Diwali parties need an emergency beauty kit. 4 experts spill what’s in theirs

A Diwali party requires a very specific kind of beauty emergency kit: a backup bindi for when yours inevitably falls off mid-conversation, an elite kajal to salvage the under-eye smudge, a heavy-hitting setting spray, and hair perfume to do olfactory justice to your expensive blow-dry.

Your everyday makeup bag simply isn’t built for this level of endurance. Add to that sweltering rooms, enthusiastic dancing, and the ambient heat of a hundred diyas, and carrying a mere lipstick and compact to touch up just doesn’t cut it anymore. Surviving the marathon of card parties and late-night dinners demands tactical intervention, not just wishful thinking. We asked four beauty insiders what they actually carry in their potlis to survive the season:

Saikat Chakraborty, M.A.C India’s national makeup artist, Mumbai

What’s in your emergency Diwali party kit?

I like to keep the Glow Play lip balm from M.A.C handy and a hydrating mist like M.A.C’s Fix+ to go from dull to glowy, healthy skin in seconds! And a perfume that’s soft rather than one you can smell from a mile away. I’m big on aqua and woody fragrances—I love Tom Ford, and their minis always fit perfectly in my bag. Also, a hairspray. Nothing too high on lacquer—I like the ones that allow movement in the hair even hours after application. I currently use the Aveda Thickening Tonic, which also acts as a setting spray.

What are your quick makeup fixes if something goes wrong just before a party?

If your base looks heavy, bathe your skin in a hydrating mist. If your eyeliner is crooked or your lip liner is spreading, just take some compact and a flat precision brush and straighten it out instead of reapplying it entirely. If you have smudged mascara on your lid or under your water line, just take a cotton bud, spray Fix+ on it, and blend it out. Good as new! Of course, safety pins and invisible fabric staplers are must-haves.

The oddest thing we’d find in your bag?

Dental floss and mouthwash! And a toothbrush—just that I don’t brush my teeth with it but my eyebrows and beard. Men with beards and bushy brows, you’re going to thank me later, because the way a simple bamboo toothbrush can groom your facial hair, a spoolie could never!

Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO of fashion rental app By Rotation, London

What’s in your emergency Diwali party kit?

It’s deliberately simple: a lipstick and lip gloss. Diwali is the one night of the year I go all out, with sharp cat eyeliner, a diffused smoky eye, sculpted brows, and a glowing, bronzed face. But festive evenings rarely go to plan. Liner smudges, a shadow won’t blend, or I simply run out of time before the party starts.

My hack is to remove everything and start from the lips. I wipe my face clean, keep my skin fresh, and let my Tom Ford lip colour do the work. Then I layer Kosas Lip Pulse over the top for shine and dimension. It takes about two minutes and it feels like a choice, not a fallback. A bold, glossy lip also photographs beautifully. Both also fit easily in a small clutch, which makes them the most practical emergency fix.

What are your quick makeup fixes if something goes wrong just before a party?

If I’m pressed for time or my skin isn’t cooperating, rather than layering on more makeup to hide it I use the Ziip Halo microcurrent device to give myself a quick, lifting facial right before heading out the door.

Is there an underrated beauty product you swear by during the festive season?

I absolutely love the Saie Glowy Super Gel. I use it either as a base underneath makeup or just on its own. It gives me this instant, healthy radiance without requiring a full face of heavy foundation.

Do you have a favourite beauty memory associated with Diwali?

I have an olfactory tradition of wearing jasmine scents exclusively during the Diwali season. Alongside a pure traditional jasmine fragrance that I picked up from a perfumer in Jodhpur, I strictly wear Carnal Flower by Frédéric Malle and Joyeuse Tubéreuse by Guerlain, which instantly anchor me to the festive mood.

Aaron Christopher, publicist, Mumbai

What’s in your emergency Diwali party kit?

Mascara smudges and glitter fallout have personally tested my patience, so here’s the hack: a clean spoolie to gently brush away those annoying mascara marks, especially around the bridge of your nose. For glitter, dust a little setting powder under your eyes—Anastasia Beverly Hills and Smashbox do great ones—before application to catch the fallout. Emphasis on a little, because we are not auditioning to be Flashback Mary. And please, use an eye primer, like the Lock It Down eye primer from e.l.f; your eyeshadow should stay on your eyelids, not migrate across your face.

Diwali means heat, dust, dancing, running around and endless photos, so your makeup needs to survive the night. The L’Oréal setting spray is great if you don’t want your makeup to clock out before you do.

An underrated beauty product you swear by during the festive season?

Eyebrow gel! I will die on this hill. You can have the most insane eye makeup and a lip combo that deserves its own Instagram account, but if your brows are doing their own thing, we have a situation. The clear brow and lash mascara from Elf is my go-to. Never underestimate the power of a brushed-up brow.

Do you have a favourite beauty memory associated with Diwali?

When I first got into makeup, I was obsessed with illuminators and highlighters. If it didn’t reflect light, I didn’t want it. And M.A.C and Becca? Still my girls. Both give you that lit-from-within kind of radiance. Diwali is the festival of lights. I am simply doing my bit for the occasion.

Prakriti, artist and model, Paris

What’s in your emergency Diwali party kit?

A fresh pottu (bindi), a good cream blush (my favourite one is from Merit), and a reliable lip kit consisting of Kiko Milano lip gloss and any Fenty Beauty lip liner. When you’re rushing, you don’t need a complicated 10-step routine—those three things do the job perfectly. I swear by refreshing face mists, like the ones from Evian, because it gets hot and crowded at these parties.

Do you have a favourite beauty memory associated with Diwali?

All the fun and fancy bindis I used to collect! There is already so much inherent grandeur and heavy detailing in traditional festive outfits. Because of that, I’ve always loved keeping my actual makeup look simple and letting a stunning, architectural, fancy bindi complete the look.