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life & style beauty
courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Laura Greatrex, Lois Johnston & Susanne Norris
the courier
Monday 12 February 2018
Variety this Valentine’s
No matter what you are doing for this Valentine’s Day, Sophie Hindhaugh has you covered with a look for every possible date
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hether you’re celebrating Valentines with bae or Galentines with your girls, February the 14th is the perfect excuse to be that little bit extra. The Free Agent: Single? Celebrate it with your girls and rock a look you don’t need to worry about your boyfriend smudging within two minutes. Pull out your boldest lipstick (MAC’s Russian Red is calling your name) and experiment with your eye make-up. Think red, mauve tones, easily achievable with Anastasia Beverly Hill’s Modern Renaissance, or the more affordable Make-up Revolution’s ReLoaded Palette in Newtrals 2. If you plan on getting your make-up smudged- NYX’s Professional Make-up Setting Spray is an essential, as well as a sultry nude lip topped with gloss (a red lip done wrong might have you looking like Heath Ledger’s Joker – not what we are aiming for here). The Foodie: A date involving food poses two obvious risks: one, getting it all down your top, and two, your lipstick wearing away and leaving an unflattering 90’s reminiscent lip liner rim around your mouth (choking also perhaps deserves an honourable mention). To prevent this I’d recommend wearing something black, unless you’re considerably less accident prone than I am, and wearing a liquid lipstick. Liquid lipsticks tend to be more durable than your average lipstick. Kat Von D, Revlon and NYX all do excellent liquid lipsticks. Or you could, you know, relinquish your lipstick for some lip balm. Shock horror. The Cool Girl: Emily Ratajkowski channels Valentine vibes with her bold red look- which is surprisingly easy to achieve. Take a red shade from
any one of your palettes and sweep it across your crease with a fluffy brush. With a flat brush, pack a darker red, or experiment with plummy shades, on your lid. Keep your base make-up as simple as you’d like, and I would suggest a nude lip that won’t detract from your striking look. Emily’s brown eyes look especially dreamy from this complimentary look, and false lashes aren’t necessary – just a few lashings of mascara, and you’re good to go.
The Natural Beauty: For a more natural Valentine’s look, I would recommend staying away from powder products and keeping your eyes simple. Iconic London’s highlighting drops on the high points of your face will have you glowing without your skin looking cakey, and a glossy lip (I’m partial to NYX’S butter glosses) will tie your look together. Skin should be your focus, and Ardell’s fluttery Demi Wispies are all you need for your eyes. If you’d rather forgo make-up and focus on your hair, then loose waves are easily achievable with a large-barelled curling wand and are always a winner.
If you plan on getting your make-up smudged, setting spray is an essential
Image: @hungvanngo
The Art Chick: Graphic liner is having a moment right now and this is your time to shine my young Picasso. NYX’s Professional Vivid Bright’s Eyeliner will allow you to create art on your eyelids, such as pink hearts like Instagram user @strashme. Also seen on Instagram are some bold blusher looksinstead of applying the normal sheen to your cheekbones, some Instagram users are opting for a heart shape, as seen on user @DIADEMEE_99. The Stay In: Admittedly, this will probably be me February 14th. My look will consist of Glamglow’s Gravity Mud Firming Treatment,
Image: @strashme
which is the most extra skin care product I have ever bought. Its metallic silver colour makes it the coolest facemask around, and it will leave your skin soft and glowing, as will their new Glitter Mask version. While it is expensive at £42.00, you can try a mini for £7.00, which contains a considerable 15g of product. To finish this look, pair your shiny facemask with your dressing gown and slippers. I’d also recommend ordering a pizza- the ultimate edible accessory. Don’t forget to live your best life this Valentines, and remember to love yourself before anyone else.
Romantic ranges V-day self-love Emily Cartwright looks at all the different Valentine’s ranges out there and which ones will complete your desired looks
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ith Valentine’s Day getting closer, it’s time for a little love in the makeup department. Brands like LUSH, Kiko, Lorac (if you’re willing to pay shipping) have gone into 2018 with a bang by launching Valentine’s Day collections, giving you (or your other half) the perfect excuse to get your hands on some make-up goodies. LUSH: Though being known for its infamous bath bombs, body scrubs and shower gels, LUSH has also dived into the world of makeup. For 2018’s Valentine’s collection, the line is filled with pink and red goodness and extends to the make-up category with lip products. There’s a lip scrub called ‘The Kiss,’ retailing for £5.95 to go with a matching lip gloss retailing for £6.50, also called ‘The Kiss.’ The scrub, just like their others, moisturises and brightens the lips, making a perfect base for the gloss. The gloss itself also serves to moisturise but unlike the scrub gives a shiny pink hue to the lips, perfect for a natural Valentine’s look. They both smell divine too. LORAC: Though the shipping and customs prices are admittedly hefty, if you’re feeling like a splurge to show yourself and your make-up collection some lovin’, this is the place to go. Lorac offer a bundle of products for just $23 with a $91 value - so the crazy shipping prices can be justified. It includes their Ruby lip lustre, Crimson blush, 3D liquid lustre diamond, Cobra mascara and Serenity eyeshadow. The collection will create a perfect natural look, or it could be paired with your normal base products to get a more glam pink look. I’ve tried one of the blushes myself and the pigmentation and longevity is amazing. I’d pay £20 for the blush alone so this bundle is a steal!!
LORAC A Beverly Hills salon makeover inspired LORAC creator Carol Shaw’s passion for make-up and skincare. The brand name is her forename backwards. Image: @loraccosmetics
Image: @kikomilano
KIKO: Kiko have come into 2018 strong with their Valentine’s collection called ‘Lip Me Lots.’ Featuring a highlighter, a blush, an eyeliner, two lip products, a brush and a make-up bag, you can create the perfect cohesive look - plus, getting out a make-up bag that matches the products inside it is extremely satisfying. The blush and highlighter are baked, in a heart shaped pan and retail for £11.90. The black double ended eyeliner has a heart shaped stamp on one end and the other is a felt tip liner. With a five star review on their website and retailing for just £7.90 I’d say it was a bargain because you can make a really unique look with it. One of the lip products is described as a lip enhancer that adjusts to your pH to create a unique colour for just £5.90. The other is an ‘extreme matte’ lipstick that comes in six shades from a hot red to a nude, to a deep purple through to classic pink tones. This retails for £6.90. The brush is a kabuki, retailing for £12.50 - you could probably do without this but the packaging is metallic red so it’s cute because it matches. And finally, the make-up bag, retailing for £12.50 is covered in kiss marks to match the packaging perfectly. All in all, I love this range and think it’s a good way to revamp your collection as a treat.
Miranda Stoner reminds us how important self-love is this upcoming Valentine’s day and her top five ways to go about it
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n Valentine’s day we are told to show the people in our life how much we love them, but what about showing ourselves a bit of love from time to time? Whether you’ve got a date with your MCM or just a date with Netflix, make sure you put aside a bit of time to show yourself some love this Valentine’s. Pencil in a date at the salon: Beauty treatments and hair appointments are the most indulgent treats and it seems to me that no matter how much you spend on your shampoo and conditioner, there is nothing that compares to the feeling of a fresh trim. With just a few magic potions and a wave of their curling wands, hairdressers can give even the most beautiful hair a lift. If you don’t have time for a full on treatment though, then pop into the Body Shop or Lush and make an appointment with a beauty consultant. This is a really personalised service, which tailors product recommendation to your needs, they are free and the products you take home will last longer than a one night stand. Brush up your make-up collection: The brushes you use play an enormous role in how your look turns out. For an absolutely show-stopping makeover, the products and the tools you use need to complement each other like Romeo and Juliet. The trick to flawless and low effort eye-shadow and contouring is to choose blending brushes. Only use fine precision brushes for eye-liner, otherwise
Image: @ofleatherandlace
you’re in danger of looking blotchy or striped. In Boots you can buy a new 17 or NYX brush for less than the meal deal, and you won’t regret buying them when you see the results. Visit a Yoga Class: Beauty products are there to enhance your outer features, but bring some inner balance to your body with an hour or two of deep breathing. Yoga has so many benefits for your body, from stimulating your metabolism and encouraging smoother digestion to de-stressing the system and clearing problems such as spots or tired eyes. Try different styles to find your perfect match, if you prefer your exercise to be slow and gentle, then try yin yoga, but if you want to get your heart rate up then hot yoga is the one for you. Read a book: Beauty is more than skin deep, so make sure to give your brain a work out and indulge in a good book this Valentine’s Day. Whilst it’s lovely to read around the subject and immerse yourself in your degree or flick through articles on twitter, sometimes it’s a nice escape to be swept away into a story book. Studies suggest that reading improves our memory as well as our emotional intelligence, which means we are more capable of interacting with others and it’s also a great topic for conversation with your dinner date. Moreover, there are studies suggesting that as little as half an hour of reading a week can boost our confidence and self-esteem and help us to make better life decisions. There are so many books to choose from too, from a trashy rom-com to a more high-brow classic. Ask your friends and family for their recommendations. Cookery show: Not strictly a part of your beauty routine, but what you eat plays a huge role in your mental and physical health. Cooking for yourself is a fabulous way to be certain that what you’re eating doesn’t contain nasty preservatives or added salt and sugar, this will ensure your body feels and looks fresher and healthier and it will thank you for the healthy break. It’s also always nice to take time out of your day to cook for yourself and do something practical and watching a cookery show or reading a cookery book is the best way to find new recipes and try new flavours. What’s more you can also test what you’ve learned by inviting friends around for dinner.