Shweta Tripathi leaves jaws dropped whenever she says she is 40 years old! Known for her versatile roles in Masaan and Mirzapur, the actor is admired for her fresh-faced charm and unapologetic authenticity. In HT Lifestyle’s Makeup Mantras, Shweta opens up about her beauty routine, favourite products, and why she believes beauty begins with what you feed your body and mind.
Q. You’re known for your youthful glow. What’s your skincare mantra for healthy skin?
Shweta Tripathi: Rely on products, but more importantly rely on what you put in your system. It is about three things: the food and drinks you consume, the workout you do, and the kind of thoughts you have. When I talk about diet, I don’t mean follow fad diets. I’m a lover of homemade food. Whether I go on set, for promotions or even if I’m staying at a hotel, I speak to the chef and request them to make the food the way they make it at their home because then they use less butter and oil. I believe the simpler, the better. I was a non-vegetarian my entire life. Now for the past two years, I’ve been a vegetarian.
So, I truly believe that products have their own importance, they definitely have an impact and make a difference. But what you eat and drink affects your skin a lot. Plus, ‘what are your thoughts’? We might accept it or not according to our convenience, but everything that we think or feel impacts hair and skin. Stress, for example. You can use the best and most expensive of products containing fancy ingredients, but if our thoughts are not in the right direction, no products can help you. What we need to focus on is internal.
Exercising is very important. Post-workout glow is the best skincare ritual we can do for ourselves. Choose whatever-dance, strength training or yoga- just remember that discipline in whatever way, will always pay off.
Q. What’s are some beauty rituals you swear every day?
Shweta Tripathi: I have dry skin, so moisturising is very important for me. There are some days that I get lazy and I don’t wash my face. So, I’ve taken up a 30-day challenge where I will be doing my skincare routine every day! I believe knowing your skin type is very important, because if you’re using the wrong products, it’s not good for you. You should know your skin type and then do patch tests to see how your skin reacts to it. No matter who is the influencer, brand ambassador or whose marketing campaign it is, how your skin reacts to a product is most important before you use something.
Q. What’s your go-to thing every morning?
Shweta Tripathi: Oil pulling! This Ayurvedic practice somehow works magically for me, and my skin also responds well to it. Even product-wise, I want to go back to Ayurveda, and products from our soil. If you’re going to the hills, use the oil from there. If you’re going to the south, use the oil from there. I want to switch to more home remedies. These are more time-consuming, so I’m trying to find people who can make fresh home remedies for skincare.
Q. Any DIY or homegrown beauty hacks you picked up from your mom or grandmom?
Shweta Tripathi: My mother used to make a pack with orange peels and moong dal, which felt very good on the skin. We should stay connected to these home remedies that have been passed down from generations.
Q. Do you believe in ‘skin fasting’ — going completely product-free sometimes?
Shweta Tripathi: When I’m lazy, I feel it’s skin fasting! After a shoot, especially something that may be glamorous or fashionable, I avoid overloading my skin with anything. I just make sure I cleanse it properly. That is my way of skin fasting. In my daily life, I don’t even use a BB cream. I just moisturize my skin, use a sunscreen, blush and do my eyebrows. I do think a little gap for skin is great. Earlier, I was very fond of nail paint. But then again, I like my skin, my nails, my hair and everything else to breathe. So, if you’re fond of using all those products, just keep doing detox for skin and nails. That’s about it. Other than that, I don’t use any other product.
I find natural beautiful. It boosts my confidence because if I’m okay being how I am naturally, then by doing hair and makeup, you look amazing. It is important to feel comfortable in your own skin. The more we make it a part of our everyday habit, the more it will help us.
Q. What’s in your 5-minute makeup routine?
Shweta Tripathi: I get ready in 5 minutes all the time! I don’t blow dry my hair. When I cleanse my face, I just moisturise it, I do my eyebrows and my blush, because I like that flushed skin look. Skin also changes with age and time. I’ve always had dry skin. But now, I get pimples. And there are some marks that are there on my face. But I don’t let it bother me. If there’s a shoot, apply makeup. But off screen, I believe in the mantra, ‘What you make a big deal of, will be a big deal’. So I just let it be as it is.
Q. Does makeup has the power to change your mood?
Shweta Tripathi: There is no denying that. Makeup does change your mood. It changes how you look. It changes how you feel. For me, at least.
Q. Have you ever had a makeup mishap that later turned into a funny memory?
Shweta Tripathi: Once I did a makeup which did not turn out how I thought. I did a goth look. Cheeta (my husband SlowCheeta) still makes fun of it. But I am okay with that. You can’t do a 10-on-10 every time. Most of the time, there will be hits. Once or twice, there will be misses. You should not put so much pressure on yourself or your team.
Q. What’s your go-to confidence-boosting ritual on days when you don’t feel your best?
Shweta Tripathi: Somehow, it’s using a blush. It really lifts me up. I like soft looks!
(Makeup Mantras is a celebrity beauty series that dives into the makeup and skincare routines of your favourite stars, revealing their go-to products, personal hacks, and confidence-boosting rituals.)
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