Shaking up my makeup for Christmas party season 2018

I’ve had my Boots Advantage Card since I was around 12 years old. I remember being soo excited when it arrived, the first proper ‘card’ to sit proudly in my ‘grown-up’ purse from River Island. I still have that very same Advantage Card, it’s incredibly battered and worn and up until last week I’d never spent any of the points on it! Saaay whaaa? That’s 13 years worth of advantage card points racked up. It’d be an understatement to say I was shocked at how many points were actually on there, but I was even more delighted to be able to box off some Christmas pressies and find some new beauty bits to spend them on, especially with Christmas party season just around the corner.

So with all of that in mind, I figured that in this post I’d talk through some of the new makeup I’ve bought recently and how I’ve used it to create my Christmas party makeup looks this year. As I write this I’m one Christmas party down with three to go and I’ve consciously decided to take a step away from my beloved, and traditionally festive, red lip in place of a more neutral vibe. I must admit, it did seem a little alien to me, but it has so far meant far fewer touch-ups throughout the night and less intermittent checks that I don’t have a lipstick on the teeth situation!

• Concealer from And Other Stories £7.00

I love the vibe of the And Other Stories shops, and what’s even more exciting is they’ve recently opened a new store in Liverpool One. I popped in last week to have a look around and spent a good 15 minutes having a nosey in their beauty section. I noticed that their thick concealer formulation, (think similar to the Collection Lasting Perfection) provided some decent redness eliminating coverage. I have the shade ‘Bon Shell’ which is a neutral colour, neither too pink nor too yellow and perfect for a multitude of things.

• Natural Collection Blush £1.99

Since Natural Collection rebranded and streamlined their product offering this year, I’ve been tempted more and more by their seriously purse friendly makeup. I was particularly drawn to their powder blushers, I have the shade; ‘Rosey Glow’ which is a deep, punchy pink blush. Trust me when a say a little goes a long way, but there is certainly no hint of a wishy-washy chalky formulation and the staying power is good. Perfect for working harmoniously with cold weather cheeks!

I always wear a red lip whether it be for work, heading out to the shops, or going to my Grandmas for lunch…a red lip is just intrinsically part of me, which is why I decided that for Christmas party season 2018, I’d take a step away from my beloved rouge and opt for a more neutral makeup look. By adding the interest to my eyes, it has been a welcome change.

• Nude lips courtesy of the Matte lip liquid’s from The Bodyshop £7.00

I like a brown-toned nude lipstick, It feels totally alien to me to be wearing it, but when I do it has to be on the peach/brown side of pink. For my boyfriend’s Christmas party, I wore Windsor Rose by The Bodyshop. This matte formulation isn’t heavily drying on the lips, yet doesn’t budge after a few mulled wines and a meal. Winner. The formulation is velvety and hydrating all thanks to community trade marula oil from Namibia and community trade beeswax from Cameroon.

I wouldn’t usually spend so much cash on a drugstore palette, but this one I knew to be pretty special when I swatched the tester palette. This is the most luxe palette I own, and by that I mean the colour selection just screams Christmas party does it not?! The Golden Nudes palette is made up of eight sumptuous shades ranging from pale highlight shades to deep shimmery olives and caramels. GORGEOUS! I have been wearing a number of colour combos from this palette and the staying power is bang on.