There are so many beautiful makeup morsels out there at the moment, so I’ve done a bit of a “Fantasy Christmas” roundup. Obviously if this was actually the contents of my handbag I’d be a bit stuck – no keys, no money, no phone – but at least I’d look presentable! The clutch bag is the gorgeous and incredibly sparkly Cayla bag from Jimmy Choo – they have the whole “festive season arm candy” thing completely sewn up, this year – and the contents of the bag are detailed below. Feel free to ooh and aah as you rifle through the luxury list…
(Moving in a snakey kind of pattern from bottom left):
YSL Touche Eclat Wild Edition: £25 here. We all know Touche Eclat, most of us have one (or something similar) knocking about in our makeup bags. For the true Touche Eclat fan, there’s now the “Wild Edition” – same formula, sexed-up packaging with leopard-print engraving.
Dior Golden Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder, £49 here (pictured below). This is just exquisite. A heavy golden case with the most delicate sparkling powder pressed inside, it feels very Christmassy and a little bit magical, if you’ll excuse my silliness. It reminds me of the little trail that fairies leave behind them in the cartoons – shimmery and golden and light. The powder itself is very fine and glides silkily onto the skin and it’s actually quite lovely applied with a large brush, all over the skin, rather than concentrating on cheekbones and so on. It’s not your typical “trail of light” highlighter, more of a soft all-over candlelit glow. You can see the shimmer particles, though, so it’s a definite party look…
Tom Ford Matte Lipstick in Flame, £37 here (pictured above). A vibrant, standout red with a matte finish, this is a brilliant winter lipstick choice. Though make sure your lips are well hydrated before you start dabbling with the mattes!
Aerin Lipgloss in Weekend, £22 here. A delicate nude gloss with a rose scent and a sophisticated sheen. Aerin’s products always feel like a proper ladylike treat – swish packaging and always-flattering shades. Perfect present material? I think so!
Buberry Beauty Complete Eye Palette in 25 Gold, £40 here (pictured below centre). Everything you need to create a shimmery, sultry smokey eye, whether you’re going in for subtle contouring or full-on dramatic looks. There’s a pale highlighter, two medium shades for blending into the lid and crease and a dark chocolatey shadow for pushing into the lashline and really defining the eyes. Pricey, but the shadows are smooth and apply and blend beautifully so well worth the investment – and even better if you can persuade someone to pop one under the Christmas tree.
Burberry Lip Mist in Oxblood, £23 here (pictured above, centre of bottom row). Not quite as scary as it looks in the flesh, this is a very sheer and juicy lip stain in a very seasonal berry shade. You can layer it up to intensify the colour, but one quick coat gives a lovely flush and the texture is great – very balmy and rich.
Glitter Lips, £12.50 from BeautyMart (pictured above, bottom right) – a bit of sparkly Christmas fun. You can’t get much more dramatic than unadulterated glitter! This isn’t for the shrinking violets amongst us, but it is a brilliant party look. And a good way to give the in-laws a scare on Christmas day…
Dior nail polish in Smoky, £20 here. An intense violet shade in the wonderful Diorific packaging, this applies well and only just needs two coats. I’m a big fan of Dior polishes and this doesn’t disappoint; it’s probably the only purple nail colour that I’ve ever considered wearing out of the house. (I’m not keen on purple.) Dark, mysterious and wintery in that deep, velvety night-sky kind of way, I love it.
One more from Dior, because their Christmas packaging is so spot-on: the Diorific lipstick in Ardent Shock, £29 here. Two for the price of one with this because you actually get a beautiful matte red (not far off the Tom Ford Flame, actually, though maybe not quite so bright) and then on the other side of the bullet there’s a pearly gold top coat that can either be layered or worn alone. It’s a nice idea and something a bit different; I’m not so sure about the pearly side worn on its own, but it gives a great highlight when dabbed over the red.
You can browse Jimmy Choo’s range of clutch and evening bags here.
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