When the fashion team set out to do a feature for this issue of Viva bringing together the best pieces to build your winter wardrobe around, it got us thinking along similar lines.
About the classics every makeup bag is the better for, because such items offer faithful performance, delivered in elegant formulas that have been tweaked to ensure they’re bang up-to-date.
Think of them as the equivalent of a cashmere coat and a colourful handbag, those perennial favourites that remain fresh when cut and crafted with elan. Combined with eclectic edge, they look even better. A flattering foundation and a statement lipstick are key selections, but as with wardrobe accessories, play around with extras to add personality and a contemporary edge to your choices.
Anything from applying an unexpected nail polish shade to dipping into a versatile palette can enhance the sense of enjoyment to be gained from everyday adornment. If the compact you choose to use is refillable then all the better for long-term appreciation.
As our model image from Dior’s 2020 Cruise collection held last week at the El Badi Palace in Marrakech, Morocco shows, the best beauty looks are those that reveal rather than obscure the wearer. They also start (and sometimes end) with great skin.
Truth be told, however, plenty of backstage preparation went into this show look. Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup, and his team perfected the models’ skin with primer followed by a sheer foundation chosen from a diverse range of shades (Dior Backstage Face and Body).
Concealer and illuminators came into play and brows were subtly groomed. Lips were then plumped with Lip Maximiser for a little shine with a hint of neutral colour applied from new lip palettes.
“It’s a pure and luminous look that reveals natural individual beauty,” is how he puts it. It’s also an ideal canvas on which to amp up your creativity with some added drama and dimension.
READ: Jennifer Lawrence Celebrates Joy, Dior's First Major Fragrance in 20 Years
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Bronzing and highlighting isn't just a summer thing. Carry over a warm glow to the cooler weather and you'll feel sunnier and look more luminous. Just dial it back a shade or two or diffuse carefully so your paler winter skin doesn't look muddy. Diorskin Mineral Nude Bronze, $93, from the Wild Earth collection is a subtle enhancer, while Bobbi Brown Beach Metals Highlighting Powder, $110, gives a golden gleam (in store from May 15).
THE CLEAN POLISH
Short, shaped nails always look tidy, but if you want to keep them (and yourself) healthy use a polish that's free of harsh ingredients. Better yet, let you nails breathe from time to time. Choose a light, off-neutral shade for everyday ease with a little intrigue or go darker in a way that complements your clothes so you don't look at your nails on day two and think yikes. The pictured Apricot Nectar and petrol blue Typhoon shades fit the bill nicely and cost, $23 each. They are from vegan-friendly brand Kester Black, which was set up by Kiwi Anna Ross in Melbourne and makes water permeable polishes that omit suspect or allergenic ingredients.
THE EYE OPENERS
Look for an eyeshadow palette with a lot of shades you'll wear, but make sure to try the outliers. This example from Nars is next level. The dozen shades resemble a desert sunset. The fine powders are densely pigmented and range from burnished mattes to multi-dimensional metallics. Nars Ignited Eyeshadow Palette, $99, in a colourful pink and purple case, is a limited edition.
THE STATEMENT LIPSTICK
Let the cannister do the talking and maybe match your dress with this zebra print Sisley lipstick in a spiced-up version of nude, more specifically called Sisley Phyto-Rouge Bali Beige, $75. Warmer neutral shades like this one team well with bold patterns and the textural fabrics in earthy tones that abound this season. If you're looking for your lips to star, then true red is the obvious choice, but straying into reds with an orange cast is worth exploring for a more vibrant expression. Estee Lauder Pure Colour Desire Rouge Excess lipstick, $73, is a new range which offers both options among its wealth of intense, lasting shades, all enclosed in a timeless gold bullet.
Stockists: Bobbi Brown from Britomart flagship store and selected department stores. Estee Lauder and Dior from selected department stores and selected pharmacies. Kester Black stockists phone 0800 223288. Nars from Mecca stores, see Meccabeauty.co.nz. Sisley from Smith and Caughey's Queen St.
