Lancome in Bangalore

There’s no depression so deep, I find, that can’t be cheered up with a slick of lipstick. No gloom so grey that doesn’t respond to a dab of blush. Make-up is a mood-elevator right up there with my Apple iPod and Abhay Deol.

So when I was feeling particularly low the other day, I treated myself to a stopover at the brand new Lancome counter in the city. Only the third such outlet in the country (after Mumbai and Delhi), it stocks the entire range of basics and colour cosmetics. Enough to warm up a grieving heart.

I started by checking out the skincare range. Long years of research have yielded in cleansers and toners for every skin type, for over-active oily adolescent skin to mature skin, like my mum’s. I picked out the Advanced Replenishing Cream Cleanser for her; it promises re-tightening and repositioning with the help of anti-ageing molecules.

For myself, the true treats awaited in the colour cosmetics section. The attendant recommended Teint Idole Ultra, a 14-hour retouch-free foundation that’s as light as it is long-staying. With the flawless complexion in place, I just needed a twirl of the Hypnose waterproof mascara to open up my almond eyes.

Next, lip colour. Would it be a voluptuous colour from the L’Absolu Rouge range, a creamy, luscious formula? Or a young, peppy high-shine stain from Juicy Tubes?

Just then, my cellphone buzzed. Who would it be but my BFF. Somehow, she’d sensed that all wasn’t well with me, and was inviting me out for a night in town.

That was the clincher. “The gloss, please,” I told the attendant. To match my bright new mood.

Lancome. Lifestyle, Oasis Mall, Koramangala. Tel: 64511814. Prices start at Rs 800.