From Glowing to Glam: How To Nail Your Festive Beauty

In just one piece, we’re going to show you, with help from the experts, everything you need to know when it comes to mastering the party season’s flawless, nude look for day and high-drama finish for evening. Browse our gallery to the right for all the products used, prices and more!

The New Nude

Right now, everyone’s talking about ‘nude’ make-up. ‘Barely there’ looks have been around forever, but this season things have been taken up another notch. “What’s new about nudes this winter is that the tones are both warm and cool,” says make-up expert Christine Lucignano (who performed her painterly magic for this shoot). “A nude can have either a warm or cool undertone, which makes a big difference when you want it to melt into your skin. I’ve used some amazing skincare products from Chanel, as this is the starting point for a great nude look. Exfoliation, plus hydration, means you look like you’re wearing little to nothing but your features stand out sublimely.” Christine chose the Dior star foundation to act like a second skin. Then it’s time to contour, the current obsession.

“I think for the beginner, it’s easier to use a cream-based product,” Christine explains. “Start slow and blend with the right brush.” Eyes take a new spin by introducing metallics into the mix. “Soft golds, platinum or sheer silvers will add dimension to the look. On the flipside, you don’t want to look muddy, so blend well, and keep checking the mirror as you work to make sure you see definition that makes sense, but doesn’t overwhelm.” Finally, the lips. “Lip hydration is crucial, no matter what colour or season. No girl should have a pout that doesn’t look kissable.”

Sultry Drama

When it’s time to pull out all the stops and get party-ready, throw convention out the window. “If you wear a sheer foundation by day, step up to something like YSL touche ?clat foundation at night, which has amazing blurring technologies built in. Apply, then add a touch of skin-toned highlighter to the deepest parts of the face: near the tear ducts, around the nostrils and the lips. Blend well and this will life the features in evening light.”

Christine’s tip for eye and lip is to: “Be bold! I started with the rouge noir cream shadow and used a small fluffy brush to press and pat the product into the eye. This works as a great anchor for the powder shadows that follow. This style of layering will guarantee your make-up lasts longer than you do on the night.”

Finally, lipstick. “It’s a labour of love, but so worth it. Start with a hydrated, but dry, blotted lip. Take a deep burgundy pencil and, on a closed mouth, line all around the edges and then lightly fill in the lip with the same pencil. Now take your lipstick and either apply straight from the bullet or use a lip brush. Finally, hit the lip in the centre – top and bottom – with either a matching toned or clear gloss. Now pack a drinking straw in your bag as you don’t want to mess with perfection!”

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