We have officially entered my favourite time of the year. To know me is to know that I thrive during party season. Champagne almost every night? Sign me up. Bouncy blowdries? I'll take one a week. Miniskirts and kitten heels? My night-time uniform. And, the most important part of it all for a beauty director like me? A stop-them-in-their-tracks makeup look.
As someone who is somewhat famed amongst everyone who knows me for my minimal approach to makeup, something about the festive season this year has got me really into bold makeup looks. I want smokey eyes, sky-high lashes, rouged cheeks, perfectly lined lips and out-of-this-world glow. The motto for my party-season alter-ego? More is always more.
But, when you are someone like me who has no natural talent in makeup application, a more is more approach can feel daunting. Of course, in my job, I have several world-class makeup artists on speed dial to help me out, but the truth is, I'd like to be able to execute these sorts of maximalist makeup looks on myself at home. And that is down to the right product selection. My go-to destination? Cult Beauty, of course.
So I figured, what better time to iron all of this out than during ourBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK Festive House event? A fancy dinner was on the cards, so I dropped into the Cult Beauty Powder Room for an appointment, where I had a makeup artist on hand to talk me through the best products for me to use during the festive season. And the result? Well, just about my favourite look ever. Here are the only products I plan on wearing on my face for the rest of the year.
Throughout the week, I apply a seriously minimal base. For the most part, a touch of concealer and a dab of cream or liquid blush over the apples of my cheeks is the most my complexion sees makeup-wise. So, for my maximalist party look, I like to embrace a more medium-coverage base that still champions glow and radiance. It's this natural-looking luminosity that is an absolute non-negotiable for me, as a high-coverage, matte finish just feels too far away from my normal look. And this has been my biggest lesson in training myself to lean into a more maximalist makeup look—it's about finding ways to level up and amplify your usual aesthetic, rather than feeling as though you're putting on a costume or roleplaying as a new character. You still want to feel like yourself.
So, because we went for a fuller coverage base than I might be used to, I wanted my blush, bronzer and highlight to work overtime to impart a more natural-looking base to an otherwise full-on look. The MVP of the base look? The Swan edition of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked (£92). The bronzer was lightly dusted into the hollows of my cheeks, around my hairline and underneath my jawline, whilst the highlighting powders were used over the high points for natural-looking illumination. The result is a low-effort but glowing, filter-like blur.
To tie it all together, Kosas Blush Is Life Baked Blush in Hype (£28) was added to the very high points of my cheeks for a subtle flush. And because longevity is the aim of the game when it comes to high-impact makeup, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (£34) was misted liberally over the look to ensure it stayed in place all night long.
There is no question that the area I like to lean into most for a "more is more" makeup look is the eyes. I spend almost every day of the year with bare lids, so as soon as a special event is upcoming, opting for an intense eye look is one of my favourite ways to make an impact. However, my lack of makeup artistry skills has historically meant I've found it too daunting to attempt anything slightly more "out there" myself at home—until now, that is.
It turns out the formula of the eyeshadow makes all the difference. Opting for a palette that champions super-creamy powders that blend like butter and pigment that packs a serious punch makes things a whole lot easier. My weapon of choice? The Danessa Myricks Lightwork VII Freedom Palette (£140), which contains a combination of super-wearable mattes and high-shine shimmers. Starting with a wash of nude on the lid, which blends with unparalleled ease with a fluffy brush, the glitter-infused khaki shade was then swiped over the top, and trust me: the pigment pops with minimal effort.
The look was finished with a slick of liquid liner (Natasha Denona Macro Blade Liquid Liner (£25) has a super-precise nib that makes accurate application a breeze) and lashings of high-volume mascara in the form of Nars Climax (£28). The result was a dramatic, shimmering eye look that incorporates a hint of colour that never feels like "too much".
*Unfortunately, this exact Danessa Myricks palette is currently sold out, but one of my all-time favourites by Pat McGrath is still in stock (shop this below!). Or you can see the full range of Cult Beauty eyeshadow palettes here.
Whilst there is no doubt I'm very much in my maximalist makeup era, I still stand firm on my belief that you should choose either a statement eye or a statement lip. And, in this case, the khaki smokey eyes were the star of the show. Therefore, I wanted a lip that still looked full, plump and glossy, but remained relatively nude in tone and felt true to my natural look. Therefore, we relied on products I already know and love, products I knew I would feel comfortable wearing all night long.
We started by lining my lips with Patrick Ta Precision Lip Crayon in She's Humble (£22) to add volume, but followed the natural shape of my lips to keep things simple and subtle. Then, Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in Petal (£45) was blotted into my lips for a soft, velvety hue of dusty rose. Finally, a slick of Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil in Blush Dreams (£26) was applied to keep lips moisturised and create a sheen that ties in with the glowing vibe of my entire look.
The result? A makeup look that had me swimming in compliments all night.
