Looking fab and festive in just five minutes

Christmas 2020 will be a more subdued affair than usual with smaller gatherings and many celebrations taking place on Zoom or video call. That said, we never miss out on the opportunity to dress up a little and feel more festive. The weeks ahead will still be busy, so Warren Dowdall, senior pro artist at Bobbi Brown, has created a five-minute makeup guide for those in-person or online moments with family and friends.

Skin prep is key to a great look, says Warren. ‘Choose products that will give your skin a turnaround in seconds. I love Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm — you can use it as a moisturiser, primer and instant illuminator. Mix it with a matte foundation to add glow. It contains different shades of light-reflective pearl that double up to create a luminous skin finish but also give the look of a more uniform complexion.’

To create an even skin tone most of us need foundation and particularly around Christmas it needs to be a quick application. ‘Skin Foundation Stick is a fantastic option’, says Warren. ‘It offers quick custom, buildable coverage. Just swipe over the skin and blend with fingers or a brush.’

As for dark circles Warren has this winning tip. ‘Press on a little concealer corrector to neutralise dark circles and brighten the under eye. Next apply a skin tone correct concealer to bring back the tone for a super polished look.’

If we happen to be wearing a mask this Christmas, Warren suggests playing up your eye make-up. ‘As the eyes are the statement piece, don’t be afraid to be a little bolder with your eyeshadow application. Different textures of eyeshadow from your usual day-to-day will make your eyes pop and give a really festive look. I love layering metallics and shimmer wash shadows over nude matte for a really beautiful multi-dimensional look.’

For the face, Warren explains how to define and add glow.

‘To warm the complexion, add bronzer to the halo of the face in a ‘3’ formation and then sweep over the eyelid with an eye sweep brush. Next sweep highlighter over the top of the cheekbones and press a little on to the centre of the eyelid to add a radiant finish.’

To finish he recommends: ‘Add a pop of colour to your lips and cheeks. Press a little on the apples of the cheeks and then on the lips and apply a little lip balm over the top to plump. Add lashings of mascara to the lashes and apply a finishing powder to set your look for camera ready skin.’ Picture-perfect in a couple of minutes. Happy Christmas beauty lovers, Laura x