When the shoot for Yash Raj film Bunty aur Babli 2 resumed in June, makeup stylist Mickey Contractor donned a personal protective equipment (PPE) suit, while working on actor Rani Mukerji's makeup. With the sessions lasting for two hours each, he'd be left with an ache to tear the PPE apart. "I am claustrophobic and it's uncomfortable to work in a PPE. I prefer the mask and face shield, and taking precautions like stepping away when talking to the client, sanitising hands and work surfaces frequently and using a good quality brush cleanser," says Contractor, adding, "When I started out in the industry—more than 30 years ago—every actor carried their own vanity kits and had their personal makeup artists." It's best, he feels, if actors, models, even brides-to-be carried their own basic makeup products, such as kajal and a few lip pencils.

With shooting for films, advertisements and fashion shows having resumed after an enforced break due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the beauty industry has had to take stock of its safety and hygiene protocols to ensure that, being a profession that requires close proximity, transmission of the virus is reduced as far as possible.