Simone Gannon: Festive makeup buys to perfect your party look
Chanel Duo is among Simone Gannon's party-ready favourites.
Leave it to Nars to bring out a stunningly beautiful eyeshadow palette just in time for glam season.
Endless Nights Eyeshadow Palette boasts nine iconic buttery soft shades, everything from burnt bronze and gold hues to metallic pinks and purples.
A mix of shimmer and matte finishes, this versatile palette can be used wet or dry, as eyeshadow, or as eyeliner.
The choices are, indeed, endless. Round of applause, Nars.
- €58 from Cult Beauty.
Nothing says Christmas like a crisp red lip, and Dior Rouge Couture Colour Lipstick in Velvet is a literal showstopper.
An exceptionally bright, blue-toned red, in arguably one of the most luxurious lipstick bullets I’ve come across, this flattering shade will pop on any complexion.
The long-lasting, super-comfortable formula guarantees a smudge-free night, and the velvet finish is what fabulous festive dreams are made of.
- €48 from Brown Thomas.
A multi-tasking wonder, Vieve Skin Dew is an essential piece of kit when it comes to creating beautiful makeup looks this season (or any time, really.
This is one product that will level up every makeup look you ever create. Trust me).
Available in both jumbo and regular sizes, use Skin Dew alone as a lightweight, radiant base under makeup, mix a little with your foundation for extra luminosity, or pat into the high points of your face as a head-turning highlight.
- €27 for 20ml. Available from Brown Thomas.
Special days and nights out call for a dramatic, high-performance mascara and Estee Lauder Turbo Lash Powdered Mascara delivers in spades.
This excellent formula contains Marajuca, Argan and Castor oils to help strengthen and protect your lashes while adding intense, fluttery volume and serious length.
The non-clumpy brush makes it easy to build up your lash look, too.
Apply one, two or three coats with ease and get ready for a long-lasting lash that doesn’t clump or flake. Yes, please.
- €34 from Boots.
Inspired by the opulence of the roaring twenties, Chanel Duo Lumière Illuminating Powder Duo is a Limited Edition compact containing two decadent shades: Pink Champagne and Crystal White.
Use together or alone to add radiance, sheen and dimension to your base, your eyes, and the high points of the face.
As it’s Chanel, it’s not just beautiful on the skin. It feels utterly beautiful to use, too.
- €65 from Brown Thomas.
Your eye look is done, but it’s missing that extra pop of festive sparkle.
Look no further than Charlotte Tilbury Hypnotising Pop Shots.
In the words of Charlotte Tilbury herself, these beautifully pigmented mini eyeshadows are ‘diamond-inspired pigmented pops of colour’ that will ‘take your eyes to another dimension’.
I own more than one of these beauties and can’t recommend them enough.
Use as a full eyeshadow, apply a layer over an existing look or use in the corner of the eyes for a gorgeous, shimmery glow.
- Available in nine shades. €30 each from Charlotte Tilbury.
We all want a flawless base for Christmas, but we also want one that will stay in place until the moment we decide to remove it.
Thankfully, one of our own has come to the rescue.
Sculpted by Aimee Satin Silk delivers smooth, seamless, medium to full coverage in just two pumps (think mask-like, but in the best possible way).
It feels as good as it looks, too, thanks to many excellent ingredients, including Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica, Niacinamide and Vitamin E.
- Available in 30 shades. €32 from Sculpted by Aimee.
Now that your festive makeup is complete, it’s important to set everything in place.
I’ve yet to try a setting spray that works as well as Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Setting Spray, so that’s why it’s on this list.
This is a fine mist spray that invisibly locks everything in, with no fading or budging in sight.
It’s light and hydrating on the skin and can be used in more ways than one.
Spritz on bare skin for a smoother foundation application or on your eyeshadow brush to amplify the look of your eyeshadow. Flawless, darling!
- €35 from Charlotte Tilbury.
- Product prices are subject to change and may differ across retailers.
