Create some extra sparkle this Christmas at Lush

Cocktails, office parties, girls’ nights out and family dinners — every woman wants to look her best during the holiday season.

Christmas and New Year are the busiest times of the year for parties, and so if you want to create a splash, dramatic and colourful eye make-up is the way to go.

At Lush Makeup Lash & Brow Bar, beauticians can help you to create a stunning look for the mistletoe season.

Hanifah Smith, owner, said: “We are specializing in HD — High Definition — make-up applications, which are perfect for Christmas photographs.

“It is more of a flawless look because of the quality and type of make-up used. It is formulated to reflect light, so your imperfections are less noticeable.

Flawless

“It contains light reflectors and other ingredients to give your skin a flawless finish.

“Diffusing light creates an illusion of an even finish so you can’t detect the flaws underneath — a kind of airbrushing for your skin.

“The pigments and formulas are designed to blend seamlessly with the skin; unlike traditional topical make-up which can be cakey and more difficult to match and blend.

“HD make-up is the best option when you are taking photographs. It is also great for more mature skins and can make your skin not only look flawless, but younger as well.

“HD make-up is often designed to moisturize because make-up will settle into cracks and creases on dry complexions. The hydration also plumps up dry skin to make wrinkles and lines less noticeable.”

Ms Smith said: “That’s what our focus is on this Christmas season.”

The HD make-up application is $70 and takes between 20-30 minutes.

Lush also does traditional make-up (basic make-up application) for $50.

When it comes to eye make-up, Lush can create your dream look for $25, within 15 minutes.

Ms Smith said: “A lot of Bermudian women have very good skin and so don’t need heavy make-up, so they just come in for eye make-up only.

“The most popular looks this season are smoky eyes, metallic and cat eyes.

“Some people want a metallic gold which then fades to a green or purple. We can do anything here.”

For metallic eyes, the beauticians use hints of bronze, copper and silver shadows and liners to open up the eye area.

Ms Smith said: “A glimmer of shimmer along the lower lash line makes eyes appear bigger, brighter and prettier.

“Purple, green and gold metallic shadows are in-trend, while metallic and gun metal colours create steely smoky eyes.

“Applying an eyelid primer before applying the shadow ensures that it has longevity wear.”

For cat eyes, Ms Smith said ‘winged cat eyeliner’ first appeared on the runways of New York Fashion Week in September.

“It is now the number two beauty look for this winter,” she said.

“Whether applied thick or thin, intense black winged eyeliner is a must-try trend this season.”

She recommends NYX Big Fat Eye Marker or the Super Slim Eye Marker.

Of course, no eye make-up is complete without long, luscious lashes and this is the expertise Lush is renowned for.

The beauty salon offers lash tints, curls and extensions. I can also create your signature brow, where the beauticians will create the perfect eyebrow arch for your face shape.

Ms Smith said: “Bold, super-feminine lashes are a must for all women, and can be achieved with various false lash styles and techniques, or a trusty mascara with a dense brush.

“For clump-free lashes, remove any access build-up on the mascara wand by rolling it over a lint-tree paper towel. Apply mascara onto clean, dry eyelashes; fix the wand into the lash base and roll upwards.”

She also offers the following ‘rule of thumb’ beauty tip: Bold lip colour, nude/simple eye make-up; smoky/heavy eye make-up, nude/simple lip colour.

As for lips, Ms Smith said: “If you have fair skin, coral reds are more flattering; they add a shot of colour but aren’t overpowering.

“If you have medium skin, anything from true red to cranberry red shades will work well.

“If you have dark skin, avoid super-bright reds; stick with deep, rich colours like burgundy or warm brick.

“The must-try trend this Christmas season is a deep, rich, sultry lip colour such as black cherry, wine, burgundy, blackcurrent, cranberry, blackberry and plum lipstick.

“Be sure to dust a skin-warming blush or bronzer on your cheeks to avoid a vampire/gothic look.

“Red lips are also back. After a summer of bright pinks and corals, classic perfectly-applied matte red lips are always a Christmas favourite. Be sure to choose a hue of red that complements your skin tone.”

At Lush you can give the gift of beauty with gift cards, from $10 upwards.

“They can be used towards any products or services, and we have lots of cosmetic gifts coming in for Christmas — eye shadow palettes, lip gloss and nail polish sets,” said Ms Smith.

“We can also create customized gift boxes, so if you let us know your budget and what the gift recipient likes, we can create that for you.

“For example, one man came in and said, ‘My wife loves red lipstick’. So we put together a gift box based on red lipstick, using different brands and shades.

“We can either put together some products for you or you can pick them out yourself.”

For the festive season, women can also try the Violent Lips and Eyes ‘Glitteratti’ range. These are temporary lip and eye tattoos which you can apply yourself and which last up to eight hours.

Ms Smith said they are featured in this month’s Allure magazine (November), “as a favourite product of celebrities”.

They cost $18 for three.

“We can apply them for you, or you can follow the instructions in the pack,” said Ms Smith.

“Or you can go to the Violent website which has a one-minute tutorial.”

Other services at the beauty salon include eyebrow tints, ear piercing, make-up tutorials and workshops. The Lush Facebook page also has easy step online tutorials to help you look your best.

You can also stop by the salon for product recommendations, tips and make-up tricks.

Lush Makeup, Lash and Brow Bar, Washington Mall One, Hamilton. Call 295-5874 or e-mail [email protected]