American actress-filmmaker and activist Somy Ali is bowled over by Raveena, Manisha’s natural beauty!

American actress-filmmaker and activist #SomyAli is bowled over by Bollywood actresses #RaveenaTandon and #ManishaKoirala’s natural beauty.

While some celebs like to go au-naturel when they aren’t shooting, others like to wear make-up when they step out. These choices are sometimes judged by people.

“There will never be a time where people stop judging others for something or the other. It’s innately ingrained in us and as humans, we simply will and won’t stop criticizing others. For me, I don’t care who wears make-up or who does not. It’s their choice and whatever makes them happy. I have to say, the two female actors I have seen without make-up when I was in Mumbai were Raveena and Manisha, and I was completely taken aback with their natural beauty,” said Somy, who has acted in Bollywood films like “Anth: A Dream for a Better Tomorrow” and “Chupp”.

Earlier, there was a lot of stigma around make-up. Somy feels that it’s all about social media and celebrities. “If celebs deemed banana peels to be the new trend, your average person would totally buy into it,” said the founder and president of No More Tears, Inc.

She thinks that now people have become open when it comes to make-up. “Again, many celebrities have launched their own make-up lines such as Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez along with perfumes. Even male celebs have launched colognes and moisturizers. It’s all social media and stardom related,” she said. These days even male celebs post videos and photos while doing make-up. Does she think this has made the general public talk openly about it? “Well, make-up plays a significant role if one is on camera whether it’s a news anchor, TV, or feature film. Make-up is a necessity as you can’t have your forehead shining with all the studio lights. Additionally, make-up enhances the artists’ looks and brings out their features. One of the best make-up artists in the Hindi film industry is Mickey Contractor. He is brilliant and his craft is magical. I was fortunate enough to have my make-up done by him during a shoot with Gautam R,” said the activist of Pakistani descent.

For her, make-up is a personal choice if you are not facing the camera. “The norm in Hollywood is to cover your face with giant sunglasses and just wear lipstick if you are walking the streets and you know for sure the paparazzi will capture you. I have seen the same pattern in Mumbai with celebs. Look, it’s a field based on looks so of course, one has to make sure they do it at all times,” she said.

“When I was not in filming, I would still wear makeup because I have inherited dark circles, so undereye concealer was a must for me and still is including foundation,” she added. Make-up, she believes, actually protects skin if we are out in the sun. “It is equivalent to wearing sunscreen. Personally, I am all for it and enjoy wearing make-up. I think it is already normalized with all the hype on Instagram and celebrities endorsing make-up brands. There are actual videos on YouTube on how to do your make-up like Rekha ji and others,” said Somy.

Nowadays, male celebrities also endorse waxing products. “That’s progress, and we are moving in the right direction. Laser hair removal and waxing are a norm for men and women now,” she shared. She also has a post-make-up regime.
“I never go to bed with make-up on. Many moons ago, Manisha taught me that and told me how bad it is for our skin to go to bed without removing our make-up. I still adhere to that advice,” she said.

She religiously follows a skin care routine too. “First thing after shower is a moisturizer, then sunscreen and then make-up. Sunscreen is pivotal to protecting your skin and aging well. Sun is our biggest enemy as it can strongly damage our skin, not to mention a huge culprit when it comes to skin cancer,” she shared.