Marriage is a special occasion in a woman's life, and she will definitely want to look her best on this day. On the D-day she will pay particular attention to the way she looks and how she presents herself . Usually her friends help her to dress up for this occasion. However, now she has the choice of going to a professional who takes care of  every aspect of her appearance. The numerous beauty parlours in the city beautify the bride, of course, for a price. They take care of her make-up, hairdo and even tie the sari for her.

One major advantage of leaving it to the professionals is, that they dress you according to your tastes and preferences. You are given individual attention and can hold discussions about what you would like or do not like. Gone are the days when make-up consisted only of rose powder, kajal and bindi. Just a routine set of make-up and hairstyles are not used anymore. They are chosen carefully taking into consideration the brides face structure and suitability. With rising awareness about make-up, different concepts of beauty and individuality, women of today know what they want.

First the make-up is completed and only after that the hairstyle is decided. Mrs. Krishna, owner of Shy's Nest beauty parlour, on V K Iyer Road , Mandavelli says, "After putting on the make-up we decide the best suited hairstyle. This way we give the make-up the time needed to set (ice cubes are rubbed over the face to help the make-up set) and also we will be able to choose the correct hairstyle according to the way she looks." First the face is thoroughly cleaned and then the concealer is applied in areas where the skin colour is not uniform or patchy. It is mainly used to conceal dark circles and other blemishes in the skin. The pancake is applied next to the skin texture giving the face a uniform base on which the next layer of make-up can be built upon. According to the skin tone, the correct shade of foundation is smoothed over. It should be applied in such a way that it blends in with the skin colour. The concealer, pancake, and the foundation are applied both on the face and  neck. Next the eyeliner, the mascara and the eye shadow are applied and then compact and translucent powder added to hide the shine, as touch-up. The lips are outlined with a lip liner and then filled out with lipstick. To give the bride a special glow, a light touch of 'glitters' is added over the eyebrows, cheekbones and the chin.

Mrs. Krishna lists some absolute no-no in bridal makeup, "Eye shadow colours must suit the skin colour, so daring colours like blue and green must not be used. They tend to give a weird look to the face. Maroons and browns are  the best lipstick shades for our skin types, therefore pinks should be avoided, as they clash with our dusky skin colour". She says that gold tones are the best for our skin types, they highlight the face and make the bride look luminous and attractive. The make-up will last for 4 hrs and the bride is advised to blot out the beads of sweat and not rub or wipe it, because then the make-up will be removed from that spot, and the original skin colour will show as a patch.

Hairstyles range from the simple French braid to the complex buns and rolls. Readymade hair switches are also available for elaborate hairstyles. Pearls, rhinestones, flower buds, golden lace, satin ribbons, jewelled hair bands, are used for decorating the hairstyle. The hair ornaments differ from beautician to beautician. As Mrs. Krishna says, "we choose the hairstyle according to the hair type and the bone structure of the face. For example, some brides still insist on wearing a long plait which may not suit them. So I arrange her hair in a more suitable way, but if she still insists on a plait, then I do it for her."

It is better that the bride has a trial session with the beautician before hand. This will help her to select the correct make-up and hairstyles, saving time. Usually bridal make-up is a whole package consisting of make-up, hairstyle and tying the sari, both in the Gujarathi style and the regular way. The entire process can take anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hrs. Many of the beauticians also come to the marriage hall and dress up the bride. Apart from beauty parlours many women also operate from their houses. In these cases, you should definitely check the credibility of the person and also examine the brand of cosmetics she uses. "All the products of the same brand must be used, only then they will blend in perfectly. Another advantage is that in case of an allergic reaction, we will know which brand to avoid. If we use products of different brands, then it becomes difficult to recognise the cause of the reaction," says Mrs. Krishna.