor likes to keep her nails painted always, this time being no exception.

Tresspass
Hariprriya, is very particular about the way her hair is styled. If you, like her have a lot of running around to do during the festival, she suggests that it is best to braid your hair as it is fuss-free and does not get in your way. You can always adorn it up with matching hair clips  or flowers and other accessories.

Dress me up
When it comes to her sari, maroon, gold and orange were her choice of colours. “In fact I have no favourites when it comes to colours. I decide on them, depending completely on my mood. Maroon and gold add a certain lustre to the festive quotient while orange brightens up the sari,” she says. A puff-sleeved blouse is what she complements her sari with. The actor picked up the sari from Hyderabad, her favourite shopping destination. “It is a city where you can spot trends. The choice is abundant when it comes to patterns and fabrics,” she adds.

Li’l add-ons
Hariprriya likes to wear gold jewellery during festivals. For the specific look, she goes for two neck pieces and a jhumka presented by her mother for her birthday. Bhima Jewellers is her one-stop shopping destination. She also wears a maang tika. Bangles are her other favourite accessory. She bought these designer gold coloured bangles from Bangle Street in Hyderabad.