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The modern day bride is no stranger to the tug of war between honouring tradition while retaining her individuality. But for Sydney-based makeup artist Rowi Singh, the answer is both, always both. An average Monday morning could have hues like citrus and chartreuse flirting with bubblegum pink on her lids even as graphic gems orbit her lashes under the canopy of rhinestone-studded brows. A bindi here, a pair of jhumkas there serve as a nod to her South Asian heritage. And for the biggest day of her life, it comes as a little surprise that the bride paid a heartfelt homage to her culture while maintaining fidelity to her more-is-more makeup manifesto. Minimalists will want to tread with caution beyond this point.

Jimmy Raper Wedding photography 

The pendulum on her bridal beauty choices may have swung from the soothing hues of sage green to bold embellishments, but Singh knew that she never wanted to lose sight of her vision. “Wedding makeup tends to be less-is-more, but that does not define who I am. I chose to adorn myself in my signature maximalism as it makes me feel confident,” she says, while pausing to reflect over the magnitude of her choices. “I’ve been raised in two cultures and have often felt neither wholly Indian nor Australian. I’ve carved out my own space between the two, cementing my own identity,” she says. Her musings are mirrored in the finer nuances of her nuptials—instead of a conventional ceremony at a temple, she opted for a greenhouse and enlisted the help of her wedding planner Honey Lane and florist Don de L’Amour to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. The mandate carried forth to her makeup choices as well, “For the wedding day, I had rhinestone embellishments on my lids, but I paired it with a classic tikka and a gold naath to ensure that my looks were classic yet modern and just the right amount of unconventional,” she adds.

Jimmy Raper Wedding photography 

The drive to ensure that her bridal makeup captured her identity was also manifested in the mehendi ceremony which saw her opting for an intricate design featuring a whimsical portrait of her cat alongside a sage green manicure detailed with gemstones. She elaborates, “My first ever memory of mehendi was from my aunt’s wedding when I was five years old. Since then, it has always reminded me of the markings of love. While I had our couple initials written, I also ensured that my bridesmaids’ designs complemented my own as a symbol of our platonic love.” The conscious process of choosing those aspects of culture that felt true to her meant that Singh distanced herself from rituals designed to lighten the skin. “I also chose not to remove any body hair because I embrace myself the way I am,” she affirms.

Jimmy Raper Wedding photography 

Jimmy Raper Wedding photography 

At the end of the day, Singh advises potential brides-to-be to use makeup as a vehicle for self expression. “You don’t have to participate in traditions that aren’t representative of you. Strive to centre your love and trust your instinct in all that you do.” So what did this quest for self expression look like for the 28-year-old? “My colourful looks have always evoked joy and celebration, and I knew that I didn’t want my wedding makeup to be any different. My makeup was energetic, just like the relationship that I share with Rahul.”

Jimmy Raper Wedding photography 

Fresh from her honeymoon in Fiji, her peppy disposition shows no signs of fatigue from the chameleonic changes she pulled off over the course of the week-long celebrations, whirling from rhinestone eyes and dramatic bottom lashes one day to floating liner and slicked-back ponytails the next. As a makeup artist herself, she recalls being nervous about stepping back from the process but ultimately decided to place her trust in her makeup artist Nicole Thompson and her hairstylist Linda Ha. “I did do my own brows—no one knows them better than me—but I surprisingly enjoyed stepping back to cherish the process and soaking in the buzz of getting ready,” she shares.

Brides-to-be in the quest for makeup that won’t budge will want to make note of her holy grail products: “I always had a Fenty Precision Concealer Brush stashed in my bag to smooth the under-eye area and blend away any creases, the M.A.C Lip Pencil in Cork and Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Hot Chocolit to top up lip shine.” And if you are looking for your eye makeup to stay in place through the sudden bouts of tears, gather around for her ride-or-die staple: “The Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder will give you a soft-blur finish and rid your under-eye area of any unwanted creases to ensure that your makeup will stay put all day.”

Glam and Glow

Military green eyeshadow was detailed with self-adhesive rhinestones, and glossy lips to infuse her usual eclecticism into the look. 

‘Fenty Beauty, ‘ Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer’ in Hot Chocolit, ₹2,300.

Fenty Beauty, ‘Precision Concelear Brush’, ₹3,000.

Stila, ‘Shimmer and Glow Liquid Eye Shadow’ in Vivid Jade, ₹1,960

Nars Cosmetics, ‘Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation’ in Barcelona, ₹3,700

Also read:

Here’s what brides can choose to nail their upcoming destination wedding

The designer couple behind Ura Maku’s Assam wedding is every minimalist’s dream

Inside Naïna de Bois Juzan and Vincent Sadoulet’s whimsical Indian wedding in France

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