Festive Season Beauty & Makeup Tips
As the festive season approaches it’s time to add a touch of sparkle and glam to your usual make-up routine – there’s no better time to try something bold, to dazzle and shine for those festive events and parties. Here are a few ideas with some tips and tricks on how to add a Christmas vibe (without tinsel) to your make-up with some of the hottest new products.
PREP & PRIME
Prep your skin using a facial oil for instant skin radiance. The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil has been designed specifically to go under make-up and create a perfect glowing canvas. It smells divine and instantly absorbs into your skin without leaving any residue. The better your skin looks the less make-up you need to add on top, rather than hiding that luminosity.
CONCEAL
I love this new concealer from Embryolisse, Secret de Maquilleurs Concealer Correcting Care. The brand are known for their cult moisturiser, which is used by all the make-up artists and models backstage and on shoots, and this concealer is a great addition. It packs quite a lot of pigment and covers blemishes and dark circles brilliantly, blending seamlessly with moisturiser and foundation. Choose from beige or pink undertones to correct any dullness or imperfections.
EYEBROWS
A lot of people think that to strengthen your eyebrows’ shape you should use a darker shade than your natural colouring, but that always ends up looking unnatural. Use an eyebrow grooming gel in a shade slightly lighter than your natural brow to create dimension and shadows – something like the NYX Brow Gel or Glossier’s Boy Brow is ideal. Once you’ve plucked and groomed your brows you can then intensify any sparse areas with a brow pencil that matches your natural brow shade.
EYES
It’s time to go big or go home here – extend that eyeliner just a little bit further, or instead of your usual black eyeliner, try green or gold. The dark nights and sparkly lights are the perfect setting to create eye-catching looks. Add an extra coat of mascara, concentrating on the outer corners to lift and open the eyes.
Using a lid tint with a wet-look sheen is a great way to create dimension and mystery. Jillian Dempsey Lid Tints are my absolute favourite and come in a range of colours to use alone or over eyeshadow – she’s an incredible make-up artist and got the textures spot-on.
EYE SHADOW PALETTES
Two of the prettiest palettes to create a smouldering smoky eye come from Dior and Guerlain. Dior en Diable, or ‘Devilish Dior’, presents a five shadow palette with autumnal shades of oranges, coppers, rusts and silver. These tones with green eyes are a match made in heaven. Guerlain’s five shadow palette in Coque D’or is a mix of beige, gold, bronze, brown and green – perfect for a warm-toned smoky eye which is easy to wear but is still interesting.
CHEEKS
To really get in the party spirit, add biodegradable glitter in silver or gold to your browbone, cheekbones or eyelid for instant attention. Use a petroleum jelly base on skin first where you would like your glitter to go, then press glitter onto skin with fingers or a brush. Biodegradable litter is becoming much more popular and there are now plenty of brands to choose from, such as Disco Dust London, Kryolan and Eco Stardust.
LIPS
Dying to emulate the Parisian cool girl with flawless skin and an effortless red lip? The red lipstick that everyone is talking about in France comes from La Bouche Rouge. With all natural ingredients, refillable packaging and a personalised, monogrammed leather case, they make the perfect gift as well as showing off your pout to full party potential.
http://TraceyGrayMann.com
Instagram: traceygraymann
