Bonding over the bindi

For those with a square face, Dangwal suggests a U-shaped bindi like Priyanka Chopra’s in Bajirao Mastani. Pic/Facebook

Even a mask cannot hide the feeling of elation and excitement that arises when the words "touchdown confirmed" are uttered in a room. That was what the world witnessed last week, when NASA's Perseverance rover successfully made its landing on Mars and the agency's Jet propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena erupted with cheer. At the forefront of it all though, was a masked lady with a bindi - Indian-origin scientist Swati Mohan - who instantly grabbed the attention of Indian Twitterati.

A tiny, round bindi, like the one Anushka Sharma has worn, is the easiest transition to wearing the traditional accessory, according to Dhandhia

Over the years, the bindi has strayed away from its red, circular form to be available in a variety of shapes and sizes, only making it more versatile. If you wish to try one, too, we asked city-based stylists Shikha Dhandhia and Hima Dangwal to share how you can incorporate it in your style.

Swati Mohan announces the landing of Perseverance. Pic/Youtube

Make a statement with colour: "With masks on, the only place you get to play around with on your face is your eyes and forehead," Dhandhia says. So, when choosing a bindi, she shares that the rule of thumb is to pick one proportionate to the thickness of your eyebrows. Also, choose a colour in harmony with your skin tone. "The rhinestone bindis go amiss on pale skin while it stands out on a dusky skin tone. Yellow, mustard and gold work well on a lighter skin tone. But if you've got a wheatish complexion, most colours will work for you," she adds.

Bindis need not be added to just the centre of the forehead. For inspiration on how to work with them creatively and wear them with western outfits, Dangwal vouches for Australian-Indian influencer Rowi Singh's style files. Pics/Instagram

Face the shape: Bindis enhance your facial features. Hence, pick one that suits your face shape. Dangwal outlines four basic face shapes - heart, round, oval and square: "For those with a heart-shaped face ie a broader forehead and narrow jawline, the tiny bindis really balance out your features. If you have an oval face, avoid wearing a long bindi as it will make your face seem longer. On the other hand, the long bindi is a perfect option for round faces. Those with a square-shaped face can opt for the U-shaped bindi, like Priyanka Chopra's in Bajirao Mastani."

Layer it up: If you want to get artistic and make your forehead your canvas, Dhandhia recommends layering your bindis. "Take a solid-coloured, matte bindi and place it on your forehead. You can then add a rhinestone bindi on top of it or add multiple ones around the matte one to create your own design," she says. For those who don't wear bindis that regularly, Dhandhia suggests purchasing one pack of solid coloured bindis and one pack of the rhinestone variant, and playing around with the two.