What beauty means to me: Aditi Rao Hydari

For Aditi Rao Hydari, beauty comes from within, from the mind, from a philosophy that doesn’t come from a genie in a bottle. The actor shares her funda of beauty and beauty secrets.

Everyone pulled my cheeks when I was growing up. They all made me feel really pretty. They said I looked like Audrey Hepburn. So, obviously I got a lot of attention. But my mother was very strict – she forbade me from threading my eyebrows and made me oil my hair. I hated it then, but I think that kept me grounded.

I’ve been blessed with really good skin. I rarely ever break out and even if I do, I just use sandalwood to get rid of the spots. But on days when I do break out, being a celebrity becomes that much harder. We are expected to look perfect all the time… how’s that even possible? I too have bad days. My hair could look messy, my skin tends to look pale, a monstrous zit can sit pretty on my nose. But I don’t like using make-up to conceal my flaws. I think I look my best without any make-up. When I am on camera, I apply a drop of foundation. That’s it!

One thing I have learnt is that your vibe also determines how you look. If you’re an unhappy person, it will show on your face. If you scowl a lot, you will develop frown lines. So do things you like – dance, sing, eat, act, exercise, read, run, do anything. But whatever you do, you should see a happy person in the mirror. Yes, there are days when I feel fat and not-so-pretty. I feel my lips are too pouty or my hair is too thin. But I never judge myself. And neither should you.

However, if you feel you can enhance your beauty with fillers and botox, go for it. I wouldn’t do it personally, but I don’t judge people who opt for surgery. Just don’t be a slave to it.

Aditi’s tips and tricks
I use milk to wash my face.
I hardly ever use soap on my face. I use besan/oatmeal.
Kitchen beauty remedies are the best. I use honey when my skin feels dry and sandalwood when it's oily.
I never use make-up when I'm not shooting. But I swear by a water-based light cheek tint by Benefit called Benetint.
I use the SKII Stem power moisturiser at night and I love it.

From HT Brunch, June 16
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