Whether you’re raising an eggnog with pals, hitting the town or gearing up for the infamous office party, Christmas is always the time to go all out and get a little heavy-handed with your make-up. Think smokey, sultry eyes, glitter, huge lashes and bold lips perfectly primed for the mistletoe. The only thing worse than a lump of coal in your stocking this season? Your sassy new make-up sliding down your face or smudging at the first sniff of the disco. Get true staying power with these awesome products…
Base face
If you’re not using a primer yet, sit up and take notice. Get more miles from your foundation, and a silky smooth finish just by adding a decent primer into your skincare routine, like Benefit’s POREfessional Primer Balm (1. £24.50, lookfantastic.com) perfect for hiding pores and imperfections. Oily skinned gals should try Sleek’s Control Shine & Prime (2. £7.99, Superdrug), and for those on the drier side, Smashbox Photo Finish primer (3. £26, Boots) gives a hydrating, silky base. For skin so perfect it looks like a pro has been at it, Urban Decay’s new All Nighter foundation (4. £27, Debenhams) is the one. Pop into your local department store and get colour-matched to one of the 24 shades. If you’re cool-toned, check the shades ending in .5, and if your skin is warmer in tone, then shades ending in .0 are for you. It’s water, sweat and party proof – promising to last all night and keep skin flawless. A little goes a long way with this product, and I highly recommend a Beauty Blender (5. £16, Boots) to buff it out.
Go pro
Instagram beauty fans will be familiar with LA-based professional make-up brand Ben Nye. The exciting news is that you no longer need to waste money on importing this high-quality brand. Head to preciousaboutmakeup.com for a great range of goodies including the Ben Nye Conceal All Colour Wheel (6. £12.35), industrial strength concealer and colour corrector in two shade choices, and the famous setting face powders, like Translucent (7. £8.15), which is perfect for dusting over make-up to set and hold in place. Another brand you’ll find is Make Up For Ever, offering great value on pro products, like their Mist & Fix setting spray (8. £8.00). Spritz a fine veil over a finished face to fix everything firmly in place, and avoid smudges. You’ll also find high-street options in Superdrug by Makeup Revolution in their (9.) Pro Fix Fixing Spray for just £5 .
Like a diamond
One of the saddest things about saying goodbye to summer has to be packing away the chunky festival glitters, so for one last hurrah before the winter sets in, go for gold and add a little sparkle. You can’t go wrong with Barry M’s Dazzle Dust pots (10. £4.59, Superdrug). Sweep the shade Gold Iridescent over eyeshadow for a pop of glamour, or use over NYX Glitter Primer (11. £8, Boots.com) for packing in pigment. For a sultry look, try Make Up For Ever Star Powder in Black Gold (12. £13, preciousaboutmakeup.com), a mix between a glitter and shadow for a sophisticated shine. If all that loose glitter sounds a little messy, however, you have to try pressed glitters. The same sassy sparkle, but without the mess. Hard to find on the high street, try the Glitter Eyes Duos (13. £9.99, preciousaboutmakeup.com), in various shades. New from Sleek, the i-Divine eye shadow palette in Vintage Romance (14. £8.99, Superdrug) features 12 highly-pigmented shades which are so easy to blend. And if there’s one item to overload on this season, it’s highlighter! The Make Up For Ever Pro Light Fusion compact (15. £28, preciousaboutmakeup) in Rose Gold adds glow to all the right places (cheekbones, cupids bow, brow bones!) or try the new Cleopatra’s Kiss palette from Sleek (16. £9.99, Superdrug). Two baked powders, and two creams for beautifully gilded looks.
Under the mistletoe
My number one product of 2016 has to be the liquid lipstick. A total revelation in staying power, I urge you to try them too! Sleek offer an affordable version in their Matte Me range (17. £4.99, Superdrug) and the berry shade Velvet Slipper is so party ready. For those wanting to tone it down, try the pretty dusty pink Shabby Chic. Now, serious make-up fiends, take notice: this lipstick will change your life. Get over to Cult Beauty now and locate the (18) Huda Beauty Liquid Matte’s. These little tubes of witchcraft will set you back £18 each, but will stay on throughout the day (and lunch!). Go! I highly recommend shade Heartbreaker.
~ I’d love to hear your sparkly suggestions too! ~