From astronauts to editors: What true glow looks like

Dressing up is an art. It’s not just fabric and colour — it’s the aura you carry. You know, I’ve been thinking about that whole ‘glow’ thing. Not the stuff that comes in a bottle, but the kind you feel. Like the warmth in a quiet smile. You see it in people, don’t you? And sometimes, in yourself too? You wear your mood, your presence, your story. And sometimes, you wear a smile that lingers long after you have left the room. It’s not about how they are dressed, though that helps. It’s more… how they are.

Remember last week when Sunita Williams came back from space. Her SpaceX capsule gently splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, near Tallahassee, Florida. She was just beaming — smiling and waving. No makeup could fake that. No foundation, no blush, no highlighter — just the vibrance of adventure and the thrill of homecoming. It made me wonder, do we really need all that stuff? Honestly, all I saw was her joy.

But then, isn’t glow more than just the rush of extraordinary experiences? It isn’t only for astronauts touching down after a space mission. It exists in quieter moments too — in presence, in intellect, in the way people carry themselves. There was a time when dressing up and intellectualism were seen as separate worlds. The thinker, it was believed, lived in ink-stained shirts and absent-minded layers. But not anymore.

One of my editor friends, sharp and perceptive in her own way, recently visited Japan…and I swear, the country looked even more beautiful with her in it. Her sunny presence blended with cherry blossoms and quiet streets. Then when she flew home to see her mother, who was recovering, she carried a different warmth — one of reassurance, poise, and grace. And when she walked into a prestigious literary festival, draped in a Kashmiri shawl over jeans, interviewing authors, she didn’t just dress well; she carried a quiet kind of power. She belonged.

Then there’s my friend and classmate, a leader who stands close to the aspirations of women. In the photos she shared, she stood in a blue saree, her vision stretching beyond the camera lens, beyond the moment. Her eyes held more depth than the kohl that lined them. Her smile. There was something timeless about her — like she could see the future and shape it. Beauty, all in one.

Just the other day, a young friend wrapped herself in a saree over a T-shirt, sneakers completing the look. And oh, I loved it!

Recently, sister sent me a picture — someone’s face with layers and layers of colours. “Always do your makeup like this,” she joked. I’m still laughing. And you know what? Your sharpest eyeliner? Your mind. Your brightest blush? The thoughts that light you up. No amount of foundation or contouring can make you perfect. The real glow? It’s from within. Sometimes as soft as twilight, sometimes as bright as laughter shared with someone you love. That happiness? That’s the best highlighter.

Also, I once saw a mother —my friend, right after she gave birth to a baby girl. Exhausted yet beaming, she held her newborn as the nurse gently placed the baby in her arms. And in that moment, no amount of makeup in the world could match the glow on her face. Pure, unfiltered joy — that was her best beauty.

Honestly, even a good chicken wrap has given me that happy spark on my face. So has a poem that lingered on my mind all day. And those few lines from a song — the antara I kept humming, till I got over it.

So why fuss over glossy or matte skin, red or purple lips, or kohl-lined versus bare eyes? The best-dressed version of you isn’t about the fabric or the face paint — it’s when your thoughts run deep, your love runs deeper, and when you learn to filter out the noise and truly see this world for what it is.

Dressing up isn’t just about fashion. It’s about carrying your essence, allowing your presence to tell a story before words do. Some people just wear clothes; others wear poetry.