Party Time!
Get the latest make-up and hair looks to really dazzle this party season!
You could just stick a piece of tinsel in your hair and a pair of novelty Santa earrings in your lobes – or you could choose to really shine this Christmas with the latest party looks for hair and face.
We spoke to local experts to find out the top tips for this year’s party season.
The Face Has It
Make-up artist Zoe Kennedy from Berkhamsted spoke to us about the hottest make-up trends this winter. How brave will you be?
‘The key to achieving the most flattering look this season is to choose an area you want to focus on and really go for it. So if you go bold on the lips, keep the eyes subtle, and if you go all-out glittery on the eyes, go easy on the lips.’
Eyes
Copper and bronze metallic colours are big news this season and are a brilliant winter look. These colours are particularly effective on blue and green eyes as they make the colours pop.
‘If you want a bit of glitter, try layering the glitter eye shadow on top of a pigment or a matt eyeshadow, which is a similar shade to the glitter. I usually use Karla Cosmetics Fix Potion as a base for any shimmers or glitters and press this onto the area I want to apply the product, either with my finger or a rounded flat brush.
Then I leave it to go slightly tacky and press the pigment on top of it followed by the glitter. The best placing for glitter or shimmer is either in the inner corner of the eye or in the centre of the eye. Blend using a darker shimmer at the edges.’
Lips
‘To bring out your lips, bold reds and deep purples or browns are on trend, paired with a subtle eye.
For red or darker lips choose matte colours, as they tend to stay on better than gloss, so you don’t have to top the colour up every half an hour!
To apply darker or bright colours on the lips always use a lip liner, as well as lipstick and a lip brush, to get the edges precise. I prefer to use a hard angle brush rather than the traditional lip brush because its straight edges make it far easier to achieve a perfect line along the lips. Darker colours tend to make the lips appear smaller so remedy this by very slightly going over the natural lip line – but not too much so they look drawn on!’
Statement Hair
Stylist Elliot Rowley from Open Hairdressing in Berkhamsted gives us the low down on the hottest hair styles and trends this winter, as well as how to get the best Christmas party looks.
Colour
‘During the winter months it’s all about rich, warm colours rather than the brighter, ashen colours of summer – so go for warm colours, such as reds and coppers. This year, though, it’s all very soft and subtle with colours contoured and soft round the face.
The balayage trend that has been so big will continue to evolve too, with flashes of colour round the face. It looks great with the beach waves feel, which is still big news.
People also often like a splash of red for a really festive feel. You can use dye, or you can also buy clip-in pieces to attach to your hair, which are easily removable.’
Styles and Cuts
‘A simple way to change your look over the winter is to have a loose, slightly shattered fringe either sitting just below the eyebrow or from the bridge of the nose to the cheek bones. This will draw attention to the eyes or any new mascara you may be rocking.
This is a natural progression from the Holly Willoughby-inspired mid-length hair styles that have been so popular recently. A fringe with a woolly hat always looks really cute too!
The beach wave look will continue into winter. It’s a little more time consuming, but one of the best ways of achieving this look is to use a medium-hold hairspray before using tongs on each section. It’s worth the extra effort as it will hold much longer.’
Party Hair
‘If you want to wear your hair up this year, try going for a half-up half-down look. It’s a softer look that ties in with what’s big this season.’
Hair Care
‘The humidity in the air changes at this time of year, so your hair needs more treatment to stop it going frizzy.
Make sure you use a good moisturising conditioner, and have a treatment such as the 72 Hair Conditioning Treatment, which will help strengthen hair, eliminate frizz and keep your hair looking salon-shiny. Ideally, have it done after a colour to really lock in the shine.
At home you could also use the Davines Your Hair Assistant Blowdry Primer. It’s £24.80 and gives your hair volume as well as being anti-frizz.’