Go for gold: a warmer smoky eye
Smoky eyes are traditionally grey-ish, black-ish and smoky-ish. It’s a “classic” we’re meant to adopt with ease. Except it doesn’t suit everyone. Variations can epitomise dishevelment (no, not in that cool rock’n’roll way) and make skin look sallow. A more flattering alternative is the smoky golden eye seen at Naeem Khan AW20. The warm richness gives skin life. For a glossy finish, apply balm first. End with a black liner, minimal mascara and a flesh lip. Smoky-ish eyes, the golden route.
1. Perricone No Makeup Mascara £25, perriconemd.co.uk2. Tom Ford Soleil Neige Eye Color Quad £68, tomford.co.uk3. Milk Makeup Kush Liquid Eyeliner £20, selfridges.com4. Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Stain £19, harrods.com5. Illamasqua Beyond Foundation £33, illamasqua.com
I can’t do without... A lipstick to raise the spirits – and wear with a mask
At a time when minimal makeup, skincare obsessions and mask-wearing are ubiquitous, many have written off lipstick. ( The logic behind the Lipstick Index – that even in economic crises, lipstick sales remain unaffected – hasn’t rung true.) The main arguments are that no one’s going to see your lipstick, it’s incompatible with face coverings, and that it’s just ‘too much’. But is it? I am a diehard lover of good, brightly coloured lipsticks, so much so it’s like a uniform (a much-loved one as opposed to the one I couldn’t wait to burn after leaving school). For a long time, however, I avoided wearing lipstick because my full lips were a source of ridicule – too big, too different, too much – so I didn’t want to draw any more attention to them. Years later, particularly in an effort to actually do my job properly, I began experimenting, and discovered the power of a good lipstick. It’s a much underestimated piece of armour – a confidence booster, a countenance lifter. Surely, if ever there was a time our moods needed elevating, it’s now.
Well, Il Makiage’s matt lip colour, in 27 shades, is pure joy. The consistency is magic – a creamy, comfortable matt consistency that leaves lips with an epic pigment-rich definition. It doesn’t need reapplying – even after you’ve taken off your mask. And it makes me happy – you can never have too much of that. Il Makiage Infinity Long-wear Matte Lip Cream, £20, ilmakiage.com
On my radar... Skincare day and night, plus butter for a light tan
Skin deepSearching for an organic illuminating foundation with vitamins and antioxidants that improves skin texture? It’s here. Kjaer Weis Invisible Touch Liquid Foundation, £42, kjaerweis.com
While you sleep This delicately scented mask uses a combination of pure plant oils and hyaluronic acid to smooth fine lines and soften the skin – all while you sleep. Votary Intense Overnight Mask, £85, libertylondon.com
Autumn glowSunkissed skin in the autumn? This easy-to-use, coconutty self-tanning butter gives you a healthy glow sans sun damage, so why not? Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Butter, £19.95, lookfantastic.com
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