I’ve been to my fair share of Diwali parties the past week, and it’s been a revelation to see what all the girlies have managed to stuff in their micro potlis. Spend a minute in the ladies’ washroom and it’s like watching a ‘what’s in my bag’ video come to life before your eyes; mini mascara tubes, lip gloss, travel-sized perfumes, cotton buds, and blotting powder fall out on top of the counter as a prelude to what feels like a surgical operation.
Five minutes later, the emergency beauty kit goes right back where it came from and she walks out nonchalantly with her makeup perfectly in place. At The Nod, we were curious as to what these on-the-go essentials entailed exactly, so we asked four experts to spill the deets. M.A.C India’s national makeup artist, Saikat Chakraborty, swears by the brand’s Glow Play lip balm and Fix+ hydrating mist, along with... a bamboo toothbrush (no kidding). London-based Eshita Kabra-Davies loves a good jasmine scent and wears it exclusively for the festive season, her top picks being Carnal Flower by Frédéric Malle and Joyeuse Tubéreuse by Guerlain.
So, if there’s one takeaway from all this, it’s that you don’t need to choose between bringing a compact or a lipstick to that teen patti party. Bring it all—no one’s judging.
