Roots to Radiance

by Nikita Upadhyay

  NIKITA UPADHYAY

  Roots to Radiance

  Wholesome Beauty Solutions for the Millennial Life

  PENGUIN BOOKS

  Contents

  About the Author

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Bobbi Brown’s Letter to Millennials

  Part I The Body

  1. Face

  2. Eyes

  3. Lips

  4. Neck

  5. Hair

  6. Body

  7. Hands and Feet

  8. Oral Hygiene

  Part II Tips and Hacks

  9. Body Mists

  10. Hacks by the Season

  11. Peels

  12. Roots

  13. Clays and Muds

  14. Infused Waters

  15. Under Three-Minute Hacks

  Expert Inputs

  Footnotes

  1. Face

  2. Eyes

  5. Hair

  6. Body

  7. Hands and Feet

  11. Peels

  Acknowledgements

  Follow Penguin

  Copyright

  About the Author

  Nikita Upadhyay is the former digital head of Cosmopolitan, a website she grew organically from 9 million to 80 million in two years. She now does the same for renowned international brands worldwide. She is a beauty influencer and content creator online, and has worked with major cosmetic and wellness brands, including The Body Shop, Bath & Body Works, MAC, Kama Ayurveda, Innisfree to name a few, with major tie-ups with Amazon, Nykaa and other international luxury brands.

  She has also practised Bharatnatyam for nine years and has performed at the national level. Apart from beauty, she also writes about travel and relationships on her website www.nikitaupadhyay.com and would love to see anything you create from this book on instagram: @nikitaupadhyay

  For my family and loved ones

  Foreword

  Beauty is as beauty does. Time and again, we’ve been using this phrase—but it’s time we give it some serious thought and adopt it in our lives. I strongly feel that while some people have great symmetry, skin and looks, what eventually makes them gorgeous and radiant is the vibe, thoughts and actions they have to match their looks.

  As clichéd as it may sound, there are a million reasons to imbibe healthy and positive thoughts and vibes into your lifestyle . . . The health of your skin has a direct link to the thoughts you hold in your mind and heart. Whatever the struggles you might be coping with—anxiety, insecurity etc.,—having good thoughts is where you should start from if you wish to achieve a healthy, truly beautiful skin.

  The idea of beauty has evolved greatly in the recent years. It has found support in the growing sense of sisterhood among women and the understanding that beauty is not about perfection. For me, true beauty lies in the grace of trying to achieve a goal while acknowledging what has already been achieved so far. Along with embracing and celebrating your imperfections, beauty also lies in cultivating your own personality and having an in-depth understanding of what works for you—as opposed to blindly following a general, stereotypical notion of it. Beauty is too vast an idea and means different things to different people.

  The fact that ageism is being called out, the fact that wrinkles are being celebrated, the fact that all shapes and sizes are being loved and respected, is an obvious proof of how healthy and easy it is for imperfections to coexist while you are in the process of transforming yourself.

  Wanting to defy ageing and preventing premature wrinkles is not anti-self-love—not appreciating how far you’ve come in the development process is! Striking that perfect balance where you are working towards looking a certain way while being comfortable with how you currently are is the right approach to finding real ‘beauty’ and being beautiful.

  But there’s a flip side to such acceptance as well. As great as acceptance might be, an unhealthy lifestyle and letting yourself go mindlessly is an abuse/misinterpretation of freedom. While letting your hair down once in a while is the right approach, habits like constantly having junk food or being a couch potato are not to be encouraged.

  We live in the age of social media where various activists, many of them self-proclaimed, are altering our physicality—whether it is the texture and colour of our skin, or the shape and size of our bodies. I think these are the things that we should start analysing and questioning. It’s critical for us to celebrate authenticity and honesty and truth, because I think if you perceive beauty from a prism that does not come from an authentic, true source, it is a hindrance in the mission of celebrating the greatness of how it has evolved.

  Becoming conscious of yourself after looking at a picture of a ‘perfect’ girl that appeared on your Instagram feed versus taking an honest opinion from reliable people in your life to tell you what is best is a no-brainer. For me, constructive criticism comes from my mother and the women who work for me. Whether it’s my manager, my personal assistant or my stylist, these are women who empower me every day through their jobs. They are my reality checks—the most honest people in my life who tell me things as they are. I always get an absolutely unfiltered response on any question I ask them. And in many ways, I think they form my voice of reason . . . Because it is unjust to give the power of shaping you or making you insecure to that girl on social media who made you feel so instead of to the people who know you best.

  Does that dress really complement your body type? Is a certain shade of lipstick the best pick for you? If you can’t decide that on your own, remember, that ‘perfect’ girl in those TV ads or Instagram feed shouldn’t be deciding it for you either. It’s the people who notice, interact and deal with you on a daily basis that you can allow to shape you . . . The relationships that strengthen you are the relationships that matter, and it’s their opinion you should consider if at all.

  My husband is one of my biggest sources of love, affection and security—and my friends are my storehouse of the support and courage I need at every stage of life. Our beauty and glow is an outcome of how much we’re loved and cared about. While your husband/father/brother/son’s attention gives you one kind of security, the women in your life secure you differently . . . Trust sisterhood! I’m the only child and I know how far depending strongly on your friendships can take you as you get older.

  When you are younger, your DNA takes care of the changes and transitions you go through. As you grow older, it becomes harder to maintain gorgeous skin without a more disciplined lifestyle. When I was in my mid-twenties, I was fairly aware of how my hormones were going to play a big part in my skin health. But it was only when I crossed my late twenties that I started recognizing other essential aspects and methods that effectively contributed to the benefit of my skin. When you are younger, you don’t really think about using sunblock or jump into make-up and run out and do your work. But as time passes and the lines start appearing on your face, you have to figure out your best-suited regime and make regular time for it.

  That’s the thing you learn as you grow older—you realize the difference between quality and quantity. Over time, your friend circle might grow smaller, but it gets richer in terms of quality—you figure out the people who are capable of nourishing your soul.

  Same is the case with skincare. It’s only after hoarding a whole bunch of next available ‘new improved’ products that you are able to narrow it down to a few quality ingredients that do you good. True beauty is hardly achieved without going through a journey.

  But the current times are not solely about acquisition. The way you contribute to the beauty industry makes a huge impact too! The way you make your purchases and get your skincare and make-up in order shapes the whole circuit of beauty.

  The transforma
tion capabilities of organic products are insane. It’s amazing how certain ingredients can take away all your problems. It’s crazy how you don’t even have to step out of your house to banish most of your skin concerns. It’s surprising how incorporating some organic and wellness routines can help you live a longer, healthier life. Being a holistic beauty advocate and doing environmental-friendly campaigns all my life, I can tell you there’s no bigger power in the world than that of nature. It goes beyond planting more trees, protecting nature and using these totally economical, yet supremely powerful, organic methods . . .

  But here’s the paradoxical part—when brands claim to be all-natural but package heavily in plastic, they’re still contributing in harming the environment. And when you affect the environment poorly, you’re actually affecting your own health.

  Through this book, I would like to reach out to people and ask them to influence their friends and family to do their bit and make the most of nature’s offerings. One must start realizing the benefits of holistic beauty that not only empowers our own idea of beauty but also strengthens our community. By strengthening communities, I mean most natural products are made by women and children at the grass-roots level . . . when you put your money into what these communities create, you validate the relevance of what they do by securing that community financially. They feel secure and don’t fear going out of business.

  When I was titled Miss Asia–Pacific, I was just nineteen and, apart from the obvious and predictable plans I may have had to get it, my mission was to communicate effectively. Which, years later, I’m still doing.

  The way actors have to be responsible for the roles they play and the image they portray to the public, every single individual should take ownership of what we’re putting out there. I recently shot a campaign where the women in the story were doing a deeply entrenched gender-stereotypical role. I insisted that we get the man to do these things as well so that we reflect a home that upholds equality. I believe that if we try to make the content we put out not so stereotypical, we’ll be surprised to see how these refreshing flips can change mindsets. Making the world more diverse and warm can do volumes for self-confidence.

  Talking about diversity, there’s a powerful shift on the diversity front. We’ve finally established that every woman is beautiful irrespective of race, caste, colour and everything beyond. That whole unfair narrative is totally changing now—I feel that’s very positive. All of this stems from working towards a more equal space for people of all colours and all strata of society. It’s all about the desire and the drive to make the world a better place. I believe all these acts of fairness are interconnected and make a difference.

  I cannot count how many girls I know who have developed eating disorders and disturbed their hormones due to stereotypes and trends imposed on them by social media. I see little girls being obsessed with selfies or posing keeping their hands on their hips and I feel this behaviour is worth questioning. A lot of damage to mental health is being done by these online platforms that could be very easily used to communicate effectively and bring change. Not every girl has to work towards bringing a change, but one definitely has to think about the repercussions of what they represent.

  Like most things, beauty too is a two-way street . . . meaning, you’ll have to match your inside to the outside. Apart from basic things such as finding the right moisturizer and lotions, internal nourishment also plays a very critical role. Exercise plays a significant part in skin health, but the most powerful tool to balance and maintain good health is mental balance. Striking that balance is where you start if you want to end up achieving true radiance on the outside and peace on the inside. That’s the richest form of self-love.

  Self-love isn’t about obsessing over yourself or looking down upon people for whatever imperfections they may have. That’s what most people get wrong about it. Self-love and empowerment is to feel fabulous in your current state while making women around you feel the same way about themselves. The idea that a woman is woman’s worst enemy is now being proven wrong, more than ever.

  I myself have always been extremely effusive and forthcoming in celebrating the achievements of my colleagues, especially women. In any industry, especially ours, women are constantly pitted against each other, where you’re constantly compared for your looks, roles, personal lives, you name it . . . women are making it a point to fight back. If you speak to any of the leading ladies in the film industry today, you’ll recognize how forthcoming they are in their praise for their colleagues and how supportive they are of each other and that’s very important. This may not have a direct link to the idea of beauty, but this is about women uplifting women and making women around you feel safe, secure and full of joy. It’s about creating a healthy, non-toxic environment where females can cultivate positive thoughts and shine their way to inner and outer beauty.

  When I had my first conversation with Nikita about this book’s foreword, her vision seemed to resonate with me in a very surprising way. It was as if she was covering all the points I strongly care about. Whether it’s holistic beauty, empowerment, environment and beyond, as we delved deeper into different aspects, I realized that she has such a fresh take on things we must explore through this book. Even something as basic as how nature’s components work and applying that phenomenon to simplifying your life is explained with an interesting twist. Given her insightful articles on health and wellness on social media and websites, I think she has cracked the code to being the millennial voice we need. The approach taken to address skin concerns, relatable struggles, and going through them while holding your head high is the kind of approach I want the younger segments to learn from. This is not just a reference bible for all things beauty—use this book to feel good about yourself, to laugh off the difficult bits of life that may seem impossible, and to match the progress of your outside with your gorgeous inside.

  Apart from the 500+ tips and tricks from her, the beauty experts who’ve stepped in to contribute for the book ensure how well she’s got you covered for this mission of achieving your #SkinGoals.

  * * *

  My Beauty Dos and Don’ts

  When it comes to maintaining a disciplined beauty routine, don’t underestimate the power of not having an aggravated nervous system. Regular exercise, meditation and yoga are stressed on for a reason. When I say exercise, I mean even running and regular exercises make you release endorphins . . . it just releases the right hormones to enhance skin quality and physical health.

  The understanding that skin is the biggest and foremost reflection of health is important. Health is a result of mind and body . . . and body of course is connected to nourishment and exercise.

  One of the things that I do that has positive effects on skin health is meditation. It’s a big part of my daily discipline. Every day, as soon as I wake up, I don’t touch my phone for the first 20 minutes. I make sure I meditate after I’ve had a glass of water and 5 almonds.

  That’s my pure protein intake as soon as I wake up.

  I meditate for about 20 minutes after that, and only then do I get on with my day’s work.

  Before I sleep, I make sure I centre myself. I do a full body scan and some exercise. Whether it’s yoga or functional training—exercise is a crucial part of my lifestyle.

  I follow a 90 per cent vegetarian diet. I eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables. I maintain a highly nutritional food intake in general. I get my dose of proteins from almonds, quinoa, and I do eat plenty of leafy vegetables. Staying well hydrated and drinking lots of water is the oldest rule in the book, and guess what, it never fails you.

  My usual routine involves drinking something I’d like to call ‘yellow tea’, which is basically warm water with turmeric, ginger juice and honey, before bed. It is extremely beneficial for our body and it also aids the immune system.

  As far as using green beauty products is concerned, I don’t use any moisturizers, cleansers or skincare products that have any chemicals.

>   The products I use are all natural water- or oil-based.

  I definitely scrub my face once a week.

  I’ll let you in on this easy DIY scrub that I use. The contents are powdered apricot and walnut mixed with either rose water or aloe vera extract to scrub off impurities and dead skin.

  For people with dry skin like mine, a deep-moisturization skin mask is crucial. I use under-eye masks and face serums regularly. I make sure I wear sunblock every day. It goes without saying that I never go to bed with make-up on—that’s rule #1. That cleansing process before sleeping is essential.

  But here are a few things that I don’t do. I don’t go for clean-ups and facials; I don’t use soap on my face—I’ve never used those harsh chemicals ever. To top it off, I cultivate healthy thoughts. Mental health can’t be neglected.

  —Dia Mirza,

  13 March 2019, Mumbai

  Introduction

  My parents are not the ones to impose a whole lot of rules. Nine years ago, when I was moving out, I knew I was free to choose the kind of lifestyle I wanted for myself.

  Moving from a small town in the state of Chhattisgarh to Delhi, I was aware and cautiously hopeful that life was going to change for me in matters of significance as well as of insignificance alike, needless to state, in more ways than I could reckon. Little did I know that even if I was going to major in fashion design, I’ll eventually end up going back to doing what I enjoyed doing the most in high school—writing.

  From the cosy comfort of waking up to three kinds of fresh pressed juices next to the bed to having no one wake me up at all, this was the time I was set to let the intelligence of life take the wheel and to offer me the scary yet wonderful chance at reinventing my life.

  Another usual shift of the changing hues of the sky, and suddenly, here I was, totally answerable for the result of me—far away from the usual faces, yet naively vulnerable to the new. It’s a delicate thing—freedom! The food I ate, the thoughts I processed, the life pattern I followed—every damn thing would come to define me in a way like never before. Little things making a significant impact and things of importance deciding which way the current flows. I knew that living by myself, and using public transport in a city quite infamous for pollution wasn’t going to be easy.