CHRISTMAS PARTY EDIT - MUST HAVES YOU NEED RIGHT NOW + TIPS FOR LONG LASTING MAKEUP

Christmas Party season is on and if you are attending one or many (lucky you!), you are probably wondering what makeup to wear and if you're beauty bag is updated with all the in season bits and bobs. I compiled a list of my favourite products which will not only help you achieve the perfect look but also will stay on your face all night long. No need to thank me, really, just think of me trying to remove it all half drunk at 4am :)

Evening makeup plays by different rules to your fave daytime bits. It's stronger for a reason, the non natural lighting needs more definition. You'll also need products that stay on, despite the numerous proseccos you'll be enjoying and all the dance moves you practiced. It needs to be long lasting and sweat proof! When it comes to base, prep is key. Make sure you exfoliate a day before and don't skip on moisturising. Make sure to tone your skin before hand and apply your fave moisturiser. Let it sink in before applying the primer. 

Base.

Primer is a must. Use one that's proven on your skin. I absolutely adore Too Faced Hangover Primer. It's great on all skin tones, maybe minus oily. It's also water based which makes it great for dry and dehydrated skin. It does prolong the life of your base makeup but also gives you an extra level of hydration, ensuring your foundation will not cake up during the night.

Give your primer a time to sink in, I allow around 2-3 minutes before starting with foundation. Again this is a game of what you like and what works on your skin. I find Armani Luminuous Silk Foundation to work on most skin types. It gives an amazing coverage without losing the luminosity. I love the glowing effect and this foundation gives me just that. It's truly long lasting too and will work on most, just ensure you use a primer that's right for you. I apply it with the Beauty Blender which ensures smooth and even coverage, plus gives me such flawless finish! This foundation comes with no SPF making it a perfect evening choice as it won't whiten your skin in flash photography! Bonus! Apply your favourite concealer, I recommend Make Up For Ever Full Cover. Nothing will give you better coverage and it's also waterproof so it'll last all night long. Make sure this is set pretty quickly with the powder, which brings me to my next fave...

To ensure your base stays put all night long, you'll need a good powder and what's better than the latest beauty craze that is RCMA No-Color Powder. This powder has been praised by all the beauty bloggers and it seems to be working on all skin types. It is not a translucent powder, it has no color whatsoever. It's great at setting up makeup and gives flawless semi matte finish. It's so finely milled, it's a true pleasure to work with. Unfortunately it is a little dusty, so I recommend doing your makeup before you squeeze in your LBD! Added bonus is that it gives no flashback which is a must in the evening makeup.

Contour & strobe.

Contouring and highlighting is a must if you'd like your face to look flawless with cheeks cut to kill :)  I'm super pale so I always look for a cool toned contour bronzer and NYX Ultra HD Blush in Taupe is perfect for that. It's a little dusty, again but super pigmented and easy to blend. I can't praise it enough, it's been a firm fave of mine forever. I apply it under my cheekbones, to contour my nose and forehead.

On a night out I always skip on blushers. There's no point really, flash photography will 'eat up' the colour and there's no point in adding more products to the routine. I am however super pale, so adding a little colour to my complexion is a must. I achieve that with super light warm toned bronzer like Golden Rose Mineral Terracotta Powder in 04. This is a recent fave of mine and I've been loving it lately! I apply it to the tops of my contour and across the temples and forehead for a touch of sunshine :)

Highlighting is a must, at least for me and on events, I love to shine, not only with my personality (LOL). My firm fave in that department is MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder in Soft & Gentle. This is the one highlight, I always go back to. It stays put for hours and you can truly achieve that wow effect. Just apply it with a dense brush and you're ready for a party!!!

Eyes & Brows.

It's been nearly 6 months and I'm still in love with Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette. It has absolutely everything you need to create on trend warm toned smokey/halo eye. The mattes are gorgeous and blendable and highlight shades are to die for. Can't get enough and can't imagine a Xmas Party makeup without it. These shadows are not only a real pleasure to work with but also stay on forever if applied over a good eye primer. I always go for either MAC Paint Pot in Painterly or Urban Decay Original Primer Potion.

To add that extra sparkle to your look, go for an Inglot AMC Pure Pigment in 115. This shade is simply stunning, add it on the mid lid or for inner corner highlight! Gorgeous! I am a collector of Inglot pigments so have a few shades to play with, but always go back to this one as it's not only super pretty and sparkly but also suits any eye look.

I'm not normally the one for a black liner but an occasion like this deserves a set of falsies and it's just looks better with a flick. Make sure you use a technique for your eye. I have hooded eyes so cat flick is a no-go, but I use the liner to darken my eyelashes line and make sure it hides the falsies strap. I really Love Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, as I find it's super long lasting but also super easy to create the lines with. Definitely one for beginners and pros alike!

This mascara has overtaken my life recently and I actually hated it when I first got it. I got an Illamasqua Masquara Gain as part of a goody bag on Selfridges Beauty Hall Event and was excited to try it. This is a mascara you should open twice and just leave laying around for a month as it's absolutely useless when first opened. Now however!!! If you love a false lash effect - this is the one for you. It curls, lengthens and gives you an insane volume. It's a bit more tricky to apply to avoid clumping, but it's so worth it!!!!

You can leave it with mascara, but event like this requires falsies. I got this amazing pair in my Selfridges Beauty Workshop Advent Calendar and I love it. Eylure Enchanted Into Darkness will give you an amazing length and volume and quite a natural (I know I know!) finish. Simply stunning.

Eye makeup is not complete until you fill in your brows. Please don't skip this step, as it truly gives your face the definition. And after spending 30 plus minutes on the rest of the makeup, why skip those 2-3 minutes to the absolute perfection? For big events I choose Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in taupe. It's a perfect shade for me and will suit any blondes from light to dark. It's waterproof and smudge proof and will last all night long.

Lips.

I will be a total bore and go for a red lip. Why? Because it's Christmas!!! I find that matte lips last longer but also don't look as great as full glossy lip in the picture. So I am recommending a glossy finish... I know, it shocked me too! Any red lip requires a great prep. Pimp your lips with some scrub and moisturise prior to starting with your makeup routine! This will allow the moisture to be retained by your lips and product to fully sink in. Always start with lip liner. First, give yourself a little boost without painful injections by slightly over-lining your lips (I said Slightly you Kylie lookalikes!!). I adore Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay Lip Liner in 714. Its creamy and a little sticky which makes for the perfect primer for your glossy finish lipstick. Make sure you fill your lips too before applying lipstick. Lipstick I went for is Milani Lip Intense Liquid Colour in 01 Red Extreme. It's such a stunning red, your lips appear fuller and the shade makes your teeth appear whiter! Bonus!!!

Ok, so you're ready to do your hair and get your hot bod in that pretty dress you bought especially for the occasion. With the cheeks like that and full lips all you need now is a full time photographer to follow you around :) Have fun & enjoy yourself (responsibly!!!). Make sure your phone is charged for all those selfies and to book that Uber ride early in the morning!!! <3

Thank You For Reading,

Love

Dorota X

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