makeup

Thinking back to waterproof mascaras of yesteryear makes me wince and I have to be honest and say that I haven’t always been a fan. The first time I tried one I was 17, on holiday and trying to impress a fellow teenage holiday-goer by wearing makeup everywhere, including in the pool. It was such a pain to remove with my terrible cleanser that I had such sore eyes the next day. Honestly, I didn’t touch one again until I started attending weddings in my twenties and it became an absolute necessity. Luckily, since my teens, the formulas of waterproof and water-resistant mascaras have drastically improved—as have the oil-based cleansers that we need to remove them effectively. Yes, the best waterproof mascaras at the moment offer the lift, length and v...

I am far from a makeup lover. While other beauty journalists play with eye shadow palettes, foundations and liners for hours on end in order to refine technique and help narrow down the best formulas around, the very sight of a new makeup product fills me with dread. While I appreciate the wonders of makeup, the sheer volume of products, combined with the fact I’m not very good at applying the stuff, makes me feel totally overwhelmed. Because of this, my makeup collection consists solely of products that are incredibly easy to use. For the most part, I like to be able to apply my makeup with my hands. In order to achieve glowing, convincing results, such products require clever, unique formulas. And such formulas typically come at a price. As a result, for as...

If you’ve ever wanted to know what’s really inside the makeup bags of the most stylish women in the industry, you’re in luck. We’ve created a new column—Inside My Makeup Bag—to uncover the beauty products our fashion friends genuinely keep in their daily rotation and how much their stashes actually cost. I’ll be delving inside their bags on your behalf and totting up every item in there, from the most expensive to the cheapest. Not only will you be left with an incredible shopping list, but you’ll also get a realistic price tag to boot. Is there someone whose makeup bag you’re dying to see? Slide into my Instagram DMs with your requests, and I’ll see what I can do. This month, we’re delving inside the everyday makeup bag ...

Ahh, 2005. I was 16 and living through the golden era of emo rock. Teenage angst was the order of the day, and it was very much reflected in the contents of my makeup bag and wardrobe. Thankfully this was before the days when everyone had a camera phone, so there’s little evidence of my style choices from that time in my life. Any Smirnoff Ice–fuelled moments that were snapped on a friend’s four-megapixel camera were definitely not of a high-enough quality to print as a keepsake and now reside in digital heaven after MySpace lost all content uploaded before 2016 (RIP). Even so, the memories of my makeup bag from that time remain as vivid as ever—likely because it was the first time in my life that I had truly experimented with beauty. Sure, I’d dabbled in orange-toned con...

At last, spring has arrived, and with it comes a flurry of new beauty launches and fresh looks for the months ahead. While in previous years we might have looked to fashion shows or peeked behind the scenes at runways to predict the beauty trends that we’d all be wearing for spring and summer, this year, we’ve gone directly to the makeup artists themselves for the inside scoop. And I have to say, I’m incredibly excited. From skin that’s so glossy, you could see a reflection in it to eyes awash with pretty pastels, spring’s makeup trends are feeling fresh, fun and full of life. Even better? We asked each of the eight makeup artists to create their own take on the trend for us so we can see how to genuinely make these trends work at...

As someone who possesses next to no makeup skills, I spend an impressive amount of time trying to copy other people’s faces. And no, I don’t mean that I sit at home following those hourlong YouTube tutorials that require a million shades. (I admitted defeat on those long ago.) Instead, I save down Instagram looks of my favourite celebs looking their understated, natural, glowing best and analyse every aspect of their makeup so that I can give it a go myself.  Only I never get it quite right, and I think there’s a very valid reason for it (besides the fact I’m useless, of course). You see, the sort of natural-looking, no-makeup makeup aesthetic that I lean toward is actually incredibly tricky to pull off. The whole premise of the look is that you shouldn’t really be able...

When it comes to makeup products, I normally don’t give eye shadows that much thought. Sure, I use them, but I’m not too picky about which brands I use. My makeup priorities revolve around foundations, concealers, and mascaras. I can be pretty choosy when it comes to those types of products. But of course, not all eye shadows are created equally. In addition to the shade choices, there are also other factors to think about, such as pigment, finish, and staying power. You want a formula that won’t crease or cake. And it also depends on the type of eye makeup look you’re going for. Some people might want something natural and subtle; others might want something highly saturated. Whatever the case, I asked my colleagues and a few makeup artists to p...

Before this double-ended wand of brilliance came my way, Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer (£24) had been my go-to for years. In fact, I have been so attached to that concealer that I haven’t really felt a need to try anything different. However, in recent months (thanks to cold weather and actually leaving the house), I have noticed that my skin is turning a little drier and have been in the market for something a teensy bit creamier. On top of that, my breakouts and scarring have gotten out of control, leaving me with red blotches all over my chin. And while I have always loved my pot of Nars, the super-matte formula hasn’t been doing me any favours. In my quest to find a new concealer for the season ahead, I stumbled across the new Secret Camouflage Duo from Laura Mercier. I had h...

While my love of luxury skincare knows no bounds (my current skin routine totals an eye-watering £669), when it comes to makeup, I’m a little more restrained with my product choices. One might say that when your makeup application skills are as basic as mine, then it makes no sense to splurge on fancy formulations anyway, but I’d argue that my love of high-street makeup actually comes from the fact that there are so many affordable products out there that rival the quality and results of their more expensive counterparts. So why spend more when you really don’t have to?  Case in point: Maybelline. When I was a teenager, it was pretty much a beauty rite of passage to own something from this iconic high-street brand—most notably,...

This time last year, we couldn’t have predicted that face masks would become such a staple in our daily wardrobes. (I’m talking about face coverings rather than skincare, naturally.) However, despite the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions, it’s safe to assume that they’re going to be sticking around for a while longer, which is why it’s no surprise that long-lasting lipsticks are big news right now. After all, covering up shouldn’t mean forgoing the joys of makeup. As well as championing the return of colour to our makeup bags, experts are pretty much unanimous about matte lips being one of the major beauty trends for 2021.  “Due to masks being worn pretty much on a constant...

There’s no doubt that the very best part of being a beauty editor is getting all of the latest beauty products sent to your front door for you to try. From bronzers and eye shadows to super serums and cleansers, virtually no new launch goes untested. But with so many new launches every single day, each with claims as groundbreaking as the next, how is anyone actually supposed to know what’s any good?  Well, my friends, that’s exactly what I’m here for. I put my face, body and hair through it all so that I can report back to let you know which of this month’s beauty launches are actually worth having on your radar.  You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with ...

Between their trademark all-black outfits and seriously dramatic wedding guest ensembles, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen undoubtedly know what suits them when it comes to their wardrobe. The same can definitely be said of their beauty choices. From their perfectly tousled hair to their carefully smudged eyeliner, the twins have a classic-but-cool approach to both their hair and makeup routines. But what are the specific products that go into maintaining the Olsens’ signature beauty looks? The duo might be famously tight-lipped about the contents of their makeup bags, but (luckily) I’m always willing to play beauty editor detective in my quest to find out what products the A-list genuinely swear by. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagin...