When it comes to beauty, Katrina Kaif knows what she likes. From her signature makeup look—a bold brow, a defined eye and a nude lip—to her regimented skincare and wellness routine, Kaif likes to stick to the path she's known and loved. Even while quarantining at home, while others broke out new face tools or copied makeup tutorials, Kaif kept her routine as simple as she's always had. “Your skin, your hair, everything got the time to recover a little bit because we weren't shooting every day and having that makeup on your skin or your hair being styled so that of course was a little bit of a change but other than that it's it's pretty it's much basic,” she shared in an exclusive chat with Vogue India's editor-in-chief, Priya Tanna. Here are the five actionable tips we picked up from her interview that you can add into your routine.

Exercise really does leave you with lit-from-within skin

Exercise, by revving up the heart rate and improving blood circulation, can help to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin, which helps promote collagen production and cell turnover, leaving it luminous and healthy. Kaif knows this well: “It can be tough when you're just on your own to motivate yourself so just trying to keep that balance in check,” she says about the struggle of getting onto the mat. “Exercise for me is something that not only physically but mentally is also very, very important for me. It releases endorphins, it keeps you feeling upbeat, happy and energetic," she shared about her get-glowing hack.

An age-old skincare practice is the secret behind Kaif's lifted, taut skin

While tools like jade rollers and gua shas are popular now, Kaif likes to stick to a simpler practice—Eva Fraser's facial workouts. “You don't need any tool, you don't need any fancy roller, you don't need anything. You just need a mirror and a little bit of patience,” she says about doing facial exercises, that can work the muscles in your face and improve collagen creation and reduce fine lines. “They are classic and as old as the hills and it's just such a forgotten thing because we're always searching for something new,” she confirms. 

You don't always have to follow makeup rules

Kaif is a major proponent of playing with makeup and finding what works for you and your face structure, rather than sticking to traditional rules. “I think people sometimes can find makeup and makeup looks too rigid,” she says, “like, this is a look for going out, this is a Diwali look, this is a wedding look and this is a day look.” Instead, she suggests experimenting by yourself. “I think once you get to know your face and just experiment a bit,” it can be ideal.

Smudging your kajal is a great eye makeup hack

Kaif has had a makeup tip she's always loved: “Apply kajal on your lid, close to your lashline, then tap a thin, flat brush into a pot of black eyeshadow powder and press it on top of your kajal line. This creates an incredible depth,” she shared with Vogue India back in 2019. Now, she has an addition to that trick. “I always thought that when we enhance our eyes with a kajal and we line the top of our eyes and we line the bottom of our eyes‚ when you're doing a natural day look, not a smoky look—that that's going to make the eye look more defined," she shared. But instead, she learnt from a makeup artist on set to smudge the liner on the top lid, which will make the “eye look so much more open and softer.”

Blending is key

While applying base products like concealer and blush, blending the formula into the skin is key to making it look seamless and like second skin. “The other thing which I think is very important is blending—unless you're you're doing a particular colour look,” shares Kaif. “It's very important to blend and don't be afraid to just blend with your fingers, you don't need to be particular about which brush goes where,” she shares. Some makeup artists suggest that using the heat of the fingers can actually help press and blend makeup into the skin better.