Alia Bhatt’s Guide to Ice Water Facials and Skin-Like Makeup

“I love my makeup to just look like great skin,” says Alia Bhatt. For the Heart of Stone actor, an essential step to luminosity involves a beauty tool that comes from the cooler, rather than the cosmetics aisle. After cleansing with the D’you balm that is her “current obsession,” the 30-year-old takes a deep breath, then plunges her face into a bowl of ice. “I usually wake up sort of puffy in the morning,” she laughs. “Icing really helps take away that puffiness. It keeps your skin really lovely and tight.”

After two icy dunks, Bhatt feels “pink and fresh, and ready to take on the day.” She completes her skin-care regimen with D’you moisturizer and ISDIN sunscreen, then employs a few tricks to heighten her rosiness. Not keen on foundation, the Ed-a-mamma founder sticks to skin tints as the base of her makeup look. She uses her fingers to apply IT Cometics CC+ foundation and serum over an illuminating primer. Then, it’s time for color.

“My go-to color palette is always pinks and light browns,” Bhatt says. This explains why the Too Faced Sweet Peach eyeshadow palette has been in her kit for so long, the packaging is starting to chip. After darkening her brows with a Benefit brow tint and coating her lashes with mascara, the new mom is ready to “have fun” with her contouring. “I don’t think [contouring] is as specific and technical for me,” she says, using a fluffy brush to apply Hourglass bronzer over her cheeks, collarbones, and jawline.

In general, Bhatt takes a laid-back approach to her beauty routine. She’ll often play Punjabi music while applying makeup, singing and shimmying as she dusts on powders and creams. “It tends to get a little chaotic,” she admits—but she still recommends it. Following this directive, she shares the one that she gave makeup artist Puneet B Saini on the night of the Met Gala. “My major instruction: Make me look like a ball of blush,” Bhatt recalls. “Just go for the blush.” Bhatt goes for it today, too, blending dreamy colors from an Hourglass palette onto her cheeks. With a swipe of Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk lipstick, Bhatt’s glam is good-to-go. “This is my final look! The skin-like makeup, lit-from-within glow,” she beams.