Christmas Party Looks from Ruby & Millie

by Laia

With the party season approaching and the numerous diary engagements that entails, you’ll want to make sure you are looking your best. International make-up artist Ruby Hammer and beauty expert Millie Kendall have provided us with their top looks for the festive period, guaranteed to make you stand out at any bash.

SMOKY EYE
Dramatic, sultry eyes with a muted, toned-down lip is a sensual, glamorous look that works on most skin tones. This is Ruby’s signature look and she suggests:

“Using a kohl eye liner, line the inner rims of both the upper and lower lashes - the colour of this should correspond to the colour shadow you have chosen, so go for brown to suit a bronze or gold-based shadow. Apply a line with the same pencil as close to the lash line as possible and smudge to blend and soften. If you have small eyes, then only apply pencil on the outer two-thirds of the eye. If your eyes are large, you can trace the whole rim.

“Traditionally, grey and black are the colours associated with smoky eyes. If you want to soften this and make it more wearable, a chocolate brown with a metallic finish looks fantastic. (The Ruby & Millie Smoky Eye Color in Bronze is great for this). Finish by curling your lashes and carefully applying two or three coats of black mascara to upper lashes and one coat to lower. For added drama, apply a few false eyelashes on the upper, outer eye to widen the eye and add sexiness.”

STRONG & VIBRANT LIP
Classic, strong lips with a subtle eye are sure to make a statement.
Being Millie’s signature look, she suggests:

“The key to a vibrant lip is to start with smooth lips. Use a soft kids toothbrush and some lip balm (try Ruby & Millie lip base). Massage the balm onto the lips using the toothbrush in circular movements. This removes dead skin and plumps up the lips ready for the artful application. You can do this as part of your skin-care regime when your lips are dry.

Apply your lipstick with a square-headed lip brush in a uniformed veil. Use long strokes and you will get a more even cover. Once you have applied your first layer, take a tissue and separate the ‘plys’. Use one thin ply and blot the lip colour. This takes off the excess colour, leaving a solid, firmly placed base. You can dust loose powder over the tissue to further set the lip colour. Next, remove the tissue and re-apply. Finally, use your lipliner to frame the lip colour and stop it bleeding.”

Mascara Innovations

by Sarah-Jane

Hello ladies,
It’s not often that I get to write exciting things about mascaras. I mean how much can you write, apart from the fact that they come in various colours and the brushes look slightly different even though they pretty much all do the same thing? But that was then, and this is now.

Now, thanks to Lancôme and Givenchy I have new and exciting things to say about mascara, so here I go. Givenchy’s new mascara, Phenomen’Eyes may resemble a cactus but it does wonderful things to your lashes. Instead of applying it in the conventional way, with the wand coming across your face horizontally, hold the brush towards your eye – as if you’re going to poke your eye. It allows the brush to get to the very root of your lashes and automatically lifts them up. And as for Lancôme, they have created the first vibrating mascara, Oscillation. Why does your mascara need to vibrate I hear you ask? Well according to Lancôme, Oscillation coats every individual lash 360 degrees round, all I can tell you is that it works and your lashes will look amazing.