‘Lighting a scented candle is part of my GETTING READY RITUAL’
ANITA RANI
A flick of eyeliner, painted nails and a spritz of her favourite scent and TV presenter Anita Rani is ready to party – once she’s got the welly boots off
My favourite kind of party is a house party – thrown by me. I love hosting, making my home a magical winter wonderland, cooking and filling up people’s glasses of Champagne. There’s nothing that makes me happier than having my friends over, shoes off, everyone lounging around having a really lovely time. It’s often like a comedy routine when I go out. I step off the train on a Friday night back from doing Countryfile, knee-deep in some form of animal dung, slide through my front door and pull my muddy boots off. Then it’s a quick shower, a make-up touch-up – accompanied by a glass of wine poured by my husband – and out the door. If I have time to spare, I’ll put some false lashes on. I always wear mascara and eyeliner, even if I am filming in the depths of Papua New Guinea. For going out, I just wear more of it – the eyeliner flick gets extended. At the moment, I’m using a MAC gel in a pot, applied with a slanted brush, which is fantastic for getting the line precise and the flick at the end.
was a revelation when it came to make-up. I learnt about contouring, bronzers and highlighting, and now I always fill in my brows. I didn’t have a lipstick until I was 23, but I’m not scared of a lip any more. I’m a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks – the colours, pigments and packaging are fantastic – especially Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red, £24. It suits my skin tone.
I’ll often use two different blushers, too (I love Nars Orgasm, £30) and have learnt to blend, blend, blend. I think dark nails are very sexy. I used to wear black nail varnish as a teenager and my mum and dad used to say, ‘Oh, one day she will grow out of this terrible goth phase.’ I wasn’t a goth and I haven’t grown out of black nail polish! I also like wearing a deep plum and red-black, such as Chanel Rouge Noir, £22. Smell is the most important thing to me. I’ve been wearing Chanel Coco Mademoiselle for years and I love nicesmelling body lotions, too. REN, Elemis, Laura Mercier – I have lots. Another part of my getting-ready ritual is lighting a scented candle (it’s my vice) along with a shower (always a shower rather than a soak in the bath), good music playing and glass of wine. Party confidence is not just about having had your hair done and wearing great shoes. What makes me feel confident is when I am happy and excited and I know that I’m going to be with friends, surrounded by love. When you go to parties where you don’t know anyone, the thing to remember is that no one else is looking at you and thinking, ‘She’s terrified.’ They’re probably just thinking about how they are feeling. Walk up to someone and start a conversation – what’s the worst that can happen?
I DIDN’T HAVE A LIPSTICK UNTIL I WAS 23
Strictly