Tousled hair & berry lips
Party prep gets modernised – think flushed cheeks and the darkest nails
In her teens, Gina Kane adored getting ready for a night out. In fact, when she grew up, the friends she had prepped and preened and partied with expressed no surprise when she became a make-up artist. “They remembered how much I loved getting involved with their preparations, too.” Now a leading make-up artist who counts Sienna Miller and Lily James among her clients, Kane shared her latest ideas and inspiration with me
(as well as doing the make-up for this shoot). I’ve added a few new insights of my own and the result is a guide to party make-up, hair and nails that I for one will be following pretty much to the letter. It feels classic but fresh, too, and, above all, effortless. Pour yourself a cocktail and let the party prep begin.
LIPS ARE SCULPTED
We’ve already established that nudes are as hot as reds, meaning this season is about embracing lipstick full stop. “Just the sensation of a lipstick makes you feel good,” says Kane, “and everyone has better lips than they think.” Make the most of them with this technique: “Look in the mirror and tilt your head back slightly – it helps you see that lovely undulation of the top lip as it curves in towards the mouth. Apply lipstick there first, then, using the same finger for each side, press lipstick into your Cupid’s bow. It guarantees symmetry. Apply lipstick to the rest of your lip, then tap and roll a cotton bud over the top – it works the pigment into skin, takes off excess shine and helps everything last longer. Add a second layer of lipstick, or lip liner in a similar shade.” Kane makes the point that lip liner can improve staying power and even fullness, “but never apply it first or you’ll get the wrong kind of stain when it starts to wear off.”
LIPSTICK NOTES A red lip looks great on its own, but you still need to balance your other features. Use a neutral or tonal colour to define your lids (Kane actually used a nude lip liner, though I like Burberry Contour Sticks), and give your brows a brush through. Kane prefers bare lashes, but if mascara’s a non-negotiable, “pat some balm on to your lids, then do overloaded mascara to keep the feel modern”.
EYES ARE SEXY, BUT SIMPLE
Eyeliner on the A/W 17 catwalk was graphic and adventurous, but Kane’s instinct is bringing her back to classic kohl worked along the lashline.
She swears by Chanel’s Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner. “Some waterproof pencils are gel-like and sit on the skin, but this is waxy and malleable, so you can roll it in and out and build up density. Plus, it stays put.” She worked the product into model Emily’s waterline and lashline, pushing it into lashes “to beef them up” before using a cotton bud to blend – “I don’t like any gaps between the lashes and flesh because it breaks up the make-up.” The copper shadow used to finish the look was chosen on the basis of Emily’s eye colour and because “I like the contrast between copper and black”.
EYE NOTES Add warmth and definition to skin with a bronzer or contour stick (you can perk up with blush, but it looks a bit more cool-girl without) and finish with a warm, nude lipstick.
HAIR IS ‘CLEAN’
If you can manage without a blow-dry (and we understand if you can’t), ‘clean’ is your new watchword when it comes to hair. It means »