It’s for the first time in modern history that almost the entire world has gone into lockdown. Due to isolation of entire cities, life as we know it has come to a halt. When it comes to our beauty treatments, there has literally been no access to salons and even now, while salons have been permitted to open, many women are restraining themselves and preferring to manage at home.

Award winning image consultant and stylist par excellence, Nabila shares her tips and tricks on how we need to go back to basics.

With Eid just round the corner, Instep got in touch with Nabila, in an effort to know how we could hit the pause button on salon dependency and learn to manage at home…

Personal grooming

According to the beautician, beauty conscious women who miss visiting their favorite salons can easily try their hands on some self-grooming tips. “I would go back to the basics,” Nabila stresses. She suggests going for rested and cared for skin and letting your skin breathe. “Opt for one colour, glossed hair, clean short nails and lots of DIYs,” she adds.

Talking about makeup tips for those who have to attend virtual meetings on a frequent basis, she shares, “This is the time when I have new found respect for ZERO makeup as it has been my biggest savior, especially for all the ZOOM meetings. Hair should be kept simple and groomed.”

Nabila reveals that she is washing her hair once a week and giving it a break from all the products that she uses frequently. “I am really enjoying the effects of natural oils and the texture it creates.”

The brow factor

One of the major issues that most women - stuck at home - are facing is how to shape their eyebrows. “I have always been an advocate of shaping your eyebrows by plucking them at home,” she asserts. “Leaving brows effortless and fashionably imperfect makes one look younger and more modern as opposed to perfectly shaped sharp eyebrows. Having said that, there are lots of tricks to groom them such as with wax, thread, blade etc., requiring more of a steady hand. These videos are available on YouTube but should be used sensibly.”

Skincare routine

“Honestly, at this time less is more.” Nabila continues, “Personally I am using organic coconut oil on my face and body. I’m also using a scrub made by flour, cream and lemon once a week and leaving it for quite some time. If you have access to Korean masks, this would be a good time to try them.”

The stylist also shares that one shouldn’t change or modify their skincare routines while indoors. “The skin regime stays the same as always. The only difference would be less sun screen would be required (unless you are working outdoors). Also wearing less makeup would mean less cleansing required.”

According to the expert, girls who are experiencing acne breakout and have oily skin should wash their faces a couple of times a day. “Using more astringent, gel based sunscreen and water based or matte makeup also helps oily skin,” she explains.

Hair woes

Besides eyebrows, maintaining one’s hair colour is also a huge issue when you haven’t been able to get professional help for ages and want to continue being safe even now. “Grey roots will grow back as long as we are alive. The speed of growth differs from person to person. The lighter your hair colour is, the less you will see a stark difference as the roots grow out. One of my favourite products to do a temporary touch up is WOW Root touch up,” recommends Nabila.

As for hair care routine, Nabila advises women to use a good shampoo, once or twice a week – best for those who have dry and brittle hair. Your shampoo should be followed by a suitable conditioner or moisturizer used after the shampoo or before if your hair is oily. “I suggest using a hair mask or treatment once in a while and going for a slight trim done at home, even if it’s 1 cm. Moreover, a colour infusing conditioner will help at this time. You can make this at home by following some YouTube DIY videos.” She further says that if one has dry hair, in order to keep it hydrated, one can rinse the hair and use just the conditioner. “A deep conditioner, mask or hair repair treatment can be left in the hair for much longer then the bottle says. Serums and creams also help brittle hair look healthier.”

For women who want to try hair protein treatments at home, the stylist says, “I always encourage buying the right protein treatment available and using it at home by following the directions. The easiest way is to use the treatment and leave it on under a plastic cap or steamed towel for a few minutes before washing.”

Tips for Eid

On a parting note, Nabila says, “With Eid here, if you haven’t had a chance to visit your trusted salon, it’s best to keep it simple. My favourite go to is pulling ones hair back in a pony or bun when all else fails.”