Glow your way through Valentine’s Day with naturally pretty makeup. Image:Sisley
In her 2014 memoir, , Diane Von Furstenberg recalls actor Ryan O’Neal — briefly her lover in the mid-70s — teasing her about her makeup stash. “Why do you need all that stuff?,” he asked.“I don’t need it, I like it,” she replied, and went on to design her own cosmetics, The Colour Authority.
Ms Dolly Parton, a different but equally fabulous mogul, loves makeup but stands by wearing it for her man. “At night, I leave my makeup on. I don’t want to go to bed in […]Clearasil and [Frownies, the anti-wrinkle patches] for my husband’s sake.”
Both women call themselves feminists and I believe them. We may not apply makeup for our partners, but there is nothing wrong with making an effort for them either.
F Scott Fitzgerald said the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two conflicting ideas in mind at once while remaining functional.
By that measure, there’ll be many smart, high functioning ladies doing their faces for Valentine’s Day this month. These are some new launches that might help them on their way.
Orange your blue eyes bright?
Did you know that people with blue eyes have a common ancestor? According to University of Copenhagen research, we were all brown eyed until a single genetic mutation 6-10,000 years ago turned someone’s brown eyes blue.
Looking great in orange or peachy eye colours is another thing we share, these shades really make blue ‘pop’ and can be a bit of a revelation if you spend most of your days in nudes or greys. There are some classic palettes within the peach, orange, and terracotta colour range. TooFaced Sweet Peach and Urban Decay Naked Heat spring to mind. Tom Ford Beauty has a new limited-edition peach palette out this season.
Inspired by the brand’s Bitter Peach perfume,, is actually very sweet. The four colour-dense shadows have a radiant matte finish.
Fat is the best lip-plumper
Many of us want fuller lips but plumping glosses that give them a tingly or burning feeling and irritate them into expanding aren’t the way to go. Repeatedly irritating this delicate area can cause cracking and peeling in the short term and encourage collagen breakdown over time. In pursuit of plumping that puts something back, I’ve had a good experience with lip basting.
This technique was popularised online by New York dermatologist Dr Shereene Idriss. She recommends applying a glycolic acid to exfoliate the lips (I don’t follow this step because it makes lips so sun-sensitive), and then leaving a thick layer of ointment-like cream on for 10-15 minutes.
Dr Idriss uses , which is mostly lanolin and and sunflower seed oil. For a little lipidic colour, I like Sisley’s new .
This refillable lipstick offers a sheer and glossy flush of colour and balm-like benefits for the skin. The formula is available in eight shades and has vitamin E, jojoba and moringa oils and fatty acid-rich padina pavonica.
Save a lash, build a lash
I don’t wear falsies and often lose my lashes when removing mascara, so I appreciate a formula that fights the fallout. , is new this month and like everything IT Cosmetics, it’s a hybrid of colour and care.
The formula includes a lash care serum with biotin, argan oil and jojoba oil. It is smudge-resistant mascara and quite volumising. I think the most interesting thing about this mascara is that it can be completely removed with warm water.
Sensual skin, updated
This one is for beauty emergencies. The late Kevyn Aucoin’s best-known product is his recently updated , a brightening concealer that gives fantastic coverage. Makeup artists use it to completely camouflage spots or dark circles in seconds.
It can even be used as foundation and — if you choose a lighter or darker shade— your highlighter or contour. Inspired by geishas, Mr Aucoin worked with Japanese chemists to create its flawless look. The new formula is waterproof and sweat-resistant, with added jojoba oil, vitamin E and honey.
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