Heads up, fashionistas! There’s a new trend in town and it requires that you use your hands as a canvas. Hand art is no longer limited to henna tattoos or the hyper-realistic “handimals”
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Heads up, fashionistas! There’s a new trend in town and it requires that you use your hands as a canvas. Hand art is no longer limited to henna tattoos or the hyper-realistic “handimals”, and if that’s your definition then you are missing out on what’s clearly the new big thing: hand makeup. Whether it’s the winged eyeliner, the perfect smokey eye or deciding from unconventional colours, jewels and glitters to create a breathtaking, head-turning image, we all know someone who can use an extra to ‘work their magic’ on; heck, we are one ourselves.
Simple and flirty
“You have makeup in front of you and your brushes in your hands; you just start playing with colours,” shares Aqsa Aamir of @whataqsathinks. “I use an eyebrow pencil to draw the eyebrows and the basic sketch of the eye first. Then, I start filling it in with different colours. When I’m done, I use eyeliner to draw the eyelashes (favourite part). My favourite trends are the cut crease, thick brows and winged eyeliner.”
Eye roll (literally)
I’m sure y’all are thinking the same thing: why waste those products? And the point about learning/experimenting with different looks, there are thousands of tutorials on net already, so what’s with dedicating so much time and attention to this art? But what if it’s something we enjoy doing - should people’s opinions matter? But then I see how Aqsa keeps pushing and pursuing what she likes because art, for her, “is neither a waste of time nor a waste of products!” And I like how she is thankful to her fans instead of taking the negative comments to heart: “It feels amazing when people requests for specific looks with specific colours. The basic concept of this trend is to show people looks they can recreate with the products - that’s why, I always mention the product details! These are makeup products (powder eye shadows); they can’t obviously be used on the paper!”
Always time for fun
Makeup aside, the designs themselves are stunning. These makeup artists are nothing short of amazing. Seeing eyes and lips sketched with such precision on the back of their hands and forearms make us jealous because try as we might we are unable to match their skills. Aqsa, being one of the few doing this in Pakistan, tells us otherwise: “I had never planned to do this. I’m a medical student and I was never into arts. I used to post eye makeup looks now and then but I hadn’t drawn anything ever before. I was trying to study for my exams one day and couldn’t concentrate. I had a pen in my hands and started drawing an eye (yes, I’m not a good student, haha). This was my first drawing, ever. I had my makeup pouch by my side and I quickly filled the eye with makeup. It turned out so good, I posted a picture. The response was amazing and that’s when I decided to continue.”
Get inspired
Opening a proper makeup studio can be hard when you are studying. But, that at least gives you the excuse to plan out everything, especially if you have parents who are enthusiastic with the whole idea of blogging and working as freelance MUA. “My mother keeps suggesting me what kind of looks I should try. She also points out my mistakes so I can improve them. My father, who lives abroad, sends me makeup tutorials.
“My suggestion for beginners is to keep practicing a trend till they perfect it. They should also focus on the tiniest details and to ensure there is proper lighting as this will make their pictures stand out.”
