We are surely all more excited to see the back of 2020 than of any other year in collective memory. In theory, this might mean a more over the top than usual NYE celebration that requires extra attention be paid to the visage. However, given it’s been a year of Zoomifying beauty hacks (hastily applied bright lip + tracky bottoms = ready!), any of your skills requiring plenty of practice to maintain, like false lash application and contouring, might be a little rusty. As might your levels of patience. With this in mind, we’ve picked three of the most gorgeous yet easy to use products to add some sparkle to your plans on December 31st. After all, whether said plans involve a full-blown soirée or snacks in front of the TV, there is simply no beauty addition that cheers one up as much, or symbolically ushers in a fabulous new year, as a touch of glitter.
THE EYE
This is the makeup equivalent of opening a bottle of champagne and equally as mood-enhancing. Dismiss any notions of glitter being age-inappropriate (says who?) or messy to deal with, thanks to this ingenious formula that leaves each sparkle only exactly where you want it, with zero drop down onto the skin below. This is proper high-wattage glamour, and brings the most flattering sense of light to any eye shape and colour. My pick of the veritable rainbow of shades is Kitten Karma, a blush-tinged platinum that brings subtle warmth to all skin tones, though I am tempted to own each and every offering.
Also, do know that the creamy formula which dries down to be absolutely bullet-proof means this is an excellent option even for those of us with hooded or drooping eyes, or who have eye skin that is no longer taut. Just place your index finger right at the side of your eye and pull gently to the side to get maximum smooth real estate on your eyelid, apply using the gentle doe-foot applicator, and leave for about thirty seconds with your eyelid closed so that the formula has time to dry. Once dried, it won’t budge, folds and wrinkles be damned. If such an all-out glitter fest just isn’t for you – though I do beg you to reconsider, as if not for New Year’s Eve, then when? – consider a more understated yet still celebratory version and use this as eyeliner. The delicate brush allows for precise placement in one swipe close to the lashes, and you need nothing else save lashings of mascara and a beautifully bold lip… speaking of which, read on below for the ideal pairing.
THE LIP
It’s not often that the case of your lipstick is the star of the show, but is just begging to be brought out of your clutch to earn its admiration from everyone in the vicinity. As if the flash of chrome and crystal isn’t eye catching enough, it’s one of the few times I’d countenance applying lipstick right at the table, as once you slip the casing off the lipstick tube, the case springs open to reveal a hidden double mirror – all very ‘glamorous spy does elegant touch up before heading out on a mission’. Hey, we all love a beauty backstory, don’t we?
The lipstick itself may not be dripping in diamonds as its outer casing is, but it doesn’t play second fiddle. My pick for NYE is no. 50, an appropriately-numbered 1950s punchy coral. The satin finish is the epitome of what I’d call a ‘true’ lipstick in that it’s neither high gloss nor matte, is comfortable to wear, lasts through at least a couple of coffees and, even in such a saturated shade, when it does fade it leaves an attractive stain all over rather than the dreaded lip liner ring.
The joy of the Rouge G collection is how customisable it is, so you’re bound to find one a case and lipstick combination that really speaks to you. Any of the crystal cases are just ideal for NYE, adding pizzazz to the whole experience (even if applied hastily in your own bathroom before heading to the couch for a big night in), and are festive without screaming Christmas. I am also very partial to the discreet black lace work of the like a pair of silk stockings, partnered with the lipstick in no. 27, a warm matte red.
THE ALL-OVER GLOW
‘Summer in a bottle’ is an oft-overused beauty phrase, but as with everything he touches, Tom Ford has taken a basic instinct we all seem to have – to smell like a trip to the beach – and raised it up from the realm of supermarket SPF to something downright covetable and undeniably sexy. Soleil Blanc is a heady smash hit of a perfume in its own right, but in this body oil format, fragrance is transformed into something both visual and touchable.
Let’s start with the heavy glass bottle with gold topper. It’s not only an instant bathroom upgrade, but just looking at the swirling champagne shimmer floating inside immediately puts me in the mood for being somewhere hot with a glass of something very, very cold. Now, onto the scent. Coconut, sunscreen, salt, and hints of notes warmer and darker than those descriptions convey lend it pure private island appeal. Second, the look once sprayed onto skin: a glamorous, grown up gleam, thanks to the blend of high quality, skin-loving oils like jojoba and olive, with tiny warm-toned glimmering flecks helping to bounce the light and draw the eye. This would be undeniably spectacular on medium and deep skintones, and if you’re not naturally blessed in the melanin department, is begging for a good fake tan backdrop, but even on pale skin it looks utterly lustrous.
This is best spritzed onto palms and then applied to the chosen area of skin, and lightly rubbed in. For those new to shimmer, dabbing this along the collarbone and up the centre of the shins are safe, flattering starting points. If you’re ready to embrace the mood this fragrance engenders and go all out, I can’t think of a point on the body it wouldn’t look beautiful on, but it’s begging to be added deep into the décolletage and, as Chanel would say, “anywhere you want to be kissed”.
