makeup

And since discovering the versatility and brilliance of cream blushers in recent years (just dab on and dash), I have come to be captivated by the easy wonder of cream eye shadows. While palettes and powders that need layering, blending and tidying up are, needless to say, not my thing, cream eye shadows can be scribbled or patted onto lids in a matter of seconds, and no one would ever know how easy it was.   I have become so captivated by the genius of cream eye shadows that barely a day goes by that I don’t wear at least one shade on my lids. Whether you want to add a subtle wash of colour to hide redness or want a smoky look for a night out, a cream eye shadow will deliver a seriously chic look in just one swipe. I’d go as far as to say that I love cream eye s...

I’m going to come clean: Over the last few weeks I’ve been experiencing what can only be described as product fatigue. Of course, one of the best parts of my job as a beauty editor is getting the chance to try out the latest beauty products, but every now and then the sheer volume of newness can get a little overwhelming. After all, we’re creatures of habits at heart and having to constantly switch in new products and pass along ones that aren’t quite right can feel like a lot—especially when you’re about to embark on testing your 17th new moisturiser of the month. Suffice to say, I’ve been dealing with some product burnout lately, particularly with regards to my makeup bag where I just can’t seem to summon the enthusiasm t...

After the shortest summer of all time, autumn has officially arrived. And, if I’m being totally honest, I’m here for it—along with the rest of the beauty industry it turns out. We’ve already predicted what our wardrobes are going to look like for autumn and winter, so I thought there was no better time to tap my beauty contacts for what our beauty habits will be looking like as we move through the final months of 2021. And trust me when I say that things are looking up. While there will be experimental colour switch-ups in our makeup bags and at our hair appointments, there’s also a welcome return to self-care and nourishment as we seek out comfort in our skincare and bodycare routines. Plus, nail art’s popularity looks set to grow. Ahead, ...

Despite being a beauty editor with an extensive stash of products at my disposal, when it comes to my daily beauty routine, I’m decidedly low-maintenance. In fact, my usual morning ritual before a work-from-home day consists of a lightning-fast shower, a quick blast of dry shampoo, and then some concealer, brow gel, lip balm and liquid highlighter. Yes, you read that right—liquid highlighter. I will admit that highlighter doesn’t sound like the most obvious of makeup choices when going for a pared-back look, but trust me when I say that a good liquid highlighter can make all the difference in transforming tired-looking skin into a complexion that rivals J.Lo’s level of glow. So, because it’s one of the few makeup products that I wear on my face eve...

Most beauty advent calendars tend to sell out within hours of their release, so it makes sense that brands are now providing us with information on the covetable beauty buy well in advance of the on-sale date; and that’s precisely what happened this week when our inboxes started to fill with imagery and press releases from some of our favourite brands, each pertaining to their beauty advent calendar offering. With so many to choose from, we decided to make it easier for you to find the perfect beauty advent calendar to treat yourself to by listing them all in one place.  Laying everything out, from release dates to product worths, keep scrolling to discover the best beauty advent calendars this year has to offer.  You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Onli...

Every makeup artist we spoke to explained that without a well-prepped base (i.e. hydrated and healthy skin) any foundation application will flounder. Prepping the skin with the right products and ample moisture is crucial for a seamless, long-lasting finish.  “I am really, really big on prep—prep is EVERYTHING,” exclaims celebrity makeup artist Tamah Krinsky, whose clients include Julianna Margulies, Mary Steenburgen, Judy Greer, Idina Menzel, and Christy Turlington. “Regardless of age, how you prep your skin determines how your foundation will sit on your skin, and the more hydrated and healthy your skin is to start, the better your foundation will look. My clients would tell you skin prep is the longest part of their time in the makeup chair with me!” Kr...

As I am an oily-skinned person, you’d think that I’d be obsessed with face powders. After all, their very purpose is to mattify skin, increase the longevity of makeup and basically keep all of that excess oil at bay until mid-afternoon at least. However, despite being absolutely devoted to face powder as a teenager (honestly, who knows how many Rimmel Clear Complexion Powders I went through in the early noughties), face powder has been pretty much non-existent in my daily makeup routine for the last few years. After talking to friends and family, it would seem that I’m not alone in ditching it. The obvious answer to our resistance to mattifying powders is that the last decade has seen an influx of skin-first makeup brands and formul...

We’ve been graced with so many new beauty launches over the past year, but for me there’s one that has been more anticipated than any other—the UK arrival of Kylie Cosmetics. Since the brand’s cult lip kits sold out in a flash back when the brand launched back in 2015 I’ve been keen to get my hands on some of the products, but expensive global shipping and potential customs charges were enough to put me off. Thankfully, though, the businesswoman, soon-to-be mother of two and founder of Kylie By Kylie Jenner, Kylie Skin, Kylie Baby and Kylie Swim has finally graced us with shipping to the UK and you can now find Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin at Harrods and Selfridges, and, as of next week, Boots.  You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looki...

Generally speaking, I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my makeup bag—something that’s only been exacerbated now that most of my time is spent either working alone at home or looking after a toddler. After all, let’s be real: While I wear makeup to make myself feel good, there’s not much motivation for applying a neon eyeliner or colour-block shadow with only a 21-month-old to appreciate it. However, this month, I’ve been feeling the urge to get a bit more experimental when it comes to my makeup looks thanks to a combination of September’s classic back-to-school feeling and the return of red carpet events and all of those glamorous beauty looks. There’s no doubt that celebrities have really been bringing out the big guns when it come...

“When people look at your skin, they should see the natural beauty of your skin first, not be distracted by layers of concealer, foundation, powder, and highlighter. Even when so many pros were doing the baked, heavy on coverage skin, my approach has always been minimal, less-is-more skin. I’m so happy to see people are embracing that now. As we go into autumn/winter I predict a return of matte skin. It’s so chic and luxurious. I don’t think it needs to be totally matte, we can modernise it and do a semi-matte natural finish. The key is to use less, apply coverage only where needed, lightly powder the center of the face, and leave the rest nearly bare.”—Carolina Dali, whose clients include Constance Wu and Storm Reid You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are...

Can you describe your earliest makeup memory?  Hmm, that would probably be shoplifting Wet n Wild Kohl Eyeliner from CVS [laughing]. I didn’t always have the budget that I do now, but beauty was so important to me. My mum is a natural beauty, she’s like 5’10” and looks like a supermodel, but she never wore makeup in her whole entire life. I had this aunt actually—Aunt Mary—and she was fabulous. She was always dating the most wealthy men and in her house she had an entire bedroom that was just used a wardrobe room. I was like [gasps] “I would die if I had my own wardrobe!” So, she was really my inspiration because she loved makeup and all that stuff. Because mum wouldn’t actually let me wear makeup I was always sneaking out and shoplifting eyeliners and stu...

A huge part of my job is dedicated to deciphering which beauty trends are truly worth the hype and decoding exactly what it is about them that means they’re going to have widespread appeal. Sure, there are certain looks that won’t be for everyone—2021 has already seen the return of the mullet, glitter eye shadow and cow-print nails—but even these more niche beauty moments will be worth the buzz due to the way that they can act as a window into the nation’s psyche at any given time. After all, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out that a difficult 18 months might have left some of us seeking a return to simpler times—and ’80s power haircuts and childhood nail polish can undoubtedly provide nostalgic relief.&...