Festive Power Moves

1 POWER UP YOUR POUT

Sometimes the simplest updates have the biggest impact. Pair a brightly coloured lipstick with very little of other makeup – a touch of BB cream and a coat of mascara, perhaps. Summery corals and fuchsias have returned to prominence, as well as deeper berry tones. For maximum impact, reach for a smooth matte lipstick formula. If that feels too conspicuous for you, try a sheer or shiny lippie first.

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2 PREP AND PRIME SKIN

Applying primer under foundation is similar to wearing shapewear beneath a party dress: It will smooth and flatter, and offer support and hold everything in place, making anything worn over look better than when worn alone. Aside from helping makeup last for hours, new primers offer even more support – from blurring imperfections, plumping dry skin and using clever pigments that can hide redness, light up a dull complexion and add a healthy glow.

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3 UPDATE YOUR FOUNDATION

This season’s new foundations lean towards the fullcoverage variety, and with formula innovations, they are also very fluid and lightweight. A little going a long way – you can create the look of a perfect complexion without looking like you’re wearing a mask of colour. Applying with a damp sponge can create an even thinner layer that looks impeccably fresh and feels barely there.

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4 MASTER A SIMPLE SMOKEY EYE

A soft and sultry eye shadow look is perfect for a party, but it can be a tricky look to perfect. The thing to remember is you don’t need a 10-step process that involves several eye shadow shades and endless contouring. Here are two easy options that don’t take hours to create:

1. Add a tiny amount of cream eye shadow in a dark shade to your finger and smudge over eyelids, concentrating on the outer edges. You can further add depth by going over the cream shadow with powder shadow (in a coordinating or slightly deeper shade) applied with a brush.

2. Use a shimmering shadow in a neutral shade over the whole eyelid, then run a dark shadow or eye pencil along and very close to the lash line. Use a cotton bud to gently smudge until it’s softly blended.

Tones of brown or charcoal can be less severe and more youthful than full-on black. An eye shadow palette with several shades can point you to colours that look good together. Good quality brushes help make application seamless: use a brush with small, dense head for adding colour to the lid, and a contour brush that blends edges seamlessly and fits nicely into the crease of your eye socket.

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5 SPRAY, DELAY AND WALK AWAY

Have an event that will likely last all night? Use a makeup setting spray to counter makeup migration. After makeup is applied, mist lightly all over your face to help you look fresh and flawless through the evening.

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• Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Setting Spray, $50 (100 ml).