PARTY season is in full swing and I’m suffering a hangover.
Not from the prosecco (that’s another story) but from the pandemic.
While it feels like TikTok has a fresh beauty trend every milli- second, my make-up habits have got 2020 written all over them.
And I’m stuck in a rut of applying the same old eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss for any night out.
It’s dull and predictable.
So when Fabulous invited me to try out some beauty counter makeovers, I was eager to see if I could rediscover my make-up mojo in time for Christmas.
Beauty counters aren’t new, of course.
They’ve been around in the UK since 1910, a year after Selfridges opened its doors on London’s Oxford Street and heralded a beauty revolution.
Prior to that, make-up was frowned upon and had to be bought surreptitiously.
I’m pleased to say we’ve come a long way since then (well, unless you count Sephora’s launch day, when I had to smuggle my haul into the house without my husband spotting it).
Although there aren’t as many traditional department stores in the UK as there used to be, there is still an abundance of beauty counters to enjoy up and down the country, as well as standalone beauty stores and pop-ups.
Wherever you choose to buy your make-up, having an in-store makeover is a brilliant way to try out the latest and greatest products — and be shown how to apply them properly by a professional make-up artist.
And it’s simply perfect for an out-of-practice make-up enthusiast like me.
Many quick make-up services are completely free of charge too, with zero obligation to buy anything.
Even the more in-depth masterclasses are redeemable against the cost of whatever products you treat yourself to.
In short, a make-up counter makeover is as near as you can get to a guilt-free shopping experience — and what could be more beautiful than that?
Available at Nars boutiques, John Lewis and Selfridges
DOES it count as cheating if I tell you Nars enlisted one of its head make-up artists to do my makeover?
Maybe, but if (like me) you go to the flagship Spitalfields boutique in London, you can often book the brand’s top pros – if they’re not busy doing celebrities instead, that is.
I opt for Nars’ classic “winged liner and red lip” combo; a look I love in theory but usually mess up in reality.
My make-up artist shares plenty of tricks, including a smart way to draw the ideal liner flick (plot it in light strokes first then join them up and thicken the line).
She also finds me the perfect orangey-red lipstick shade, and pairs it with a blue-red liner for a crisp, multi-dimensional lip.
By the end of my session, I’ve had a full masterclass as well as a makeover, and I’ve already rebooked with them to learn Nars’s awesome “smoky cloud” eye technique.
Now I just need a party to go to . . .
FAVOURITE PRODUCT: Powermatte Lipstick in Feel My Fire, £26.50
Available at John Lewis, House of Fraser, Fenwick, Selfridges
NOBODY does a soft and smoky eye better than Bobbi Brown, so this make-up counter is definitely my comfort zone.
I’m excited to have the brand’s signature eye make-up applied by a pro, and having it done in the plush surrounds of the Selfridges beauty hall is just an added bonus.
You can choose whatever look you want, but this is THE brand to come to for something pretty and polished, so if it’s wedding day make-up on steroids you’re after, this is the place for you.
I pay close attention as my make-up artist talks me through every step, from the flattering foundation to the tight-liner trick, whereby you line the waterline of your eye inside the lashes, making them really pop.
Obviously I could never hope to match the precision of a Bobbi Brown pro, but there’s nothing here that strikes me as hopelessly unachievable, and I’ll definitely be trying these techniques at home.
The look is perfect: Think party without being tarty.
FAVOURITE PRODUCT: Smokey Eye Mascara, £31
Available at Kiko Boutiques
I’M the first to admit I’m a total beauty magpie.
So when my Kiko make-up artist opens a sparkly silver eye palette and then suggests a festive makeover, my pupils dilate.
I was ten minutes late so we had to cut a few corners, but Kiko’s bustling Regent Street store in central London is the perfect spot for a party makeover.
Before we get to the make-up part, there’s the serious business of skincare – and multiple potions are applied to my face to prime it for some dancefloor-proof foundation and subtle cheek enhancement.
The aforementioned palette doesn’t disappoint and leaves my lids twinkling like a Christmas tree.
But the eye make-up is slightly overshadowed once the red lip is added.
I should have just stuck to emphasising one area and gone for a neutral lip, but this is me all over at Christmas: Overindulging and regretting it.
I’ll definitely go back though as I’m a huge Kiko fan.
But hopefully next time I won’t be in such a rush that I realise, once home, I’ve run off without getting my mascara done. Doh!
FAVOURITE PRODUCT: Glamour multi-finish eyeshadow palette, £16.99
Available at Too Faced boutiques and Boots
IF Barbie designed a make-up parlour, we imagine it would look like Too Faced’s very, VERY pink Carnaby Street branch.
And “dolled up” is exactly how you’ll look after this Speed Date makeover.
You pick two facial areas to focus on, so I opt for contouring and lip plumping.
After applying moisturiser and foundation, my make-up artist goes full Kardashian on me, painting triangles of concealer under my eyes and sculpting my nose and cheekbones with dark brown lines.
As a 48-year-old mum of two, I fear I’ll look like mutton dressed as glam.
But with some nifty blending, the contour lines fade and my cheekbones look impressively defined.
After lip liner and tingly plumping gloss, I’ve got the look of lip fillers, minus the bill and the bruising.
The final effect is full-beam glam, but slightly marred by the concealer creasing under my eyes.
Overall I like it although my husband’s verdict is, “You look like the AI yearbook version of you!”
FAVOURITE PRODUCT: Too Faced Lip Injection Power Plumping Lip Gloss, £22
