All the ingredients you need to sleigh your festive beauty looks
This article is sponsored by IT Cosmetics, ELEMIS, Kiehl’s, bareMinerals, Laura Mercier, Sculpted by Aimee, Clarins, Dyson, Marc Jacobs, MUGLER & Mylee
Forget the recipe for the perfect gingerbread cookies – this year, it’s all about cooking up the ultimate Christmas party look.
From a dusting of bronzer and sprinkling of loose powder to a glazing of lip oil, we’ve got the ingredients (AKA the hottest beauty picks) and the know-how to serve magical party looks for any festive occasion.
The ingredients
Here are all the party season staples you’ll need to create your look.
IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush
Kiehl's Hydration to the Extreme Gift Set
bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15
Sculpted by Aimee Sculpt & Glow Gift Set
Laura Mercier Divinely Flawless Translucent Loose Setting Powder & Puff
Dyson Airstrait™ Straightener Strawberry Bronze & Blush Pink
The tools
Before you start, you’ll need the right tools for the job.
Try: IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush
• 2-in-1 complexion brush
• Soft-touch
• Streak-free coverage
With ultra-plush Heavenly Luxe synthetic hairs, this dual-ended brush gives you beautiful-looking coverage, helping you apply all your favourite foundations and concealers evenly and smoothly. Use the large, fluffy end for larger areas, and the smaller brush to blend harder-to-reach spots.
The prep
The secret to recipe success? It’s all in the prep. Get your party look off to the best start by prepping your skin with luxurious formulas and a healthy dose of hydration.
Try: ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Classics
Set includes:
• Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
• Pro-Collagen Night Cream
Spark skin joy with this pair of silky, gel-cream moisturisers from the iconic Pro-Collagen collection. They’re infused with ELEMIS’ signature hydrating marine extract, Padina Pavonica, to keep skin quenched, plump and smooth around the clock.
Use the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 as a base under your party make-up look to deliver instant hydration and broad-spectrum sun protection. Then use the Pro-Collagen Night Cream overnight to help replenish your skin and reveal a hydrated, more radiant, and firmer-looking complexion the next morning.
Try: Kiehl’s Hydration to the Extreme Gift Set
Set includes:
• Ultra Facial Cleanser
• Ultra Facial Cream
• Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Mask
• Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
Take your hydration to the next level with this set of four favourites from Kiehl’s. With a gentle cleanser, facial cream, rehydrating mask and eye treatment, there’s everything you need to prep your skin and create the smoothest base before make-up.
The method
Follow our step-by-step guide to whipping up your party look.
Step 1: Create the perfect base
Try: bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15
• Size: 8g
• Vegan*
• Cruelty-free
• Available in 30 shades
• Suitable for all skin types – even the most sensitive, oily, acne-prone skin
• Non-comedogenic
• UK's No.1 Prestige Loose Powder Foundation**
Made with just five vegan* ingredients, this lightweight, talc-free mineral foundation provides sheer-to-full coverage with a naturally luminous finish. Comfortable on the skin, it goes on like a powder, but feels like a cream (or should we say, dream?).
Step 2: Add a pop of colour
Try: Sculpted by Aimee Sculpt & Glow Gift Set
Set includes:
• Perfecting Duo Brush
• Bare Basics Palette in Nude 01
• Suitable for all skin types
Why not treat yourself to an early Christmas present with this gift set full of essentials to help you achieve a stunning party look? The must-have Bare Basics Palette boasts seven beautifully blendable shades for cheeks and eyes, including matte and shimmer shadows, powder bronzer and blush, cream highlighter and setting powder – in other words, everything you need for party season.
And the cherry on top? This glow-getting gift also includes the Perfecting Duo Brush, making it easier than ever to add radiance and definition to your look.
Step 3: Set to perfection
Try: Laura Mercier Divinely Flawless Translucent Loose Setting Powder & Puff
• Size: 29g
• Includes velour puff
• Up to 16-hour wear
• Limited-edition packaging
Whether you like to dust it on or you prefer to bake, this ultra-finely milled powder sets make-up flawlessly for up to 16 hours without weighing skin down or settling into fine lines. It leaves your complexion looking and feeling soft and smooth from day to night, with no cakiness or texture in sight.
Step 4: Glaze on a lip balm
Try: Clarins Lip Oil Balm – 03 Lychee
• Size: 2.9g
• Available in 6 shades
All the power of Clarins’ iconic Lip Comfort Oil, infused in a lip balm. This 99% skincare formula is enriched with a plumping peptide and a trio of sweetbriar rose oil, jojoba oil and hazelnut oil to nourish and care for lips.
With a lightweight, melting texture, it offers up to 24-hour lip hydration, up to 12-hour nutrition and up to 10-hour repair and protection, all while delivering instant radiance and shine.
Step 5: Style your tresses
Try: Dyson Airstrait™ Straightener Strawberry Bronze & Blush Pink
• Wet to dry straightening, with air
• 3 heat settings
• LCD screen
• Presentation case
• Heat resistant mat
Experience precision in heating and even distribution as you style your hair with the Dyson Airstrait™, with no extreme heat.^ This innovative straightener uses high-pressure airflow to efficiently straighten hair while drying, simplifying your routine for a natural straight finish.
The final garnishes
No look is complete without a fragrance to add the final flourish and a matching nail colour to pull the whole ensemble together.
Try: Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild Eau de Parfum
• Size: 100ml
• Fragrance family: Floral, green & fruity
• Refillable
With a unique blend of banana blossom accord, jasmine, macadamia, and a warm base of sandalwood and vetiver, Daisy Wild sparks a sense of outdoor adventure. As stunning on the outside as it is on the inside, the light green bottle is adorned with signature Daisy flowers, making it a beautiful addition to any fragrance collection.
Try: MUGLER Alien Eau de Parfum
• Size: 60ml
• Fragrance family: Woody & floral
• Refillable
A fragrance like no other, this radiant and sensual scent merges jasmine sambac, cashmeran wood and white amber together in total harmony, revealing a rich and powerful elixir. Plus, its vibrant purple bottle embodies the solar goddess essence within.
Try: Mylee The Mighty Mani Kit
Set includes:
• Grande LED lamp for fast curing to top & base coats
• 4 stunning gel polishes
• Wooden cuticle sticks
• Lint-free wipes
• Nail block buffers
• 2-in-1 nail prep & wipe
• Gel remover
Say goodbye to salon visits and unlock the secret to perfect gel manis at home with Mylee’s must-have mani kit. From gel polishes and an LED lamp to cuticle sticks and nail block buffers, you’ll have all the essentials right at your fingertips to master pro-level gel nails that last up to three weeks.
Want more party season staples? Shop our full range of beauty to add more make-up, hair and fragrance faves to the mix.
*Vegan formulas do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
**Source: Circana (UK) Ltd. Retail Tracking Service. Prestige Foundation value sales by product, Makeup Form Loose Powder Attribute, Apr '23 - Mar '24 combined. To verify, email customerservice@bareminerals.co.uk
^When used in wet to dry mode.
