Hot new trend: Animal prints-inspired make-up

We aren’t making that up! Call it punk or bizarre, but wildlife has never failed to inspire mankind, in any form. The trend and the desire to flaunt these animal prints have well gone beyond the conventional cheetah print dresses or zebra print hand bags, to lip tattoos and facial make-up.

Moving beyond the conventional, make-up inspired by wild species like zebra, cheetah, leopard, tiger, among others, is fast becoming a fad. One can also get more experimental and creative at the same time by trying on the colourful, feathery and peppy bird look, or don the catty look with thick long lashes and heightened eyes.

And if you want your style quotient to be subtle and balanced, wear the sublime fish make-up that makes you look feminine yet stylish at the same time. “Make-up is no longer restricted to beauty... it’s becoming more innovative,” asserts make-up artist Piyu Palkar.

“We have grown from being make-up men to being make-up artists. Just like paintings, even make-up now takes inspiration from everything around us... be it flowers, animals, geometrical patterns or anything abstract,” she adds.

But there are a few things that one should bear in mind before one attempts these wild looks. While everyone wants to be updated when it comes to fashion trends, one needs to be sensible and realistic as well. “Not every face can pull off this style well,” warns Palkar. “Your face should be expressive enough to do justice to the make-up,” she adds.

Also, the dress and hair should be co-ordinated well with the look. Suggests hairstylist Chinmayee Pal, “For a cheetah or a leopard look, over-the-top wild hair would be the perfect fit. If you have a perfect oval face and a great figure, just a plain bun can be enough. A Lady Gaga-like head bow or an over-the-top pony should be ideal for a catty make-up.” She adds, “However, using a small bumpit on the top and a fish pony tail can enhance the fish look. In fact, you could use two bumps and make it resemble the fish fins.”

Bollywood make-up artist Reema Sablok agrees. “A lot more people are going for bolder colours and animal-inspired designs to add that oomph, which can accessorise your outfit in a way. It’s a contemporary art and can highlight one’s features. But one needs to be wary of how much is too much.”