Sexy party trend Aussies are snapping up

Bold, deep blood-red lipstick, specifically the shade of “Jungle Red” by NARS ($37), is among the bestsellers at cosmetics giant Mecca in the lead up to New Year’s. “(During) the festive season we see an increase in customers searching for the perfect red lip,” a Mecca spokeswoman said. Celebrity stylist Kate Young said lipstick – particularly pouty red shades – had the power to completely transform an outfit.“You can wear a cute suit to work with sneakers and change into heels, and put on earrings and lipstick, and it’s suddenly a cute evening look,” said Young, who counts Margot Robbie and Sienna Miller among her Hollywood clients and is an ambassador for Afterpay. The red lip trend has also been given the tick of approval by celebrity facialist and manicurist Jocelyn Petroni. “Classic beauty that is natural and fun is my all-time favourite beauty look,” Petroni said.“Adding a red lip or nail makes me feel feminine and festive.”At a recent Gucci event, Bieber teamed her burgundy-hued pout with a glowy complexion, full brows and subtle sparkly eye makeup, serving serious holiday season beauty inspo. Nars Jungle Red lipstick joins Hourglass ambient lighting powder, Too Faced Cinnamon Swirl eyeshadow palette, Laura Mercier Set-À-Porter rranslucent setting powder, and Urban Decay Double Team all nighter setting spray as Mecca’s party season bestsellers for 2021. Bieber even channelled another party beauty trend – statement eyes – with subtle green-tinged eyeliner.“Hailey wanted something fun and pretty, but comfortable – and she wanted to play around with colour,” Bieber’s makeup artist Nikki Wolff told Vogue.“So I lined her eyes with a green pencil liner and then used an iridescent eyeshadow on her eyes — in the middle and inner corners — to create a multidimensional effect.”Meantime, Mecca’s makeup spokeswoman recommends moving away from “everyday bronzy eyes” for “something more eye-catching this party season.””Select three eyeshadow combinations and pack each colour onto a different section of the eye, for example the lid, crease, and inner corner,” she said.“The trick here is to pack the product using one brush and then use a clean brush when blending so that each colour stays in the section you want, yet with a seamlessly blended finished look.”Top it off with getting cheeky. “One of my favourite ways to take a look from day to holiday glam is by dialling up the cheeks,” she said. “Achieve a more intense cheek is through the technique ‘draping’ – apply blush on the temple area, draping it down the sides of the eyes and across the cheekbones.“If you’re trying this out for the first time, I recommend using the Hourglass Universe Unlock Palette, the powder formulation can be more forgiving and easier to blend, plus using the two blush pigments can help to create more dimension in your look.”SKIN DEEP For celebrity facialist Petroni, party beauty starts with the base – that is, the skin. “On the eve of an event, I like to wear my favourite mask to bed,” Petroni – who is Chanel’s official manicurist and an ambassador for cult skincare staple Bio-Oil, said. “To combat dehydrated skin, I like to let a mask soak into my skin overnight for a super hydration soak.”And what do you do the morning after a big night out? “Before applying make-up, make sure your skin is prepped with good hydration,” Petroni said. “This will allow your make up to sit beautifully on the skin without sinking into creases around the mouth and eye areas.“You can do this by applying a few drops of oil to clean skin, followed by your regular moisturiser and skin care routine.”Petroni incorporates Bio-Oil’s Dry Skin Gel (from $14.95) into her skincare routine by using it to hydrate. “Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel deeply hydrates the skin and helps it retain water from trans-epidermal evaporation,” Petroni said. “This water retention is important for keeping the skin hydrated and looking plump, so is the best way to pamper your skin during the festive season and prevent it from becoming dehydrated.“I like to apply the Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel straight after a shower before I towel dry, to let it soak in and hydrate my skin before I get dressed for the day.”