Now I know I ought to retain my grown-up poise and sophistication at all times, but IT’S CHRISTMAS! I get thoroughly over-excited as the festive season gets into full swing. I mean, all those pressies, parties and stolen kisses under the mistletoe – what’s not to love?
Christmas is also the perfect opportunity to go to town with glistening party make-up – my idea of heaven! So this week I’ve created a sparkly Christmas party look with glitzy gold eyes and a festive red lip. It’s a stunning party face, which is why just about every celebrity out there regularly works this look. And hey, if it’s good enough for Hollywood, it’s definitely good enough for Chelsea!
The Base
For this look you want a fresh, dewy base as the overall finish is glamorous and glistening. I used Clarins True Radiance Foundation, which you can apply with a brush or with your fingers. I love the healthy, radiant finish it gives the skin. I also applied a bit of BareMinerals Correcting Concealer under my eyes for a little extra coverage. It’s easy to get a little tired during party season, which can lead to the odd blemish. This concealer gives full coverage without ever looking thick or caked. Now set everything in place with a dusting of translucent powder – I used DiorSkin Poudre Libre Matte and Luminous Hydrating Loose Powder, which is super-lightweight and has tiny just a hint of shimmer to create a really glowing complexion.
The Eyes
Start by taking BareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow Palette in The Soundtrack and sweeping the champagne shade all over your lids to act as a base colour. Now it’s time to get glitzy so blend BareMinerals High Shine Eye Colour in Glisten all over your eyelids. This is a really stunning sparkly gold shade – just perfect for party eyes – and it’s richly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. However, you really want to pack on the colour for this nighttime look, so apply several shimmering layers. Sparkly eyeshadow and glitters can be messy to use, so I dab a little bit of the product onto the back of my hand then sweep it on with a fluffy brush.
A fine black eye liner goes beautifully with glitzy eye make-up like this and really makes the colour pop. I lined my upper lash line with the DHC Liquid Eyeliner, gently stretching my eyelid and applying the pen as close to my lash line as possible. The finish you’re after is a neat, slim line rather than a thick 60s flick – keep it elegant.
No party look is complete without lashings of mascara – I used Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara on my top and bottom lashes, wiggling the brush all the way up from the root to spearhead lashes and avoid clumping. Finally, fill in your brows with Clarins’ Brow Palette. If you’re going for a bold lip, groomed brows are a must.
The Cheeks
To go with the dewy base, I recommend a cream bronzer to achieve a fresh-faced finish. I used Daniel Sandler Watercolour Crème Bronzer in Riviera, which is easy to apply – just dab it under your cheekbones and blend in your fingers. Next I dusted a touch of BareMinerals Illuminating Mineral Veil along the tops of my cheekbones, giving them a glistening sheen which looks absolutely gorgeous after dark.
The Lips
Now for the fabulous festive pout! Red lips are a party classic and always make me feel super sexy. I used Too Faced Melted Liquified Lipstick in Ruby, a deep crimson shade. For long-lasting lippy, apply a coat straight from the tube then blot with tissue before applying a second layer.
On another very exciting note, this week it was revealed that the hugely-hyped French Pharmacy favourite, La Roche-Posay Serozinc, is launching in the UK for the first time ever – exclusive to Escentual.com!
The Serozinc spray-on toner is superb for improving oily and blemish-prone skin, and has received rave reviews from dermatologists, beauty journalists and bloggers worldwide. It’s released on January 1, but you can pre-order it here on Escentual from now! I’m going to be doing a full review of this skincare staple very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Love Binky xxx
