Taken from The Sunday Times Style section, here are ten recommendations for new products to update your makeup for this season.
1. BLINK
Eyebrow Pencil
Brows are strong this season (see the Givenchy and Hussein Chalayan catwalks) so a brow tool is vital. This one, by Blink, the brow expert in London, has a taupe-hued pencil at one end to fill in brows at one end and a brush to smooth unruly hairs at the other. This is an easy way to get fairly natural brows that hint at the catwalk look.
£13; Fenwick, 020 7629 9161, Selfridges, 0870 837 7377, and Harvey Nichols, 020 7235 5000
2. CHANEL
Le Vernis in Black Satin
If there is one product you need to update your make-up for autumn, this is it — and it’s selling fast, so you’ll need to be quick. A dangerous and daring black nail polish, Chanel’s Black Satin is being hailed as the rightful heir to the crown of that mid-1990s classic Rouge Noir. Of course, your catwalk reference point is the hardcore rock’n’roll goth-metal aesthetic at Dior. Victoria Beckham, dare we say it, has also been sporting very dark nails recently. Chanel is really out there with this one. We love its uncompromising blackness.
£12; 020 7493 3836
3. YVES SAINT LAURENT
Palette Signes D'Orient
Nude skin can take a little bit of pepping up and embellishment, especially when you’re heading out at night. Yves Saint Laurent’s palette is perfect for adding that subtle gleam over foundation on cheekbones, Cupid’s bow, eyelids and browbones, making flawless skin look just that little bit sexier and more alive. See the Chloé and Bottega Veneta shows for dewy-skinned inspiration.
£32; 01444 255700
4. DIOR
Rouge Dior in Red Premiere
The iconic red lip strikes the right balance between retro and modern. It is fiery and passionate yet cool and icy: think Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet or the catwalk models at Miu Miu, Valentino and Vivienne Westwood. And you need this Rouge Dior in your kit: fronted by the luscious-lipped Monica Bellucci, it is the new status lipstick to flaunt. It contains Decox, an artificial ceramide that plumps up lips, and a molecule that stimulates the synthesis of collagen. Try putting it on like Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club, lodged between your breasts.
£17; 01932 233909, www.dior.com
5. GIVENCHY
Eye and Brow Prisme
To replicate the heavy yet precise filled-in look of Siouxsie Sioux eyebrows at Dior, or the highly defined arches at Chloé and Chanel, you are going to need some serious kit. These four powder colours enable you to fine-tune and tone the colour of your brows, from beige to the darkest mocha. Tweezers are there to remove straggling hairs, and two brushes — one firm, one soft — allow you to paint your brows on as sharply, or as faintly, as you desire.
£29; 01932 233909
6. MAC PIGMENT
Dark Soul
Ditch those liquid liners and kohls — the metallic smoky eye is in the ascendant this season, thanks to the Versace and Gucci shows. And what better way to execute it than with the make-up artists’ favourite, Mac Pigment? Dark Soul is a velvety mirror-ball midnight blue that will shine and dazzle under disco lights. Apply it carefully with a good brush and you’ve got the eye of the season: dark, mysterious, yet with a flash of peacock flamboyance.
£15; 020 7534 9222
7. TOM FORD ESTEEE LAUDER COLLECTION
Lip Polish in Amber Nude
The nude lipstick to wear with either a naked face (well, when we say naked, we don’t mean literally without make-up, just beige and natural-looking) or with Mac’s Pigment in Dark Soul on your eyes. This adds the gentlest touch of glimmer to lovely, plasticky beige lips, and it’s kind of glossy, so it gives lips that wonderful sateen finish. For budding Bardots everywhere, as well as girls who want to ape the Missoni and Lanvin catwalks.
£22; 0870 034 2566
8. LANCOME
Magie Blush
Blumarine, Dolce & Gabbana and Stella McCartney all had a healthy-cheeked, rosy blush on faces, as though the girls had just come in
from a brisk walk in a wintry wood. Magie Blush has the lightest, fluffiest moist mousse texture and is a cinch to blend, making it our favourite blush on the block. There are six shades for autumn/winter, but the one to pick is Rose lumière, which should suit most skin tones, endowing them with the softest glow of pinkish colour.
£20; available nationwide
9. SHU UEMURA
Drawing Lip Pencil
If you’re going to work red lips — see the Diane von Furstenberg and Tuleh catwalks — you’ll need a strong lip line to define them and stop feathering and bleeding. Step forward Shu Uemura. Its new Drawing Lip Pencil is precise yet soft and blendable, and lasts aeons. There are 20 shades in all, but Red 192 is the ideal foil for the Rouge Dior you’ll be wearing. This season, Shu is all about the well-groomed lip.
£11; 020 7235 2375
10. CRÈME DE LA MER
Liquid Foundation
This season, shows such as Jil Sander, Calvin Klein and Blumarine were all about flawless, dewy skin, so a luxe foundation is a must. It doesn’t get much more luxe than Crème de la Mer’s new Skincolour collection. Not only does it give you velvety coverage, the foundation is light-diffusing. Blue algae and marine and plant extracts firm the skin, adding radiance, clarity and brightness.
£55 for 30ml; 0870 034 2566
So, what do you think? Will you be buying any of these products? Have you already tried them, loved them, hated them? Let us know!
I already love Chanel Black Satin, but I'm also interested in trying the MAC pigment in Dark Soul, experimenting with darker, metallic eye make-up.
1. BLINK
Eyebrow Pencil
Brows are strong this season (see the Givenchy and Hussein Chalayan catwalks) so a brow tool is vital. This one, by Blink, the brow expert in London, has a taupe-hued pencil at one end to fill in brows at one end and a brush to smooth unruly hairs at the other. This is an easy way to get fairly natural brows that hint at the catwalk look.
£13; Fenwick, 020 7629 9161, Selfridges, 0870 837 7377, and Harvey Nichols, 020 7235 5000
2. CHANEL
Le Vernis in Black Satin
If there is one product you need to update your make-up for autumn, this is it — and it’s selling fast, so you’ll need to be quick. A dangerous and daring black nail polish, Chanel’s Black Satin is being hailed as the rightful heir to the crown of that mid-1990s classic Rouge Noir. Of course, your catwalk reference point is the hardcore rock’n’roll goth-metal aesthetic at Dior. Victoria Beckham, dare we say it, has also been sporting very dark nails recently. Chanel is really out there with this one. We love its uncompromising blackness.
£12; 020 7493 3836
3. YVES SAINT LAURENT
Palette Signes D'Orient
Nude skin can take a little bit of pepping up and embellishment, especially when you’re heading out at night. Yves Saint Laurent’s palette is perfect for adding that subtle gleam over foundation on cheekbones, Cupid’s bow, eyelids and browbones, making flawless skin look just that little bit sexier and more alive. See the Chloé and Bottega Veneta shows for dewy-skinned inspiration.
£32; 01444 255700
4. DIOR
Rouge Dior in Red Premiere
The iconic red lip strikes the right balance between retro and modern. It is fiery and passionate yet cool and icy: think Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet or the catwalk models at Miu Miu, Valentino and Vivienne Westwood. And you need this Rouge Dior in your kit: fronted by the luscious-lipped Monica Bellucci, it is the new status lipstick to flaunt. It contains Decox, an artificial ceramide that plumps up lips, and a molecule that stimulates the synthesis of collagen. Try putting it on like Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club, lodged between your breasts.
£17; 01932 233909, www.dior.com
5. GIVENCHY
Eye and Brow Prisme
To replicate the heavy yet precise filled-in look of Siouxsie Sioux eyebrows at Dior, or the highly defined arches at Chloé and Chanel, you are going to need some serious kit. These four powder colours enable you to fine-tune and tone the colour of your brows, from beige to the darkest mocha. Tweezers are there to remove straggling hairs, and two brushes — one firm, one soft — allow you to paint your brows on as sharply, or as faintly, as you desire.
£29; 01932 233909
6. MAC PIGMENT
Dark Soul
Ditch those liquid liners and kohls — the metallic smoky eye is in the ascendant this season, thanks to the Versace and Gucci shows. And what better way to execute it than with the make-up artists’ favourite, Mac Pigment? Dark Soul is a velvety mirror-ball midnight blue that will shine and dazzle under disco lights. Apply it carefully with a good brush and you’ve got the eye of the season: dark, mysterious, yet with a flash of peacock flamboyance.
£15; 020 7534 9222
7. TOM FORD ESTEEE LAUDER COLLECTION
Lip Polish in Amber Nude
The nude lipstick to wear with either a naked face (well, when we say naked, we don’t mean literally without make-up, just beige and natural-looking) or with Mac’s Pigment in Dark Soul on your eyes. This adds the gentlest touch of glimmer to lovely, plasticky beige lips, and it’s kind of glossy, so it gives lips that wonderful sateen finish. For budding Bardots everywhere, as well as girls who want to ape the Missoni and Lanvin catwalks.
£22; 0870 034 2566
8. LANCOME
Magie Blush
Blumarine, Dolce & Gabbana and Stella McCartney all had a healthy-cheeked, rosy blush on faces, as though the girls had just come in
from a brisk walk in a wintry wood. Magie Blush has the lightest, fluffiest moist mousse texture and is a cinch to blend, making it our favourite blush on the block. There are six shades for autumn/winter, but the one to pick is Rose lumière, which should suit most skin tones, endowing them with the softest glow of pinkish colour.
£20; available nationwide
9. SHU UEMURA
Drawing Lip Pencil
If you’re going to work red lips — see the Diane von Furstenberg and Tuleh catwalks — you’ll need a strong lip line to define them and stop feathering and bleeding. Step forward Shu Uemura. Its new Drawing Lip Pencil is precise yet soft and blendable, and lasts aeons. There are 20 shades in all, but Red 192 is the ideal foil for the Rouge Dior you’ll be wearing. This season, Shu is all about the well-groomed lip.
£11; 020 7235 2375
10. CRÈME DE LA MER
Liquid Foundation
This season, shows such as Jil Sander, Calvin Klein and Blumarine were all about flawless, dewy skin, so a luxe foundation is a must. It doesn’t get much more luxe than Crème de la Mer’s new Skincolour collection. Not only does it give you velvety coverage, the foundation is light-diffusing. Blue algae and marine and plant extracts firm the skin, adding radiance, clarity and brightness.
£55 for 30ml; 0870 034 2566
So, what do you think? Will you be buying any of these products? Have you already tried them, loved them, hated them? Let us know!
I already love Chanel Black Satin, but I'm also interested in trying the MAC pigment in Dark Soul, experimenting with darker, metallic eye make-up.
