Heavy eyes and matte lips, liquid exfoliators and flawless foundations
Eyes or lips? At Chanel’s couture show, loosely inspired by David Bowie and 18th-century fashion, makeup artist Lucia Pica threw out the rule that says you can’t have both. There is something glorious about looking “done”, the audacious sister of “no makeup makeup” but it’s a fine line – you could easily veer into 80s relic territory. The trick is to add a modern touch. Pair heavy eyes (mix shadow with serum for a watercolour finish) and matt lips with primed skin. Voilà. You’re done.
Get the look
1. Benefit Roller Liner Liquid Eyeliner £18.50, benefitscosmetics.com
2. Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Swish Pink £20.50, cultbeauty.co.uk
3. Chanel Les Ombres No 2 Quintessence £67, chanel.com
4. Cover FX Blurring Primer £30, harveynichols.com
5. Chanel Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in Invincible £31, chanel.com
I can’t do without…
Kate Somerville Liquid Exfoliator (£50, katesomerville.co.uk)
Two things every woman should have in her beauty arsenal: sunscreen and a liquid exfoliator. I’m evangelical about sun care, but let’s save that sermon for another day; right now I’m harping on about liquid exfoliator. It has dramatically transformed my skin. A blend of acids and other actives nibble away at dead skin cells leaving skin brighter, more refined and with pores that no longer gape like a surprised fish. My current favourite is Kate Somerville’s phenomenal Triple Acid Resurfacing Treatment. It sounds terrifying, but in reality is gentle and highly effective. It’s formulated with acids (glycolic, lactic and malic) and enzymes (papaya pineapple and pumpkin) to aid exfoliation and brightening, and includes tea, honey and peptides to reduce the potential for irritation. So everyone can use it. You should wear a broad spectrum SPF (yes, that again) while using this otherwise your good work will go to the dogs. You should swipe the liquid across your skin with a cotton wool pad post cleanse, but I prefer to splash it on cologne style – old habits die hard. You should use it as an overnight treatment – but to be honest, I’ve been mainlining it day and night, and my face hasn’t fallen off.
On my radar: foundations, superfoods for hair, banana scent
Better bases Foundations are like bras – most women wear the wrong one. But nowadays formulations are more advanced, and textures and shades more extensive. New launches from Lancôme, Laura Mercier and Guerlain have flawless finishes.
Food to cleanse Superfoods for hair is about to be a thing. Founded by Nancy Twine, Briogeo has taken the US by storm with high-performance products infused with kale, avocado and quinoa. Unlike most, the range caters to all hair textures (from £20, briogeohair.com).
Going bananas Ever thought bananas would make a chic scent? Me neither. But L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Bana Banana’s blend of jasmine, pepper, amber and, yes, banana is a scent you may find you go bananas for. Sorry, I couldn’t resist (£85, artisanparfumeur.com).