Verity magazine

Rituals

using more than beauty Using make-up for make-up more thanfor beauty

June 2009

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Bridal Beauty The repetition of rituals instils religious values and attitudes in the lives of the worshippers. Ritual also expresses and emphasises the things that bind a faith community together, and through ritual both individuals and communities make visible their most basic religious needs, values and aspirations.

Bindis used to be mostly made with vermillion powder (red color), or sometimes some color powder blended with sandalwood paste.

For the very religious types, they sometimes use the “Ashes� from holy locations (temples). In contemporary culture, bindis have been modernized and are often worn as a fashion accessories. They come in as stick-on bindi. This is where a small shape is made of felt or other fabric, backed with a sticky layer, so that the design may be applied or removed just by pressing it on and peeling it back off. This method allows elaborate designs to be applied quickly, although getting your bindi on without it being crooked may still take a few tries. Most often you find small packets of these bindi, allowing for variety of designs and colors.

Some modern bindi incorporate rhinestones or other spangles to add a bit more flash and sparkle. In ancient times, Hindus used red lead powder (sindoor) or sandalwood paste to place dots on their foreheads. These were decreed by sages as having cooling properties, which when applied in the form of a Bindu lead to a calm and quiet mind. Mercury, believed to be the seed of Lord Shiva along with sulphur, regarded as the female element, was also used to apply the tilak, thus lending to Bindi a cosmic significance.

The grains of rice, which were used to embellish the bindi, were considered symbols of fertility and prosperity. In modern times, however, the bindi has become a fashion statement, apart from indicating a woman’s marital status.

Most Indian women feel incomplete without this adornment.

Especially when they wear Indian outfits. The bindi is an industry in itself. The current fashion trends have made bindi on adornment for nearly every body part be it the eyelids, eye corners, navel, nails, eyelashes, arms, neck, cheeks. Bindi tattoos are a rage amongst the young.

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eisha irl Japanese traditions dictate that a Geisha is trained to the highest of standards. Along with beautiful costumes, part of the look requires a specific make- up style.

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eisha are professional hostesses who entertain guests through various performing arts. Gei means arts or performance, and sha means people. It’s believed that the women who danced for warriers in the 11th century are the predecessors of geisha.

Geisha girls and women are trained in a number of traditional skills; Japanese ancient dance, singing, playing instruments (a three stringed instrument called shamisen is an essential instrument), flower arrangement, wearing kimono, tea ceremony, calligraphy, conversation, alcohol serving manners, and more. Geisha girls and women are talented Japanese women who patiently go through extensive training. Even after becoming a

geisha girl, they keep improving their skills by taking many lessons. Nowadays, there are geisha girls and women who learn English conversation to serve English-speaking customers and learn computer skills. The work of geisha is expanding these days, including modeling or international tours, for example.

They apply a wax/oil substance (which is melted in their hand) called bintsuke-abura to their skin. This is applied to the face, neck, chest and nape area and helps for the white paste (foundation) to adhere. Next, white powder is mixed together with water into a paste and applied with a brush to the face, neck, chest and nape. The next step is painting in their eyes and eyebrows.

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The practice of camouflage in military preparation is a ritual to gain protection or defense. The term camouflage comes from the French word “camoufler” meaning “to blind or veil.” Camouflage, also called protective concealment and has for purpose to disguise an object from full normal view.

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posed skin reflects light and may draw the enemy’s attention. Even very dark skin, because of its natural oil, will reflect light. Camouflage face paint is used to camouflage the skin. When applying camouflage stick, soldiers work with a buddy in pairs to help each other. A two color combination of camouflage stick is applied in an irregular pattern. Shiny areas (forehead, cheekbones, nose, ears, and chin) are painted with a dark color, and shadow areas (around the eyes, under the nose, and under the chin) are painted with a light color. In addition to the face, exposed skin on the back of the neck, arms, and hands are also painted. Palms of hands are not normally camouf laged if arm-and-hand signals are to be used. The three standard camouflaged face paint sticks are: light green for all troops in areas with green vegetation; sand and light green for all troops in areas lacking green vegetation; and loam and white for all troops in snow covered terrain.

All camouf lage face paints have been designed not only to provide the desired camouflage protection, but also must meet soldier acceptability and safety criteria. Design criteria includes comfort in application and wearing, durability over time, appearance, resistance to perspiration, ease of application and removal, and compatibility to clothing and other equipment. The face paint will not reduce the natural sensing capabilities of the soldier, and is nearly odorless, and it will not cause any health hazards such as skin irritation or due to possible ingestion of material.

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