The upcoming year is a special one for Pakistanis: it will give us a chance to make a change by voting in the upcoming general elections of 2018. But while ordinary citizens are gearing up to choose the best party to vote for, politicians, too, are preparing to cast the best versions of themselves to the public.

To help key politicians in this regard, Eos reached out to two popular make-up artists: Wajid Khan and Maria Salim. These artists were given a list of politicians’ names and asked to give their input on how they would style these politicians for a change of looks.

For Bilawal Bhutto, the 2018 elections offer a golden opportunity. “He already carries himself well,” Wajid says. “However, considering the role he’s aiming for, a more mature look would suit him. My advice for him is to go for a stubble.” Maria feels Bhutto could style his hair better. “His hair is wavy, so I think he could go for shorter, more cropped hair,” she says. “Nowadays he’s sporting this side parting with longish hair, which I don’t think is doing him justice. His hair texture is similar to John F. Kennedy Jr’s, so he could go for a similar haircut as well.”

Should some of our politicos style up and change their looks or stick with what they have got? Make-up experts give some makeover tips

As far as dressing is concerned, he mostly wears shalwar kameez or ajrak, which is fine, Maria says, but he can also experiment with different colours and change up his wardrobe to include jeans paired with T-shirts. She adds, “I think with these changes, he would be more approachable, and be popular with our youth as well.”

Hamza Shahbaz is another key figure in politics. Maria believes his look suits him well. “He wears both shalwar kameez and Western wear, which gives him a dichotomy, and simultaneously a sort of balance,” she says. “I think he can change his hairstyle a bit. He parts his hair in the middle often. He can definitely experiment with different hairstyles and see what suits him.” Wajid recommends a more youthful look. “I would suggest a change in hairstyle,” he says. “More volume on the top would definitely suit him.”

Farooq Sattar has been a part of Pakistani politics for years, but changing times are an opportunity to change looks. Wajid says, “Given his demanding schedule, all I can say is that he should trim his beard a bit, and look after his diet and skin as much as he can manage. For Maria, his dressing is appropriate for the job. “He keeps his hair nice and short, wears shalwar kameez, looks alright for his age,” she says. “I don’t think much is needed for him.”

Coming to Maryam Nawaz, both make-up artists agree she is very pretty and has flawless skin. However, Maria notices that she mostly wears greens, and doesn’t mix and match kurtas much. “Her look is usually of an aunty going to a committee party sort of thing,” Maria says. “We usually see her with tied hair as well. Maybe we can recommend a shorter hair length and a lighter brown hair colour instead of the deep brown she usually wears. She has a fair complexion so it will look great on her. But I would recommend changing the colour and style of her clothing first.” Wajid adds that slightly thicker eyebrows and a darker tone of lipstick would certainly add more grace.

For Bilawal Bhutto, the 2018 elections offer a golden opportunity. “He already carries himself well,” Wajid says. “However, considering the role he’s aiming for, a more mature look would suit him. My advice for him is to go for a stubble.” Maria feels Bhutto could style his hair better. “His hair is wavy, so I think he could go for shorter, more cropped hair,” she says.

For Shireen Mazari, Wajid says, “I love her guts when it comes to hair colour. She has the personality to carry anything she’d like to. All I’d do is revamp her wardrobe and replace the out-of-style prints with some solid colours.” Maria likes Mazari’s short hair and bold personality. “I personally enjoy the colour in her hair every now and then,” she says. “Maybe instead of the black dye she uses, I might go for deeper browns for her. She also likes to keep it short, you know, no fuss, so I might give her a softer bob with a few layers in them to frame her face well. She usually doesn’t wear much make-up and that looks fine, except a bold lip colour which would go with her personality. Her clothes are fine, age-appropriate and fine for our weather, too.”

“With Mustafa Kamal, we all know the challenges he’s been facing,” Wajid says. “I think it has started to show on his face, so my first suggestion would be for him to definitely take as much rest as he can for a fresher look. I’d also love to see him clean-shaven,” he adds. “I think it will be a much needed change.” Maria thinks, Kamal already looks fine for his role. “He doesn’t need much change. He keeps his hair short and clean,” she says. “He wears shalwar kameez, dresses appropriately, so I wouldn’t change much about him.”

For Naeemul Haq and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, both stylists agree that they dress well and carry themselves appropriately. Wajid adds, “I find Shahid Abbasi to be extremely graceful. I would love our leaders to also carry casual looks like Mr Obama and Mr Trudeau. Would love to see Mr Abbasi wear blue jeans with crisp white shirts, or white T-shirts, and trim his hair and beard a bit. Otherwise I think he’s good to go.”

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 31st, 2017