Beauty: Laura Bermingham
As much as the catwalk shows for this season were a very different affair — virtual or outdoors with social distancing — this season’s beauty trends have followed suit due to the pandemic. Lipstick sales have dropped hugely, but there are plenty of new releases headed our way that are either long-wearing inks or nourishing, coloured balms.
As you might expect in 2021, most of the biggest trends are for eyes. The most studied shows — Chanel, Dior, and Giambattista Valli — all had their own take on the heavily-lined or smoky eye. This take on a dramatic eye has been edging its way back regardless of everything that happened in 2020, but maybe the bolts of colour we started to see more on social media than in fashion is an indicator that if nothing else, make-up offers a bit of fun.
With all the focus on ‘above the mask’ make-up there are a lot of new mascaras, false lash innovations and growth-enhancing serums coming our way. Sales of these will be driven higher if salons remain shut for longer and professional treatments stay out of reach.
Similarly with nails, interest in nail care and colour is very much on the increase as manicures are not available, but hopefully salons will be able to get back working shortly.
There is never a season where skin isn’t in, but there’s a more relaxed approach to foundation now.
New face bases are more focused on radiance than flawlessness
We spent the best part of a year not really wearing it, and the new face bases that are being launched are more focused on radiance and compatibility with the skin and less on complete coverage or flawlessness.
It’s interesting that as people get used to wearing less make-up their product choices follow suit. There is a real opportunity for brands here that sell multi-purpose beauty to do very well as a lot of people are searching for beauty that does more than a single job. Stick formats that add glow, a little colour, or resist the heat of a face mask are what people seem to be gravitating towards. Maybe a long-wear tint that can be worn on lips, cheeks, even lids is the only kind of beauty people want to bother with. It does feel as though the 12 or 18-pan eyeshadow palette we used to enjoy is pretty much redundant these days.
If we are reacting to the new world in this more streamlined way with make-up, where people appear to want to spend more money and time is self-care. Essential oils, natural and organic skin care, vegan beauty are all on the up in terms of trends and purchasing. It might be a new beauty season, but maybe we will enjoy what we buy and use it in a slightly different way this spring.
Trinny London Miracle Blur Lip & Line Filler
€31, trinnylondon.com/eu
Selling one pot every 23 seconds, Miracle Blur is Trinny Woodall’s best selling beauty product at her very successful UK-based brand. When developing the blurring filler Trinny wanted something for skin that had the same effect as Polyfilla. Wherever she saw cracks or crow’s feet she wanted something to ‘fill the gaps’ as such. Miracle Blur works on facial lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores and smoker’s lines. Use on bare skin for a smoother complexion or under foundation.
The Ordinary Colours Concealer
€5.80, deciem.com
Canadian brand The Ordinary launched in 2016, quickly disrupting the industry with its ‘single-ingredient’ skincare that all ages and sexes embraced. In 2017 its foundation followed (€6.90), and this concealer launched last week. Highly pigmented with full cover, the concealer comes in 36 shades that match the foundation colours, making it easier to get the right one.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Powder Foundation
€34, boots.ie & Harvey Nichols
If there’s one area of beauty that Rihanna’s beauty brand Fenty excels, it’s in foundation and concealer. When launching in 2017, the pop star insisted there must be 40 inclusive shades of foundation and ten more were added later. Full cover or medium, there is a foundation for everyone in the line. This new powder foundation corresponds shade-wise with all 50 liquid formulas. For the price and shade selection there is no other brand offering anything as good.
Chanel Le Lion de Chanel EDP
€175/75ml €320/200ml, Brown Thomas
Les Exclusifs de Chanel is the French luxury brand’s prestige perfume collection. This new Le Lion de Chanel is one of its most important launches in years. In-house Chanel perfumer Olivier Polge created this new fragrance inspired by the emblematic lion of the brand, so loved by Coco Chanel (a Leo) that permeated throughout her designs. The perfume, a deep Oriental, has bergamot and lemon to start which makes way for amber, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla, and musk. An intriguing blend.
Jo Malone London Scarlet Poppy Cologne Intense
€101/50ml €149/100ml, Arnotts & Brown Thomas
Jo Malone London perfumes are available as either Cologne or Cologne Intense. The Intense offerings are bigger and bolder scents, often with inspiration from far flung locations, while the Colognes tend to have note pairings a lot closer to home in the UK. This new Scarlet Poppy is a big, ravishing floral inspired by the great scarlet poppy from Asia. Velvety iris, sweet fig and tonka bean make for a very decadent but feminine scent.
Sisley Izia La Nuit EDP
€103.50/30ml, 8 February Sisley counters Family-owned French beauty brand Sisley has some of the world’s most coveted beauty pieces like their Black Rose and Sisleÿa anti-ageing skin care and Eau de Soir fragrance. The original Izia launched almost four years ago, a personal scent creation of Isabelle d’Ornano, vice-president of the brand. She wanted to make a perfume to recreate the scent of a bouquet of roses, and she’s also behind this La Nuit version for 2021.