Iridescent liquid eyeliners, an on-the-go glow stick and a celebrity makeup drop you won’t want to miss – December’s hottest beauty launches are equally as good an investment as they are a gift. Editor Trudi Brewer shares the latest and greatest.
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If this doesn’t give you party vibes, nothing will. The latest line by French cool-girl label Violette is playful and striking, thanks to an iridescent chrome effect, created as a nod to the festive season, but still feels more grown-up than full-on disco-ball glitter. The ultra-fine applicator is designed to stay put for up to 16 hours, for effortless impact. There are three shades pictured here: Cuivre 29, an iridescent copper that shifts in the light from gold to green, pink and coral.
Prepping skin for makeup with these glow superstars gives your complexion an enviable glow. The Glow Peach Serum deeply hydrates with niacinamide and peach extracts, while the Glow Essence energises and brightens the skin with hyaluronic acid and coconut extract. Both skin in seconds, and then the skin is ready for moisturiser and foundation.
To use: Massage two to three drops onto cleansed skin before layering other products. We combine these affordable serums to give skin a plumping sheen. Boots Beauty is available exclusively at Life Pharmacy.
The hype is real when it comes to Lady Victoria Beckham’s beauty collection. One standout for us (you know we are gloss obsessed) offers high shine with skincare benefits. This hydrating, non-sticky gloss is stacked with plant oils like blackcurrant and aloe butter, and comes in 10 colours, housed in a sleek glass bottle with a 90s-chic-looking cap. Pictured here is Fizz, available at MECCA.
This portable glow giver is best applied to the back of your hand first. That practice warms the gel-cream consistency of this highlighter, then you tap it onto skin with your fingertips, to get that no-makeup, makeup glow. It works seamlessly on bare skin or over makeup. Made to highlight brow bones, the cupid’s bow, and even your eyelids for a low-key, healthy-looking sheen. It’s also stacked with alfalfa and coconut; the shimmer is courtesy of natural mica powders.
A mineral blush that gives skin a flush of colour in one easy swipe. The best news is that it contains skin‑loving peptides, antioxidant vitamin E, hydrating avocado‑seed extract, and a broad‑spectrum SPF50. A multitasking, travel-friendly product, you can press onto cheeks and lips. While on pop without feeling heavy. Broad‑spectrum SPF50 gives you an added layer of protection.
We are suckers for a pretty palette, and the five shades of silky-powder shadows offer so many ways to play up your eyes for the festive season ahead. For unlimited eye looks, shading and contouring, they last on skin for hours. We also use the palest shade, Plumeria, as a highlighter on the tops of cheekbones.
The perfect shade of deep burgundy red is fit for any festive celebration. As far as DIY polish goes, this is our go-to for its salon-pro technology that is an easy glide fan brush, a long-lasting, chip-resistant formula, free from those eight nasties: formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, and triphenyl phosphate.
