Feel like your beauty routine has lost its sparkle? Been wearing the same hairstyle or make-up forever and feel like a change? Three Health & Beauty team members took on the challenge to step outside their beauty comfort zones, with surprising results
Marie Garaccio, Health & Beauty People Experience Manager, swapped her nudes for a bright red lip
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve shied away from bright-coloured lipstick – partly due to a lack of confidence with make-up, but also because I don’t have the patience for hundreds of steps. Simple is my go-to. As I’ve matured, however, my confidence has grown, so I decided to shake up my tried and tested routine. What did I go for? Only the boldest of colours – red! I always felt like I was drawing too much attention to myself when I wore a red lipstick, so I stayed loyal to browns or muted tones. But now I’ve realised a vibrant red looks amazing on my skin tone, I’m owning it!
I love beauty products and adding this into my routine has opened up a whole new selection to experiment with, which is so exciting.
I now feel empowered when I wear red, particularly when friends, family – and even strangers on the street – tell me how good my lipstick looks. The old me would never have imagined how freeing it feels to try something new and go for something so striking.
Wearing a red lip has completely changed my outlook – not just on beauty, but also on how I view myself. I’m no longer scared that I’m drawing too much attention to myself – I relish compliments from others. I’ve also realised, as a lover of quick make-up, that simply wearing a red lip can often be all I need, especially since you’ll usually find my nails are also painted a bold and beautiful bright red.”
Get the look
Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Chunky Cherry
• Size: 3g
• For all skin types
• Never needs sharpening
Loaded with mango and shea butters, this nourishing tinted lip balm is what just dry, cracked and delicate lips need to feel comfortably soft and smooth. Simply swivel up to reveal more lip colour balm.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Longwear 24hr 2 Step Lipstick in Red Infallible
• Size: 6g
• 2-step base colour and conditioning balm
• Lips feel smooth all day
Achieve all-day hydration with this long-lasting lipstick. Enriched with hyaluronic acid, this formula offers the ‘just applied’ look all day, for colour that lasts as long as you do!
Jo Hoare, Health & Beauty Senior Editor, switched her one-length hair for a 70s’-inspired fringe
“I’ve had the same hairstyle for pretty much my whole adult life: just past the shoulders, mostly one length, occasionally a hint of a face-framing layer. Twenty years of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. I used to get my fix of newness by experimenting with colour – as a former bleach blonde it was easy to reach for a peach or pink toner to look and feel totally different. But after growing out my natural grey, four years ago, that was no longer an option and I was feeling bored. I wanted a small change that felt like a big difference and that’s exactly what my Daisy Jones and The Six-inspired fringe has done.
Having a fringe has changed my entire outlook on my beauty routine: I’ve switched bold lips for more accentuated eyes, as the fringe provides the perfect frame for showing off new eyeshadow colours or liner shapes. And for the first time in years, I’ve started wearing my hair up – it always felt too stark and unflattering when it was all off my face before.
Having a statement hairstyle also makes me look and feel like I’ve made an effort. It’s an accessory I wear every day and it’s more versatile than I imagined – dried outwards brings a hint of Farrah Fawcett; combed forwards, 60s’ Bardot.
It takes maintenance and there’s no ‘I woke up like this’, as it needs restyling each morning, but that’s outweighed by the wonder of the ‘fringe wash’ – if I’ve no time for a full shampoo, a quick mini wash of just the fringe means I can get away with another day or two. Perfect!”
Get the look
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Texture Hairspray
• Size: 60ml
• Translucent dry finishing spray
• Designed for fine to medium hair
Add this hairspray to the final step in your routine for instant lift, added volume and airy texture that lasts – the ideal product to make sure every day is a great hair day.
Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long
• Dries and styles simultaneously with no extreme heat
• Multiple heat and speed settings
• Engineered for multiple hair types, lengths and styles
Choose from three precise airflows speeds and heat settings to suit your hair and desired style. Plus, enjoy six attachments including re-engineered barrels that curl in both directions, smoothing brushes for straighter styles and more.
Arkive The Movement Dry Texturizing Spray
• Size: 200ml
• For all hair types
• Use on dry hair
A modern volumising hero, this dry texturising spray boosts hair at the root to provide a fuller, amplified bounce whilst absorbing excess oil. For a softer hit of volume, simply spray onto a brush and comb through.
Kelly Holgate, Boots Editorial Content Specialist, has gone from full-look to barely-there, saving herself time in the mornings
“I’m a beauty addict. My spare room is packed with everything from the latest launch to palettes from seasons gone by. For me, there’s therapy in sitting down to create a make-up look, as I adore the ritual of each step – expressing how I feel with a pop of blush and a sweep of sparkly shadow.
I’ve always loved eye-catching beauty – pass me a glitter palette and I’m in heaven! Until recently, I was mostly working from home and the extra time I had in the morning afforded me the leisure of creating a full look every day – treating my colleagues over Zoom to my daily creativity! And when I shaved my head for charity last year, I took it to a new level – I’m talking neon eyeliners and any highlighter that could be seen from space. But now that I’m back in the office full-time, my slower mornings at home have been replaced with the commute, meaning less time for a smokey eye and more spent with my hands on the wheel!
As I inch closer to the big 4-0, I enjoy letting my skin be skin, so I’ve ditched my full coverage foundation and replaced it with dewy skin tints and cream products that are perfect for creating a five-minute face. And while I’ll definitely still dip into glitter, I’m loving rocking a fresher look that shows my skin texture and lines.
Not only am I embracing a new way of wearing make-up, it’s also encouraged me to have a beauty clear-out and fall back in love with products I forgot I had.”
Get the look
e.l.f Halo Glow Liquid Filter
• Size: 31.5ml
• For all skin types
• Available in eight shades
Give your complexion a soft-focus filter effect in real life with this multi-purpose liquid glow booster. Infused with skin-loving ingredients such as squalene to moisturise skin and hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin.
Kylie Cosmetics Tinted Butter Balm in shade Love That 4 U
• Size: 2.4g
• Provides up to 12 hours’ hydration
• Buildable formula
Combining lip care with great colour payoff, this hydrating lip balm works to moisturise, smooth lip lines and instantly soften dry lips, for a shiny, pigmented finish. Featuring a propel stick for easy application, wherever you are.
Rimmel London Kind & Free Multi-Stick in Peachy Cheeks
• Size: 5g
• Formulated without perfume and mineral oils
• Made with 48% post-consumer recycled material
Get instant hydrating, buildable colour with this multi-stick. Use it as a cream blush on your cheeks or as a moisturising lipstick – the choice is yours! Offering an intensely nourishing formula infused with skin-loving ingredients that glides on effortlessly.
