Try Something New!
Feel like a change? This season, it's out with the old and in with some oh-so-simple chic tweaks. By Philippa Pearne
Leaving your comfort zone has never been easier (or prettier) thanks to these retro-inspired hair and make-up ideas. And the best bit is that they still don't make you look like you! It doesn't always have to be a big change - sometimes, small tweaks are all it takes to freshen up your look.
Photographs by Simon Emmett
Creative & Fashion Director Charlotte-Anne Fidler
Simon EmmettTry a matte red pout
If you’re usually all about the eyes, ditch mascara and eyeliner and go for a statement lip. “Right now, it’s all about the matte red lip, only this time around it’s more bluey-red than orange-red,” says make-up artist Polly Osmond, who created these looks. “The rest of the look is minimal - light foundation and no mascara.” For perfect red lips? “Fill in with lipliner then use red eyeshadow around the edges,” says Polly. Try Powder Eyeshadow in Angst £15.50 illamasqua.com. “If you don’t have a matte lipstick, add a little translucent powder on top.” Team with a simple down-do. For a ‘bed-head’ finish: “Throw your head upside down and brush with a Mason Pearson brush,” says stylist Sam McKnight, who created these styles. “Spray dry shampoo on roots and backbrush from underneath.”
YOUR KIT Big Glam Hair Style Extend Volumising Dry Shampoo £2.99 Headmasters; Lipstick in Ignite £16 illamasqua.com
Simon EmmettSwap smoky for sassy
Want to shake up your eye make-up? Jewel tones are so hot right now, so swapping your usual smoky eyeshadow for a brighter one sis the way to go. To show off your new hue and make it wearable: “Sweep your chosen shade over your eyelid, going up to the socket line, and do a thick flick at the outer corners,” explains Polly. “To tidy up the shape, dip a cotton bud into some make-up remover and run it from the inner corner to the outer corner in a straight line.” Greens and purples also work for this look, so go on, have some fun! And it’s just as easy to switch up your hair too. “Moving your parting can change your whole look, especially with an added sweeping fringe,” says Sam. “Our model, Carolin, doesn’t have one, so I loosely pinned her hair behind her ear so that it swept across her forehead.”
YOUR KIT Cream Eyeshadow in Radium£11.50 Urban Decay; Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black £17 smashbox.co.uk
Simon EmmettGo low maintenance
Oh, how we love an uncomplicated look. This matte-textured Bardot-esque style needs no maintaining once you’ve prepped it, so empty all those sprays and brushes out of your handbag because your hair just got a whole lot easier. “To prep, blow-dry your hair with a round brush, and some volumising mousse and root booster,” says Sam. “Once it’s dry, set your hair in Velcro rollers or loosely tong it in large sections. Brush it through with a paddle brush, spritz with some hairspray then subtly backcomb at the crown.” After that, step away from the brush and leave it to look fabulous all on its own. With a ‘do that does all the talking, a fresh-faced make-up look is key, but there’s always room for some fun. “Apply a thin layer of blue or green mascara in keeping with this season’s nod to colour,” says Polly. “Use a highlighter on your cheeks and wear a soft pink lipstick.”
YOUR KIT Heat Defence Volume Whipped Mousse £3.89 VO5; Mascara in Emerald Green £5.19 barrym.co.uk
Simon EmmettPut a spin on your up-do
If you’re bored of wearing the same old style, nothing says ‘fresh’ like revisiting pretty pigtails. This season they’re low, loose and slightly undone. “After applying some volume spray and roughly blow-drying, part your hair down the middle at the back, sweep it over your ears and loosely secure pigtails at nape level, making sure there is volume at the crown,” says Sam. To make them look more ‘chic girl’ than ‘schoolgirl’: “Tie a black velvet ribbon or your own hair around them and leave the pigtails as ungroomed as possible. If they fo flat, just do two strokes of backcombing underneath.” You can try other styles with the same method: “Keeping the volume at the crown and your hair over your ears, do a loose bun, pony or French twist.” Polly’s make-up tip? “Use a thick pen liner to draw along your top lashline, winging it out along the outer corners. Then use a black pencil liner along the sockets and go over it with a pen to get a full-on ‘60s finish,” she adds.
YOUR KIT Shocking False Lash Effect Eyeliner £24 yslbeauty.co.uk; Luxurious Volume Thickening Blow Dry Lotion £5.89 John Frieda
Styled by Charlotte-Anne Fidler
Make-up: Polly Osmond at D&V
Hair: Sam McKnight at Premier
Nails: Marian Newman at Streeters
