Everyone wants to look extra glamorous at Christmas.
But while spring and autumn make-ups tend to feature ever-changing catwalk trends, festive make-up tends to be more consistent with traditional red lippy and something sparkly on the eyes.
With this year strong trend toward metallic and glitter finishes, they’re easy to overdo, especially when you’re no longer 25, so the trick is to add it to the eyes, or the lips – or even the cheeks – but definitely not all three at once. But here are seven other ways to add glamour for those December parties.
Trick 1: Get glowing skin
Get a lit-from-within glow by using an illuminator as primer before you apply foundation. Rebecca Restrepo, Elizabeth Arden Global MUA, says: “Just a tiny drop can add a golden gleam, or mix it in your moisturiser to give skin a soft radiance.”
Try: Elizabeth Arden Liquid Assets Limited Edition Bold Illuminating Liquid Highlighter, £26.
Trick 2: Look perfectly poreless
If you have enlarged pores, Ariane Poole recommends using a pore refining primer under your foundation (but over your moisturiser). Also, if, after your make-up is complete, your pores still look too obvious, pat a little more on top to blur them.
Try: Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector, £21
Trick 3: Try a more subtle eye
This season’s smoky eyes look softer with golden nude and rich bronze on the eyelids for a glittery or shimmery finish, reserving the dark shades for contouring and defining. Ariane says, “Avoid using shimmer on the arch of the brow. Keep this area bare or use a matte bone shade. Brush a mid-grey satin eyeshadow over the eyelid from inner to outer corner, extending it upwards to just above the socket line. Age and gravity often makes the brow area droop, so applying this shadow a bit higher means that the dropped area won’t cover most of the colour. This trick also helps lift the eyes slightly and makes them look larger and more open. Finish with dark grey pencil on both lash lines, plus black mascara.”
Try: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Gunmetal, £17.50.
Trick 4: Add a festive flicker
Top international MUA Louise Constad suggests this glamorous Christmas tip. “Put a tiny little dab of lip gloss on the centre of your eyelid, then use your finger to add a dab of glitter on top. Because lipgloss is slightly sticky, it keeps the glitter on and it should last all night.” She recommends using silver glitter over grey eyeshadow, or gold over nude or bronze.
Try: Barry M Fine Glitter Dust Silver, £4.59.
Trick 5: Make your lipstick last
Ariane says, “On an older face you can still do a relatively pale lip with a smoky eye, but you’ll need a hint more colour on the lips, like a soft rose-pink, otherwise you’ll look washed-out. Or you can do a much softer eye with just dark grey eyeliner and mascara, and wear that with bright red lipstick. To help any lip colour to last, apply lip liner over the entire lip – it makes a great base for lipstick and helps prevent it from bleeding. Apply your lip colour, blot with a tissue, then reapply another coat to prevent it from wearing off too quickly.”
Try: Barry M Matte Lip Paint in Bombshell, £4.99 is recommended by MUA Adam Burrell as a classic red for high impact, long lasting colour. For extra staying power, he recommends the matching Lip Liner in Red, £2.99 to, “Line and fill your lips to prevent it from transferring into any fine lines.”
Trick 6: For a firmer-looking jawline
A hint of contour adds a slightly more sculpted look to your face, especially when applied along (and under) the jaw, as well as to your cheeks. Ariane suggests, “Start very softly, building it up as you feel more confident with it. Apply it in a C-shape starting under the cheekbone, curving down around the hairline, then fade it inwards over the jawline. The shading makes your jaw appear a little firmer.”
Try: Ariane Poole Blush/Contour Duo in Afternoon Delight, £25
Trick 7: Prevent the washed-out look
This one is simple: just put on your make-up in the right lighting. Ariane explains, “Always check your finished make-up in lighting similar to the one you’re going to be seen in. If you usually do your make-up in a brightly lit bathroom, but you’re going to a party where there’ll be soft or mood lighting, it won’t look the same and the blusher or lipstick you applied so carefully may suddenly look washed out.”
Try: Check your make-up using the dimmer switch in your bedroom or hallway, and be prepared to add an extra pop of colour, or stronger eye make-up.
We’d love to hear your party make up tricks! You can share them below…
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