SILLY-SEASON MAKEUP SORTED

Words: Akim Jardine | Photography: Jacobus Snyman

Celebration is in the air and we’ve caught the festive bug, so we’re getting party-ready. When it comes to makeup, this used to mean a full face of pasty foundation and a heavy smokey eye. But if you’re a fan of not having your face melt off while you’re getting your groove on, you may want to read on. We’ve got all the tips you need to make sure you feel like your best self, all season long.

Summer is the season of bare skin. But we also know that December means more late nights and long days of celebration than usual, which inevitably arrive with dark circles. This time around, we’re ditching the foundation, replacing it with generous hydration and opting for lightly blended concealer under the eyes. Not convinced? You can cheat the fresh-faced look by using a light to medium coverage foundation and mixing in a drop or two of your favourite skincare serum.

It’s official – playful pigments are for wearing whenever you want. We’re taking lessons in big-night-out glamour from the opulent disco era, with powder-puff pinks applied to the eyes and blended into the temples and cheekbones. Punctuate the look with a contrasting-coloured liner or a standout glitter liner.

Fragrances act like a mood ring for your nose – they reflect your personality and how you feel on any given day. And we’re guessing you don’t want to catch a whiff of someone else wearing your signature scent as you shimmy through the crowd at a party. The solution? Layer two or more fragrances over each other to create a custom scent perfectly suited to your mood. There is no right or wrong when layering. You can play it safe with two scents that share a common ingredient, such as jasmine, or contrast two very different fragrances to let people just know how complex you are.

Often seen as the easiest way to fake eight hours of sleep, a metallic inner eye often looks like a silver blob in reality. These metallic pigments often don’t complement all skin tones and can look quite jarring. Instead, dab a pea-sized amount of brightening concealer in the corners of the eye and you’re good to go.