It’s party season! And we couldn’t be more excited. It’s time to get out our glittery glad rags, dust off our dancing shoes, and be a little extra with our make-up looks.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for a simple make-up look but we also love trying new things, and Christmas is the perfect time to do so. Here are some of our top tips if you’re wanting to push the boat out, as well as our top make-up essentials for the winter party season.
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Give your skin a good cleanse in order to remove any excess oil, bacteria and dead skin cells that may have built up throughout the day. Have you tried our Vitamin E Cream Cleanser? It’s suitable for all skin types and leaves the skin feeling soft and clean.
If you’re a skincare pro, you’ll know to always follow up cleansing with a toner. We say, choose a gentle, exfoliating toner that’ll help pick up any last traces of grime. With toners for every skin type – from oily to dry – and for every need, you’ll find the one for you here.
And last, but by no means least, finish your skin prep with a moisturiser. This will help make your skin soft and smooth – a perfect canvas for applying make-up. Not sure which moisturiser is best for you? Check out our guide to finding the best moisturiser for your skin type.
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A primer is a great way to help your make-up last longer as it helps your foundation settle and stay put for longer. Our Instablur™ Primer is lightweight and helps to smoothen and mattify your complexion. It also helps to blur any imperfections, creating an even base ready for your foundation. Get ready for less shinier skin and longer lasting make-up.
Finding the right foundation is key for helping your make-up last. If you have oily skin, you’ll want to try a matte foundation, like our Matte Clay Skin Clarifying Foundation, to help prevent it sliding off throughout the day. Drier skin types need a hydrating foundation, like our Fresh Nude Foundation, which moisturises for up to 24hrs for a lasting, fresh-faced finish.
Lock it all in place with a powder or setting spray. Not only do they keep your base in place but they also help minimise oil and shine. We have a variety of powders for all skin types – from our Matte Clay Powder for oily, to our Fresh Nude Face Base for drier skin – or our Make-up Setting Spray is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive, and helps lock in your make-up.
Application is key to a long-lasting look. When applying foundation, you want to achieve an all-over even finish. Our Fresh Nude Foundation Brush is ideal thanks to its tightly packed bristles and flat edge which make distributing and blending foundation a doddle. And don’t forget to blend it all into your neck using your brush for a natural looking colour.
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A bronzer is perfect for creating a sun-kissed radiance. It’s also great for when you want to contour your face. Apply bronzer to your cheekbones, browbone, jawline and any other contours of your face or where your skin naturally catches light. Use with our Domed Powder Brush to effortlessly dust product over your whole face.
Add a luminous quality to your skin with highlighter. Dust along areas such as your cheekbones, browbone, the bridge of your nose and your cupid’s bow, to help define your features. Our Pointed Highlighter Brush works beautifully with powdered highlighters as its tipped point makes it easy for precision application.
Blushers are excellent for giving your cheeks that rosy flush. By adding a little bit of blusher to your cheeks, you can easily achieve a vibrant, fresh-faced finish. Our Angled Blusher Brush perfectly fits in your cheek contour, helping you to sweep blusher across your cheekbone while adding colour to the apples of your cheeks.
Shimmer Waves can be used in a number of ways to achieve all of the above. In three different shades – Bronze, Blush and Coral – they help illuminate your face. Swirl the shades together with our Domed Powder Brush for all over radiance or use separately with our Double Ended Eyeshadow Brush to add a subtle shimmer.
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For application, a short-haired brush is best for picking up maximum product. With dense bristles, the fluffy end of our Duo Eyeshadow Brush is great for distributing your shadows. For blending, try our Eyeshadow Blending Brush – its looser bristles help achieve that soft finish. And when it comes to precision applications, like darker eyeshadows along the lash line, try the opposite end of our Duo Eyeshadow Brush. Still a bit unsure? Read our Make-up Brush Buying Guide.
To create shape and definition, always follow the actual shape of your eye. A perfect place to start is the crease of your eye, which is the natural fold in your lid where your eyelid meets your brow bone. Look straight in the mirror and, with your eyes open, apply your chosen shade with a brush just over your eyelid. This way, you’ll always have definition and shadow that can be seen when your eyes are open. When it comes to applying liner, always follow the natural curve of your lash lines.
Eye make-up can be a bit tricky but, as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. Our tips? When picking your shades, opt for a mix of light and dark colours – always bearing your skin tone in mind. Start with the lighter shades first and apply all over your lid using the fluffy, short-haired brush. Then, apply a small amount of your darker shades to the outer area of your eyelid. Use a fluffy domed brush to blend together. Keep applying and blending your shadows for a more vibrant eye.
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A sheer finish is a classic. It can look just as effortless as it does glamorous. A sheer lipstick typically has the colour payoff of a normal lipstick but the sheen of a gloss. Our Lip & Cheek Stain adds a pop of buildable colour while leaving you with a glossy finish. (And you can dab it on your cheeks too for a rosy glow.)
Love the richness of a satin finish? Us too. Satin lipsticks are usually soft, creamy and full of moisture. And if that’s what you’re looking for, then try our Colour Crush™ Lipsticks. They come in 20 shades, deliver a pop of high dose colour and are enriched with marula oil to help keep your lips hydrated.
Bold and daring, the Matte lipstick is for those who really want to make a statement. With bold colour payoff and a no shine finish, a matte lippy is certainly a look. Try it yourself with our Matte Lip Liquid. It goes on like a gloss but sets like a matte. It’s super lightweight on the lips and has a soft, velvety finish.
