With so many South Asian, or Desi, festivals having just passed (Ganesh Chaturthi, Rakhi, Eid, etc..) and several coming up soon (Diwali, Navratri, etc..), I wanted to share some inspo! Ready for a simple Desi makeup look?
Since most South Asian outfits have hints of red in them, and too, Desi accessories tend to have a lot of gold shimmer and shine, I knew I had to work both those angles into the makeup. If you don’t believe me, here are some of our favorite Bollywood celebs doing just that because, well, Bollywood is life.

A bold, red lip was the need of the hour, along with gold in the inner corners of the eyes!

Here’s the full breakdown of what I used:
- Lancome Teint Idole Foundation in 310 Bisque Cool
- Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Foundation
- E.l.f. 16 Hour Camo Concealer
- BH Cosmetics Desert Oasis Palette
- Smashbox Shapematters Palette (for highlight and contour)
- YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 13
- Surratt Artistique Blush in Rougeur
- Clarins Crayon Kohl
- Clarins Mascara Supra Volume

The above image gives you a closer look at the shades I used. As you can see, the red lip was truly the standout. Since it was still Summer (I actually wore this during Rakhi), I wanted a brighter red. As we move into Autumn and Winter, however, a deeper, darker red is definitely a better option. For the eyes, I made sure whatever shades I used had a shimmer to them, to perfectly match my bangles and earrings. Lastly, for blush and contour, I stuck to my two usual go-to’s from Surratt Beauty and Smashbox Cosmetics.
And there you have it! My take on the signature Desi makeup look. Hope this inspires you to recreate one of your own–whether you’re celebrating festivals at home or elsewhere at a safe social distance from others! And if you do try this Desi makeup out, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@stylebymalvika) so I can see!
XO,
-MS