Case & Makeup

A good tip – for a cheat or a treat – is to head towards make-up concessions in local department stores to get some makeup advice from the experts.

Here the staff will always give you a helping hand, literally, to refresh your current look or help you go for something dramatically different. Bobbi Brown, Benefit, MAC and Lancôme are all fantastic - I recommend you head off to meet their top tutors to learn some new ideas to suit just you. Keep your pencil case handy for all those new products!

Bobbi Brown has always focused on enhancing the true beauty of its customers, rather than masking it with a face full of make-up. Bobbi Brown says: Come for a proper lesson in makeup, rather than a mere makeover (not the same thing at all!). New, light BB Cream SPF 35 is easy to blend and offers a generous amount of coverage. Vitamin E and Rice Bran extract provide protection against UVA and UVB rays. Brightening Finishing Powder promotes healthy radiance and keeps skin looking smooth and supple.

Benefit is very contemporary and youthful, flashy and fun. Makeovers at the Benefit Counter are sheer entertainment with perky staff! Benefit says: All day looks should be simple with a light coverage and nude colours. Sweep cheeks with peachy Sugarbomb blusher and match lips with shimmery pink Ultra Plush lip gloss in Sugarbomb. Choose a shimmery nude colour for the eyes like Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadow in shade Dandy Brandy. Finish with a dab of Sun Beam under the brow bone and a couple of sweeps of They’re Real! Mascara to your lashes.

Benefit’s evening look consists of medium coverage, a defined smoky eye and a matte nude lip. Apply the same moisturiser as before this time also using It’s Potent Eye Cream, to brighten up your eyes. Again use the same primer combonation, foundation and powder to set. Use Erase Paste, to target discolouration and imperfections. Benefit’s Big Beautiful Eyes is perfect for creating a brown smoky eye and apply BADgal eyeliner over your eyelid and to the inner corners of your eye. Brighten your eyes a bit by dab a little bit of Sun Beam to your brown bone. Define and sculpt your lashes with They’re Real! Mascara, focusing on fanning them out with a feline flick.  Create a matte lip with Benefit’s Silky-Finish Lipstick in a plum/brown shade of good-to-go, finish off with a light slick of Ultra Plush lip gloss in Bella Bamba.

Lancôme is timelessly elegant, their gorgeous products are perfect for a sophisticated day look. Lancôme says: Define the eye by softly applying Ombre Hypnôse Mono in shade Noir Intense into the crease of your eye. Enhance with a smudged eyeliner using Lancôme’s new liquid eyeliner, Liner Plume. Define your brows with Lancôme’s new Le Crayon Sourcils brow pencil. Finish off with the fabulous new Hypnôse Star Mascara, create a false lash effect by using the flat side of the brush to paint on colour and the curved side to lift and fan out lashes.

The new tranquil Beauty Rooms in John Lewis are absolutely perfect for a calming facial.  My skin was prepped with super rich products such as Lancôme’s Génifique, a Youth Activating Concentrate leaving me with brighter, smoother skin. This was then followed by Lancôme’s Hydra Zen NeuroCalm Cream which has an oil-in-water texture; this soothes sensitive skin and keeps your face looking radiant. This was all topped off with a gentle arm and neck massage to soothe away the daily aches and pains – perfect!

MAC’s philosophy on beauty is to be edgy and current, challenging beauty trends and setting a few of their own. At MAC on 3 in Selfridges Oxford Street I was offered a tutorial: Create a light smoky brown eye with MAC’s paint pot in Constructivist and smudgy eyeliner with Technakohl liner in Graphblack. Finish with a couple of sweeps of Black Dazzle Lash mascara and apply blush to under your cheekbones in Fever. Create a beautiful pout with MAC’s lip colour in Rambla Red.

Style Tips

• Apply BADgal eyeliner over the eye lid, but not along the waterline, as it’ll be too dramatic for the day.
• Create a fan shape with your eye colour so your make-up doesn’t look as if it’s dragging down.
• Dabbing lipstick onto your lips lightly with your fingers creates a natural lip stain; it’s less dramatic and perfect for a day look.