'Tis the season to get creative with our hair and makeup, when we get the green light to wear a tonne of glitter, deliberately smudged ‘morning after’ lipstick and the kind of smoked-out eye that only gets better the longer you're on the dance floor.
The only rule is: there are no rules. It’s about joy, playfulness and experimentation; the thrill of draping your cheekbones in a cloud of pink blusher or creating halos of eyeshadow with your fingertips rather than following a prescriptive TikTok beauty tutorial.
And what better way to illustrate this than by taking some of our favourite party beauty looks and shooting them on the GLAMOUR team?
Here we break down the pro tips and products to inspire your next going-out look…
Londie's bordeaux jelly glaze blush
A jelly glazed flush, with just the right amount of highlighter and blush stretched across the cheeks, ups the stakes on glossy skin. Londie, GLAMOUR's European Fashion Editor, wore a mix of Glossier Cloud Paints in Eve and Storm for the burgundy base colour, topped with Rhode Pocket Blush in Toasted Teddy. “It's got a lovely sheen to it,” says makeup artist India Excell, who created the looks on this shoot. “The finishing touch was a neutral brown-toned liner to keep the main focus on the cheeks.”
Pro tip: To pull any stray hairs back into your braids, hairstylist Sophie Sugarman recommends applying Nairobi Wrapp-It Shine Foaming Lotion to your roots and wrapping a silk scarf tightly around the hairline while it sets.
Eilidh's modern flicked-out bob
A highlight reel of this year's major bob trends would include the flicked-out bob (Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid are all fans). “Remember less is more, so give the ends just a slight kick out to avoid looking too authentically ‘70s,” says Sophie, who used the GHD Platinum Styler on Eilidh, GLAMOUR’s European Design Director, to straighten her hair before adding a small bend on the ends. “Set the hair with a shine spray to give it a glossy finish, and use creaseless clips to flatten the bend so that it doesn't go too wide.”
Pro tip: Keep the rest of your makeup pared back when you opt for a statement hairstyle. “You want to avoid looking too ‘done’,” adds India. Try a combo of false lashes and nude lip liner instead.
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Amelia's cinnamon moment
There's been a shift in the tone of this season's neutrals. Espresso and mink have made way for toasty cinnamon shades, pulled through from the eyes and cheeks to the lips and nails for a monochrome desk-to-dance-floor look. Ace the look with Mac's Chestnut Lip Pencil and a slick of Pat McGrath Labs Lust Gloss in Blitz Gold over the top. “You want to make sure all the tones work together," says India. "Choose an eyeshadow that also has gold undertones so that the lip and eyes both have that element. Keep the cheeks neutral with bronzer.”
Pro tip: To get modern grungy hair, Sophie used both a tong and straighteners on Amelia, GLAMOUR's European Visual Director. “You want to create different bends and textures through the hair,” she says.
Fiona's high-shine icicle eye
There are endless ways to wear silver eyeshadow. On Fiona, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, it was about scribbling a liquid version in the inner corners of the eyes only for a foil-like effect. “You want to make it look like it's just a brush stroke rather than anything too perfect or placed – that's what makes it so cool," India says. The rest of the eye is left completely bare, including the lashes. “Going mascara-free stops the look from becoming very intentional or full-on.”
Elsewhere, the makeup is equally minimalist. India mixed a few drops of Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation with Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation for a sheered-out, dewy base while nude tones defined the lips. It's giving ‘glamorous makeup thrown together in the back of a taxi’ vibes – or Brat metallic eye.
Pro tip: Fake a fuss-free, tucked-behind-the-ears hairstyle by pulling a few strands from either side of the face to the nape of the neck and securing it with an elastic band. An added bonus? “It makes your skin look really snatched," says Sophie.
Elle's preppy undone waves
On a night out with friends, it will give your hair an edge; if it's a work party, it will elevate it. That's the power of a bow. To create relaxed, tousled waves on Elle, GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor, the mid-lengths of her hair were wound around a medium-sized tong, with the ends left out. A light misting of Hair By Sam McKnight Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist added hold and a touch of grit.
As Sophie explains, “Key is to brush out the curls – you don't want to see where you've tonged." Pull the hair into a half-up ponytail, secure with a clip-in bow and finish with a few individually curled, face-framing tendrils.
Pro tip: Add light definition to the face with a winged cat-eye flick and a cream contour or bronzer stick – not forgetting to swipe it over your eyelids. “By bringing the bronzer onto the eyes, it doesn't look like it's a separate element,” says India. "It's more like a shadow that fits with the rest of the face rather than eyeshadow."
Rosie's velvet ribbon lips
This is all about creating an unexpected red lip. The secret is in the matte, velvet texture and the fuzzy edges. “Apply red lipstick all over the mouth, then go one shade darker on the centre so it's a subtle ombre to plump the lip up,” says India. “Get a small fluffy eyeshadow brush and sweep along the edges to soften them and give that blurry effect.” Team with highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones to create a spa-fresh, dewy skin finish.
Pro tip: To create the same low bun as seen on Rosie, GLAMOUR's Acting Fashion Editor, pull your hair into a ponytail, secure with a hair band and divide it in half. Twist each half around the elastic and pin it into place.
“You want to keep some texture and volume on the top of the head," Sophie notes. “Leave a few bobby pins in [until right before you go out] to create creases in the hair, a little like you've just run your fingers through your hair and tied it up.”
Robyn's midnight smokey eye
The smokey eye is reborn. This time, it's a deconstructed smokey and, instead of slate, it has a steely midnight hue. “Concentrate the colour around the edges and the inner corners, keeping the centre of the eyelid clean,” advises India. “It's a nice way to go for a dark eye without it being too intense.” Clean skin, a soft contour and a your-lip-but-better shade of lipliner work best.
Pro tip: For wet-look curls like Robyn's, GLAMOUR's Social Media Manager, Sophie recommends mixing a curl cream and gel together and working it through the hair. Bring a few curls forward around the hairline, adding extra gel for mermaid-esque strands.
Mayola's metallic cranberry crush
This look is an overdose of moody metals. Cranberry and blackcurrant hues are especially flattering on dark skin, but the key to keeping it modern rather than twinkly is the use of metallic gloss over the eyes and lips for a high-wattage sheen. Amplify the lashes with mascara and a strip of falsies. “These shouldn't extend past your natural lash as they're just there to add thickness,” says India of the look she created for Mayola, GLAMOUR's Commerce Writer.
Pro tip: For big, bouncy waves, take large sections of your hair and tong them to create classic barrel curls. Set and pin each section in place for around 30 minutes before brushing the hair out.
Acting Executive Editor - Camilla Kay
European Visual Director - Amelia Trevette (Amelia’s colour by Hattie Patten at Kristina B. Salon)
European Design Director - Eilidh Willamson (Eilidh’s cut by Jordan Garrett at Hershesons)
Associate Beauty Director - Fiona Embleton
European Fashion Editor - Londiwe Ncube
Senior Media Manager - Robyn Eugene
Senior Beauty Editor - Elle Turner
Acting Fashion Editor - Rosie Lai
Creative Producer, Social Video - Charlotte Warwick
Content Producer - Bobbie Temple
Commerce Writer - Mayola Fernandes
Photographer - Rosaline Shahnavaz
Styling - Cassie Walker Graham
Hair - Sophie Sugarman @LMC Worldwide using Dyson Hair Care
Make Up - India Excell at CO Management
Manicurist - Chisato Yamamoto
Photographer's Assistant - Jem Rigby
Photographer's Assistant - Sam Jupp
Digi - Olivia Estebanez
Styling Assistant - Alice Dench
Styling Assistant - Rose Pomberton
Hair Assistant - Allie Harknett
Hair Assistant - Charleigh Jane Crew
Mu Assistant - Peggy Nesbitt
Manicurist Assistant - Yuca Murakami
Production - Zrd Production @zrdproduction
Executive Producer - Zoe Rose-Davies
Production Assistant - Sophie Allsop
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
