The Toronto Caribbean Carnival — commonly known as “Caribana” — is the largest cultural event in Canada, attracting millions of tourists each and every summer to the city of Toronto. The beauty of Caribana lies not only in how it brings people together, but in the incredible show of culture through colours and costumes.
Mastering a Caribana look is an art. Complementing a Carnival costume with a makeup look that will wow spectators is an expectation, but not an easy feat. That’s why we spoke to Solange Ashoori, Founder of Toronto’s first and only inclusive beauty salon, to give you the Caribana beauty tips that will take your look to the next level. Ashoori’s style bar was created so that anyone with any skin or hair type could walk in and feel comfortable and represented without any anxiety. Each Caribana weekend, her style bar is filled with women of all ethnicities who book appointments with her team of experts in beauty services from makeup and hair, to brows and eyelashes.

Where to start with your Caribana look
When it comes to where to start, Solange recommends starting with your eyes to avoid a major makeup mistake. “Eye makeup first before any type of skin makeup,” she says. “Your eyeshadow will always just fall down a little bit and you don’t want it getting on your fresh base. If you’re doing a vibrant, smoky, or any type of makeup look that’s on the heavier side, definitely start with your eyes first and then move on to your base.”

Choosing your Caribana colours
Need a palette recommendation? “Right now, I would definitely say the James Charles palette,” Solange says. It has all the colours in there and it’s really beautiful. If you needed to find one palette that would be it.”

Making your Caribana look stand out
“Lots of highlighted glitter and for sure facial jewels are a big thing. That really makes your look stand out,” Solange says of making your look pop. “Some people like to just add a couple jewels around their eyes. Other people just go all the way off and do a whole pattern. I mean, if there’s any day to be completely extra, Caribana would definitely be the day.”

Don’t be afraid of glitter
If you’re worried the glitter getting all over the place, there’s an easy way to avoid that. “There’s patches and pads now that you can put under the eye that would cover up the bottom of the eye so that even if you have any spillage, it’s easy to take off.”

The finishing touch to your Caribana look

Surviving the heat

The number one Caribana mistake you can make
A dewier makeup look will help you achieve a sun-kissed glow.

Achieving a more natural look

Ziba Style Bar has you covered for Caribana
Ziba Style Bar offers hair, makeup, lash extension, and brow services.
