How four beauty insiders get their party faces on
Heather Gwyther
Beauty & skincare
Reading time: 10 minutes
Top tips from the beauty pros on how to look fabulous & have fun this party season, whether you’re celebrating virtually or in-person
We all have certain ways of doing things that have served us well over the years, but the party season is the ideal time for a fresh take on how to look our absolute best. And who better to help with that than the beauty insiders who helped create some of the looks for our autumn/winter Beauty is Back Video Series?
Here are how four of our favourites get their ‘party faces’ on and the beauty buys you’ll need to try their tips at home.
Ruby Hammer
“Before I put my party face on, I always try to give my skin a boost beforehand. I use an eye mask, a thick layer of lip balm and do a good facial massage with a few drops of oil.”
Try: Clarins Santal Treatment Oil
• Size: 30ml
Containing essential oils of sandalwood, cardamom and lavender, this skin softening elixir restores comfort to parched skin. “Really warm it up in the palms of your hands, and lightly dab onto cheeks, forehead and chin,” says Ruby in our winter glow make-up tutorial. Have a read of our ultimate guide to at-home facial massage to find your perfect technique.
Try: Garnier Moisture Bomb Hyaluronic Acid and Orange Juice Hydrating Brightening Eye Sheet Mask
• Size: 6g
• Vegan
Tired and dull eyes stand absolutely no chance once you place this sheet mask on them. Infused with orange juice and hyaluronic acid, it helps reduce the appearance of eye bags and provides just the sort of brightness you’d want your eyes to have before heading out.
Try: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Intensive Lip Repair Balm
• Size: 15ml
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is legendary for a reason. We love the power this has to help chapped lips by delivering intense moisture, fast.
”Irrespective of whether I put on a red lip or not, my lips will be prepped, my eyes boosted for a full blown smoky eye or bold colour and my skin looking its best. I also never fail to use eye drops (Murine’s are great) to really brighten my eyes.”
Try: Murine Professional Advanced Dry Eye Relief
• Size: 10ml
• Preservative-free
Dry eyes can very quickly become dull eyes, which is why it’s a good idea to have some eye drops handy.
Adeola Boyega
“Exfoliation is the key to prepping your skin for the party season, but it’s often overlooked. Exfoliation helps with skin’s surface cell rejuvenation for instantly radiant and glowing skin. I’d recommend exfoliating weekly so that your skin looks fresh, soft and ready for make-up application, especially for party season. You’ll see a huge difference in how your make-up applies.”
Try: Ole Henriksen Dewtopia 20% Acid Night Treatment
• Size: 30ml
Adeola’s a big fan of this product – and it’s easy to see why. “It’s a nightly re-texturizing serum that overhauls skin texture to reveal a significantly smoother, renewed and brighter complexion.” Sounds amazing, but if you are new to acid-based products, or you have very sensitive skin, you may want to start slowly with once a week and build up from there.
Try: StriVectin Advanced Resurfacing Daily Reveal Exfoliating Pads
• Size: 60 units
“If you’re looking for a quick fix, then these are fantastic. They deliver both chemical exfoliation with four types of acids, plus physical exfoliation with a micro-peel fibre pad,” says Adeola. Goodbye dullness, hello dewiness.
“I love a glow all year round, but for party season it’s essential to add a little illumination to your make-up look, as this gives your complexion radiance.”
Try: ICONIC London Illuminator
• 13.5ml
• Vegan
• Cruelty-free
“This can be added to your foundation, primer or moisturiser, or simply used on its own for a super highlighted glow.” Focus on applying it to the high points of your face for maximum impact! Talk about an impressive multitasker.
Try: Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Duo in Mean Money/Hu$tla Baby
• Size: 2 x 3.5g
• Cruelty-free
“This cream-to-powder hybrid instantly melts into the skin with a super fine shimmer for a glow that you can also use on the body too,” says Adeola. It’s easy to build, allowing you to go from subtle to supercharged with ease.
“Another way to elevate your make-up look in an easy way is to let the lips do the talking and make them the focal point of your make-up. I’d choose colours such as red or burgundy in celebration of the festive season. Ensure that you pair your chosen lipstick with a lip liner to keep your lipstick on for longer and keep the rest of your make-up simple.”
Try: Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Drama Ink in 154
• Size: 5.1g
This semi-matte lipstick comes with a beautiful applicator that applies the right amount of colour onto lips. Shade 154, a festive red, is Adeola’s favourite..
“Invest in a good quality setting powder or setting spray to keep shine at bay and lock your make-up in place.” Focus on areas prone to evening make-up slippage and high points of your face for maximum impact!
Try: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
• Size: 29g
“This is a cult favourite amongst make-up artists because it sets make-up for 12 hours, without adding weight or texture and applies evenly for a flawless finish,” says Adeola. Ideal for party season festivities.
Klarissa van Looveren-Baines, Boots beauty trainer
“To take care of my dryer winter skin, I always make sure to prep skin so that I have a hydrated base to make my make-up last. Using a moisture rich face mask the night before an event, and using a hydrating mist before applying make-up, locks in moisture without the heaviness.”
Try: PIXI Hydrating Milky Mist
• Size: 80ml
Not only does the hyaluronic acid in this make it an excellent product for dry skin, its blend of black oat, provitamin A and linoleic acid also make it an excellent base for make-up.
“It’s a crime not to prime! Pick a primer to suit your skin - this can mean using a combination of primers to suit your skin's specific needs.”
Try: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer
• Size: 32ml
“This creates a really great base for products to cling to and gives a really long-lasting finish,” says Klarissa. No wonder it was her go-to in our bold berry lip make-up tutorial.
“Lashes bring drama to every look, but be sure to tailor them to your eye shape – it isn't always go big or go home. If you aren't comfortable with full strip lashes, corner lashes are a great alternative.”
Try: Morphe Premium Lashes - Hey Lover
• Synthetic fibres
• 10-15 average uses per pair
How perfect are these lashes for a natural look? Lightweight with thin cotton bands, they feel refreshingly comfortable too.
For more advice on nailing a professional-looking faux flutter, check out our false lashes guide.
“Don't forget to set! Setting spray will be your best friend for a long night of partying! Again, these come in a range of finishes depending on your skin so pick the one that works for you.”
Try: NYX Professional Makeup Makeup Setting Spray - Matte Finish
• 60g
• Cruelty-free
If you want your make-up to stay put with a matte finish that doesn’t make your face feel uncomfortable, we recommend you try this setting spray.
Try: Urban Decay Moondust & Setting Spray Bundle
• Moondust Eyeshadow Palette (8 shades)
• All Nighter Setting Spray (Size: 118ml)
“The Moondust palette is a great addition to any eye look, the shadows have a fine shimmer and are so easy to apply!” says Klarissa. “Fine shimmers work best using fingers or a firm brush - try giving it a spritz of the setting spray before application for extra hold. Use the shades as shadow toppers or apply over a pencil eyeliner for a more dramatic effect.”
“I always make sure to have my lipgloss, powder compact and perfume mini ready for top-ups through the night.”
Try: Giorgio Armani Sì Iconic Christmas Miniature Discovery Set for Her
• Size: 4 x 7ml
Why settle for one perfume mini when you can have several? Beautifully bottled, they’ll take pride of place on your dressing table.
Lan Nguyen-Grealis
“A tip for nice big eyes and added glamour is to cut your strip lashes and mix with others such as individuals to give a bespoke finish. This ensures a more natural and personal look.”
“Having an illuminating highlighter helps to deflect any minor blemishes and is great for giving that extra perfection underneath foundation too.”
Try: No7 Skin Illuminator
• Size: 30ml
We love this because it has THREE uses: you can use it as a primer, mixed with foundation or as a highlighter. But, whatever you do, you’ll look luminous.
Try: NYX Professional Makeup Highlight & Contour Pro Palette
• Size: 208g
• Refillable
Featuring eight customisable highlighting and contouring shades, this palette’s great for becoming a master manipulator of light and shadow. Check it out in action in the purple smoky eye tutorial created by Lan on our YouTube channel.
“Using under-eye patches is also great for preparing the under-eye area for make-up and helps with puffiness and dark circles.”
Try: Boots Collagen Hydrogel Eye Patches
• Size: Pack of 4
If your eyes need instant refreshment, look no further than these. They contain hydrolysed collagen and hyaluronic acid to boost moisture to help you look wonderfully well-rested.
“A brightening powder under the eye can also help set concealer and give a smoother finish to the make-up. Taking that extra few minutes to layer your concealer will avoid make-up looking too heavy.”
Try: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes
• Ophthalmologist tested
• 2 shades
A luxuriously lightweight powder to set your under-eye concealer and make it last longer, while brightening your complexion? Yes, please!
