Ananya Panday on her approach to beauty: “I love being that glamorous girl, dressing up, and getting my pictures clicked”
Actor Ananya Panday may have found the key to achieving self-love, and it’s pretty simple–respect your body
Authenticity is having a moment. The aphorism reoccurs to me as I hop on a Zoom call with Gen-Z sensation Ananya Panday, who appears every bit as unguarded and relaxed as her Instagram self. The doe-eyed actor’s signature wide smile, sun-kissed skin and approachable persona have a raw and warm charm. Her is hair tied in a nonchalant bun behind a headband and she is dressed in a tank top in her olive green bedroom. It takes her seconds to comfortably settle into a candid dialogue on her relationship with beauty and skincare.
“Honestly, I have a very balanced equation with beauty and makeup,” the 22-year-old shares. Scroll through her social media page and you’ll know just what she means. Though you’ll spot her occasional brushes with a flushed look and a bold eye, a no-makeup makeup and less-is-more vibe is the star’s comfort zone. “I feel like I have two personalities,” she contemplates. “I love being that glamorous girl, dressing up, and getting my pictures clicked. But when I am not working, I want the complete opposite of that. And I like having that balance.”
Beauty for Panday goes beyond her profession and social commitments. It also means fond memories with her closest family members and friends. Her face lights up as she describes her most initial—and amusing—memory of cosmetic products. Her 10-year-old self, along with younger sister Rysa (then four years old), used to take turns painting the two halves of their maternal grandmother’s face, competing to outdo one another, and their nani was then forced to step out into the world with her made-over look. The Student Of The Year 2 actor laughs as she recalls, “We wouldn’t even give her a choice,” before confessing, “More than putting makeup on myself, I love putting it on other people, especially on Rysa.”
But where Panday willingly surrenders is around her much-spotlighted cohort of childhood girlfriends—Shanaya Kapoor and Suhana Khan. Khan, she reveals, is the de facto makeup guru of the squad. “She does the perfect winged liner!” Panday exclaims. “I am probably the worst at it out of everyone.” If that doesn’t come from a space of humility, she sure does a good job of hiding it, I think to myself, as she tells me more.
Lesson plan
“It was my makeup artist Stacy Gomes who taught me to always use a nude kajal pencil inside my waterline to make my eyes look bigger. That’s one thing that I love doing and I make sure any artist I work with knows that too.”
Basic beauty
“I don’t use foundation. I put concealer under my eyes and all over my face and set it with a loose powder. I constantly need to keep brushing my eyebrows upwards, even if I don’t fill them, because I have reasonably thick brows. Whatever I am wearing, I will wear pink eyeshadow. And then I clamp my lashes with mascara till they’re somersaulting, before shaking them upwards so they look even thicker and fuller. I use a baby-pinkish natural colour for my lips unless it’s a red-carpet event. I don’t even need a mirror for this routine.”
Current craze
“I’m obsessed with blush. I use it on my cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. I just love that pink, flushed look.”
Retro revival
“I would bring back colour. Back in the day, people used to experiment a lot with different shades. My mum used to do very bronzy makeup when I was about 12, using golden oil on her body and turquoise liner under her eyes. I don’t have the courage to do it yet, but it looked super hot on her.”
Skin saviour
“My mum emphasises the importance of sunscreen. Even if I’m sitting at home, she tells me to put it on. I use a normal face- wash and spray rose water onto my face at least twice or thrice a day. It energises me and wakes me up. I also feel like what you eat shows on your face—your gut health radiates on the outside. Not just in terms of food but also in terms of positivity and kindness.”
Zen-sei
“I swear by doing yoga first thing in the morning. I schedule things only once my workout is done. It brightens up my face and makes the happy hormones flow, which, in turn, gives a pinkish flush to my cheeks.”
Healthy habits
“I eat well and clean six days a week. Then every Sunday, it’s burgers galore. In terms of my diet, I’m working more on the immunity side of things. So I’ll start my day with an apple, beetroot, carrot juice and incorporate haldi, fruits and vitamin C throughout the rest of the day.”
Self-love mantra
“I am the happiest with my body when it’s well-fed, well-rested and well-exercised. More than trying to hit a target body weight or size, I am looking more for happiness by simply being kind to my body. That’s how you attain self-love—when you listen to your body and respect it, because it does so much for you. It’s there for you more than anything else in the world.”
This article originally appeared in the April 2021 Issue of Vogue India
