Tara Baswani

She’s talented, accomplished and beautiful, but what really sets Tara Baswani apart is that she is also modest, friendly and open hearted. As singer/songwriter, performer, creative conceptor, she  was the recipient of the Herald Angel Award ( Edinburgh Fringe). Her work as a Cirque Du Soliel artist/co writer has been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Night Show with Conan ‘O Brien and she continues to collaborate, perform and develop talent for them globally. Her solo music project, Quest, recently garnered her a coveted feature on The Vocalist Magazine as an artist to watch out for. When it comes to beauty she only goes for natural products. Here’s her list:

Define beauty.
A state of being, like love…an undefinable, ever-changing perception that needs to exist within to reflect itself in the eyes of a beholder, and requires constant nurturing through it’s evolution.

Take us through your skincare routine.
I have sensitive skin and travel a lot, which keeps me partial to a few innovative organic
main-stays that allow my skin to survive different climatic changes, stage makeup and sleepless flight nights. My nutrition and yoga practice are key to keeping my body and mind working in harmony through it all and a daily headstand seems to create a better glow than any facial can. My regular kit includes:
• Skoah Gel Cleanser and Face Skotion is an alcohol free, PH balancing face wash and
moisturiser with soothing ingredients like arnica, echinacea, calendula and other plant based nutrients.
• Consonant SkinCare’s Perfect Sunscreen with a hefty dose of curcumin, aloe and other
good stuff.
• Forest Essentials Hydra Eye Gel with cucumber, aloe and rose water is a daily fix. I also love their Rose Petal Lip Balm.
• Skin cocktail: My own farm to skin mix … A few drops of locally sourced Rose/ Neroli / or
Lavender Essential Oils mixed with Sweet Almond Oil. It contains antioxidants, omega-3, vitamin E to heal my skin.
• Makeup removers: For stage make up, my essentials are Make Up For Ever’s Sens’Eyes
Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser or Kiehl’s Supremely Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, or the mighty RMS Raw Coconut wipes, if travelling.

What’s your favourite makeup?
Bite Beauty Smashed Agave Lip Mask, Mac Pearlglide Eye Liner, and Nars The Multiple sticks.

Are there any makeup and hair tricks that you’ve gleaned on the job?
1. A hydrating water spray (I bottle regular H2O from a reliable source whenever possible), or a thermal mineral water spray like Avène ( if plain H2O is not) is great to carry for long shoots, to keep the skin moist, help the make up set and stay fresh, and acts as a great temporary slicker to tame flyaway hair. 2. Hair washed a day or so earlier is always more malleable to style than freshly washed tresses, especially when going for sleek up dos or braids. 3. Freshly washed make up brushes always make for more defined application, and ensure that the skin stays blemish free. Avoid washing them in hot water with regular chemical based soaps, and opt for gentle solutions that you would normally use on your face. 4. A small blending sponge is better than using your fingers to apply foundations, concealers and other base layers for professional looking make up. Make up brushes are even better for blending. I use these tools off stage as well, when I do wear make up occasionally, for a light, yet even application.

What about your hair?
My current kit includes the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo & Conditioner. I go to Alexandre Messier at Local B in Montreal, who loves to play with hair as a designer would, with fabric, paying great attention to the individualistic texture of hair, allowing for a low-maintenance, free fall. I also loved going to B Blunt when I lived in Mumbai. I cut my hair once every 3-4 months to keep the ends healthy. A loving hairbrush and an occasional scalp massage with coconut or sesame oil seem to go a long way.

Tell us about your diet.
Farm to table is my deal, and I’ll go to great lengths to eat seasonal, local produce as much as possible, whether at home or touring. I believe in the power of naturopathy. Herbs, spices, healing roots are big on my ingredient list as are seasonal fruits, leafy greens, raw vegetables, lean proteins like avocado, homemade nut butters, hummus, ghee, and herbal brews. They leave me with daily, balanced energy to manage pretty large days. Organically grown coffee, chai, a bottle of red wine or scotch, dark chocolate and cheese are all major weaknesses.

What is your workout routine?
An Iyengar yoga practitioner, I’m currently in the middle of my teachers training, for restorative alignment, so the mat and I are daily companions. If on the go, I’l find opportune moments to squeeze in a quick set of surya namaskars, ab/back strengtheners and pranayama to stay strong, and centred, physically and mentally.

How do you de stress?
A: I’m essentially an introvert who needs to have time to myself but time with my friends / family over cooking, music listening sessions and creating together always gets me back to a happy state. Frequent off the grid breaks to go camping, hiking, or play in the snow, surrounded by nature and quiet, feature high on a life priority list. My mat travels everywhere with me as does the book of the moment.

How do you deal with fear?
Headlong and with as much calm as I can muster.

What is your number one beauty advice to women?
Every beautiful woman I’m lucky to know, turns heads with the inevitable glow that a compassionate heart, vibrant intellect, and healthy consciousness brings. Embracing our own identity and self worth is the most important beauty advice we can give one another.

What is the biggest beauty myth?
So many…But mostly, the very perception of beauty itself, which hovers mostly on being only skin deep. The very wise Susan Sontag once stated “Beauty (should you choose to use the word that way) is deep, not superficial; hidden, sometimes, rather than obvious; consoling, not troubling; indestructible, as in art, rather than ephemeral, as in nature. Beauty, the stipulatively uplifting kind, perdures.” That’s the advice I hold close to heart, and share as I go along.

Images: Photographer Anushka Nadia Menon