Expert party makeup tips
There's a subtle dust of sparkle and then there's looking like a discoball, but where do you draw the line? Here are the rules for foundation, blusher, eyeshadow colours and getting that all important balance. Think of it as an early Christmas present...
As soon as Christmas party season commences, rules about shimmering eyeshadow, glittering nail polish, bold bronzer and metallic lipstick are suspended - right? Not unless you want to look like a particularly glitzy piece of wrapping paper. To help you look uber-sleek instead of Christmas crackered, we sought help from the professionals. Put down the fake lashes and take note…
Fred Letailleur, YSL makeup artist for Northern Europe
What’s your top tip for getting your foundation to look flawless?
Always use a foundation brush. Apply the foundation in long, smooth movements from the centre of the face to the outside. If you need to neutralise skin discolouration, like redness on the cheeks or dark tones around the eyes, apply a fine layer of CC cream over concern areas before foundation. To perfect the result, finish with a fine layer of Touche Éclat (£25, YSL) around the eyes to brighten and remove signs of fatigue or any area you wish to highlight, like the cheekbones, the contour of the lips, or underneath the brows.
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What about cheeks, would you suggest using bronzer, blusher or both?
A cream texture is best for contouring as it will blend more naturally onto the skin than a powder. I like Kiss & Blush (£27, YSL) in Nude Insolent for a natural contour and Moca Garconne for a more defined result. Apply two dots under the cheekbone and blend with a foundation brush, using small circular movements. Only extend down to the jawline if you want to diminish its appearance. Follow the darker tone using Touche Éclat on the upper half of the cheek to highlight and finally add blush to the apples of cheeks.
Over to eyes. What colours are in this season and how should they be applied?
A popular combination is a mixture of black and gold. Apply black on the outer part of the eye to create an elongated outer wing, sharpening the shape with a little Touche Éclat if necessary. Use your finger to dab gold shadow over the inner half of the eyelid to instantly brighten. Alternatively, light blue matte as a block colour on the lid is also on trend. Finally, increase the intensity of the eye by applying a black liner on both its lower and upper inner rim.
Rachael Parish, No7 advisor
What’s your top tip for getting your foundation to look flawless?
Use a soft-focus primer like the No7 Brilliantly Bare Beauty Enhancer (£12.50, Boots) to blur imperfections, fill fine lines and wrinkles and brighten the skin in an instant. Your foundation will then glide over evenly and offer consistent coverage and staying power for the whole night.
What about cheeks, would you suggest using bronzer, blusher or both?
Both! Bronzer warms the skin up and defines your cheekbones, while the flush of colour from blusher will brighten your face. Start by taking your bronzer from by your ear down to the lower cheek and towards your month to softly contour just below your cheekbones. Add bronzer across the forehead starting from the temples and then along the jawline towards the chin. Finally, add a pop of blush to the apples of cheeks and blend into your bronzer.
Over to eyes. What colours are in this season and how should they be applied?
I’m liking a flash of gold along the lower lash line with a thin black flick of liner on the upper. For a twist on the conventional smoky eye, layer colour onto a black pigment. This works well using the No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow (£7, Boots) in Carbon Matte to create your smoky eye and then adding the middle shade from the No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Trio (£9.50, Boots) in Beside the Sea on top. This blue tone used on black produces a beautiful turquoise shade with gold notes. You could also add a gloss product on top of your Carbon Matte to get a deeper colour with a patent finish on the lid. Don't forget to apply No7 Midnight Lash Mascara (£10, Boots).
What's your ultimate tip for Christmas party makeup?
Pamper your base. It’s impossible to achieve a flawless glow on sandpaper skin! Use a nourishing night cream before bed to allow your skin to repair and replenish as you sleep. Also, whatever shade of lipstick you choose is never going to get noticed if it’s sitting on dry and split lips. Before bed, use a damp, soft toothbrush in circular motions on the lips to exfoliate and buff away dead skin cells before slathering on lip balm.
