Written in the stars

A guide to makeup by your sun sign

KARACHI:

There's something almost inevitable about the connection between astrology and beauty. The idea that your sun sign - this grand cosmic proclamation of self - might dictate not just your personality but your makeup routine? Of course. Makeup, like astrology, is about self-mythologising. It's an aesthetic destiny written in the stars, or at least in your choice of lip colour.

So how can you jump on the internet's most recent bandwagon and design a makeup routine suited to your sun sign? You can embrace your sign's aesthetic fully, or you can borrow from another - Gemini style. Either way, the goal is the same: to shape the story you want to tell, and to wear it well. The stars might offer guidance, but the final choice is all yours.

Command like fire

Fire signs don't do neutral. Or rather, they might, but only if the contrast makes the drama sharper. Aries leads the charge, naturally. A power lip is less a choice and more a doctrine. Find a lip shade bold enough to stop traffic - fiery red, deep berry, anything that refuses to be ignored. The rest is stripped back: a crisp winged liner that slices through the face like an exclamation point, maybe a whisper of bronzer for a sculpted, sun-warmed effect.

Leo, meanwhile, leans into the spectacle. Bronzed, radiant, impossible to miss. Eyes in molten gold, lips with a mirror-like shine, lashes thick enough to cast a shadow. On the contrary, Sagittarius, ever restless, takes a more spontaneous approach. The look should be effortless, the impact maximal: a glossy coral lip applied on the way out the door, a swipe of glitter that catches the light just right. Maybe, a base that glows with the vague suggestion of a recent adventure.

Romantic like water

Water signs are all about the mood. For instance, Cancer favours softness - skin that looks dewy, blush that mimics the flush of a long walk, lips that glisten. Scorpio, naturally, goes in the opposite direction. There is no such thing as a casual Scorpio eye; it smolders, it haunts, it suggests hidden depths. Smudged kohl liner, a deep plum shadow that refuses to settle into anything so obvious as a smokey eye, lips that lean toward noir (oxblood, blackberry, something that could be mistaken for a bruise in dim lighting).

On the other hand, Pisces, unsurprisingly, drifts somewhere surreal. The aesthetic is mermaid-adjacent: iridescent washes of lavender and seafoam, highlighter that verges on holographic, gloss so wet-looking it might actually be tears. It's romantic, a little strange, and just elusive enough to keep people guessing.

Classic and earthy

If you are an Earth sign, you probably understand something fundamental: beauty should last. Taurus, ruled by Venus, leans into the tactile pleasures of makeup. A plush nude lipstick that feels as good as it looks. A smoky eye in shades of chocolate and bronze blended to look second nature. Skin that glows, but in a way that suggests expensive moisturiser rather than highlighter.

Virgo, however, is methodical. The base is flawless. Matte, but never dry. Eyeshadow is neutral, but blended to perfection. Brows are shaped, lips are softly tinted, and the whole thing exudes the quiet confidence of a well-curated routine. Capricorn, always in control, plays the long game. Makeup is armour, a tool of efficiency. The lip is decisive: brick red, deep nude, an unrelenting shade. The liner is sharp, the cheekbones sculpted, the finish long-wearing. There's no room for smudging or second-guessing.

Playfully airy

Air signs can whip up a whole career out of anticipating trends. It is precisely this affinity for invention that Gemini refuses to commit. One day, it's a glossy pink lip and fluttery lashes. The next, it's electric blue liner, drawn in graphic shapes just for the drama of it. The base is always fresh, ready to pivot at a moment's notice. Conversely, Libra, ruled by Venus, seeks a bit more harmony (but never boredom). Blush is essential, lips are glossed to perfection, shimmer is applied with the precision of someone who understands exactly how light works. The goal is a soft glam with a sense of effortlessness that, of course, takes effort.

Aquarius, as expected, is somewhere in the future. The look is avant-garde: metallic lids, holographic highlighter, lips in otherworldly shades - icy lilac, electric plum, maybe even a chrome finish. If it's unconventional, slightly futuristic, and just ahead of its time, it belongs to Aquarius.