It wouldn’t be Christmas without a bit of sparkle - beauty expert Laura Lewis shows you how to get the best party looks this season
I absolutely love this time of the year – my own personal Christmas comes when all the party make-up arrives on the shelves! Sparkles, glitter and colour everywhere– it’s an amazing time for make-up looks. That last look in the mirror before a big do is priceless as you waft out of a perfume and hair spray haze leaving a mass of glittery destruction in your wake. If you can’t go for it at Christmas – when can you?
Choose your look
I know how hard it can be if you don’t feel confident with make-up – how do you know which products to buy? You get an idea in your head but can’t re-create it, and you end up with a stash of old make-up gathering dust.
Front Cover make-up have the perfect solution, supplying you with everything you need to create the latest beauty looks, all in one clever box – my favourites this season are the new Sparkler Collection which contains an explosion of sparkly shimmers and glitters , along with a complete step-by-step guide on how to apply a really modern eye look with a special gel and tiny sequins – it’s totally fool proof!
If you dare to add colour to your life then try the Rainbow Queen collection – this look is all about eyes, so you can experiment with some gorgeous jewelled shades and practise your eyeliner application skills. A handy tip when applying eye shadow is to dampen your applicator brush slightly to intensify the shade. The best thing about the Rainbow Queen Collection is that it comes with a compact, and your favourite shades will click right in so you can recreate your favourite looks on the go.
You may worry about some looks being too ‘young’, but wearing bright colours and adding sparkle isn’t about age – it’s about confidence, and finding your own style. If you normally feel confident wearing colour and print, then there’s no reason why you can’t express this with make-up! If you like a classy understated look, try wearing a bright nail colour or lipstick, and let the impact speak for itself!
If your classic ‘little black dress’ is on standby for another night on the town, never fear – you can easily update the look and glam it up by matching nails with lips or eyes. Nails Inc have introduced their Galaxy collection, which is chock full of glitter, crushed foil and iridescent pearls. For a vampy look paint nails with the Buckingham Court shade and swipe Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss in Scarlet over lips for a glossy, high impact pout. That stunning Cobalt blue shade we’ve seen all year is still mightily popular, so try the Westminster Bridge shade on nails which will dazzle alongside eyes lined with Stila Smudge Stick in Cobalt, and stick to nude lips. My tip for applying eyeliner is to work in tiny sections from the outer corner instead of attempting to line the whole eye at once, and keep a stash of cotton buds nearby for corrections!
If you want to go for Gold, try blending Stilas Comex Gold into Comex Platinum from the Magnificent Metals eyeshadow collection and team up with the Knightsbridge Road Nails Inc shade on nails. When using metallics on the eyes, don’t forget a generous application of eyeliner as well as mascara, as the shimmer can often negate definition and make eyes look smaller. When working with looser eye shadows I always wait until I have completed my eye make-up before starting my under eye cover up. This means I can wipe away any mess and start with a clean base.
Hair
The prospect of curling straight hair means you can easily spend an extra hour getting ready whilst trying to perfect each section. The T3 Singlepass Whirl has made this daunting task seem like a dream, as the tourmaline barrel grasps and twirls your hair into submission in about 20 minutes. My hair never seems to hold a curl all night, so I like to loosely pin my hair up, so the texture from the curl is still visible, but the weight of my hair isn’t pulling out the style. If you need a boost, add a few spritzes of Volumising Spray from the Touche by Flavien range; it acts like an invisible corset to add height and body, and an extract of prickly pear provides much needed moisture during a season of endless styling.
Accessories in golden hues really warm up pale skin tones and are so seasonal. If you dare to be different, this beautiful 1920’s inspired headdress (Above: £22 Accessorize) will be the stunning focus of your outfit, and it could work with a dress in similar colours, or a vintage little black dress. For a more subtle addition this leaf style clip (Above: £28 Glitzy Secrets) is enough to add a little festive glamour to any hairstyle.
Finally a spritz of perfume finishes any look, my favourite this season is Silver Iris by Atelier - luxurious notes of Patchouli, Iris and Tangerine make it so seasonal and feminine, and the best thing is, every time you spritz it, you’ll remember this magical time of year.
