How To Master The Art Of Grooming! Here's Your Beauty Guide

During the festive season, it's fair to say that we like to look our best and that means honing the art of being groomed. Forget about being over-styled, being 'done' this season requires effort but also reaps plenty of beauty brownie points. Here's your step-by-step guide to perfection:

1. Get A Blow-Out

Been hiding your inner Cheryl Cole under a dishevelled down do for the past year? Well hide no more. We can report that the bouncy, blow-out is officially back an there's no better time to flaunt a new 'do' than during the official party season! While it might not be quite as big as Cheryl’s; the new maxi (As we’ve called it) is unashamedly voluminous, undeniably done and has more than a touch of 90’s hair commercial about it.

The show that sparked the trend? It all comes courtesy of hairstylist Sam McKnight. Backstage at Blumarine he transformed models typically grunge hair into a glossy but bouff free blow-out worthy of K-Middy herself. According to McKnight the secret is backcombing a little at the crown to create height without ‘over-blowing’ it. If big isn’t for you go for the new ‘day old blow out’, as seen at the recent Celine catwalk show. Perfect for women who want the groom and gloss of a blow dry but with a little less oomph. Hot off the back of new blow-dry breakthroughs, this is more about blow-drying products into dry hair rather than starting from wet. ‘It’s faster and means no more basin time,’ says Luke Hersheson who came up with a new  ’15-minute dry shampoo  blow out at Hershesons blow-dry bar in Selfridges.  

Try The New Blow Dry:

• Permanent Blow Dry at Daniel Galvin http://www.danielgalvin.com/~permanent-blow-dry
• Instant Grooming with The 15 Minute Blow Dry at Daniel Hersheson http://www.hershesons.com/contact
• Blow It @ Regis at Debenhams Oxford Street 30 minute blow dry for £15 http://www.regissalons.co.uk/SalonLocator/
• Polish It Blow Dry at SAKS salons nationwide £22 http://www.saks.co.uk/

Or The DIY Blow Dry:

• Pantene Hairspray Volume & Body Gel £2.99
• REDKEN Powder Refresh £15.50

2. Good Bye No Make-Up Make-Up?

Best described as Chanel meets Bobbi Brown, this new ‘yes I am wearing make-up –make-up’ is as glamorous as it is groomed. The colour palette is au natural (tried and tested taupes, toffee, chocolate and beautiful beiges still apply) but as make-up artist Mel Arter says; ‘now it’s applied to be seen.’  Skin is fabulously flawless but for once foundation is something to be shouted about rather than a secret fix – the new wave of natural finish, full coverage foundations have seen to this. 

“Women are asking how to master the art of sculpting and contouring as they realise the benefits of bringing more items of make-up into their regime. The new technology in everyday products such as eye shadows, eye liners and highlighters are just genius’ says Mel. ‘Why miss out on their effects by sticking to a no make-up look and a minimal stash of products?’

 The New Full Face Make-Up Bag

• Full Coverage Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Foundation £7.99 can only be described as skin in a tin, the finish will leave your complexion perfectly polished and immaculate.
• The Sculptor: Kevin Aucoin sculpting powder £34
• The Cheek Chiseller: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Beige £32
• The Nude Lip Liner: No 7 Perfect Lips Pencil in 20 Nude £6.75
• The Lip Mimicker: Aerin Lauder The Mini Lipstick Love £24

3. The Back-Lash Factor

This season, forget mascara free lashes, forget a naturally enhanced brow and forget having to choose between the two. “Brows and lashes frame your face and without one, the other won’t work,” explains lash queen Sue Marsh.  With sales in brow pencils rising 60% and according to US surgeons, a bigger, bolder and lower brow shape has replaced the high arch that once defined brow sophistication, so does this mean we’ll mean be wearing more mascara than ever to match our supersized brows? ‘Not quite,’ says Sue.  ‘As advances in false lashes make them easier to wear and apply than ever, it’s a no brainer to use them to create volume and definition on a daily basis.’ Eye Boutique, created by Sue (who originally pioneered lash extension over here in the UK) is a range of fine, faux sets of black lashes, infused with delicate, barely visible colour such as Burgundy and Purple.  “The shape and curl of the lashes make them almost undetectable once you’ve applied them”.  Undetectable they may be yet the effect is show stopping.

Check out Sue’s YouTube tutorial to see how easy it is to apply the Eye Boutique lashes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4jxrV3LhjU

The Framing Tools

• Sue Marsh Eye Boutique Lash Holder £15 means lash application is now a joy
• Sue Marsh Eye Boutique Lashes, £8
• Shu Uemura Stretch Xtreme in Black £20
• Tom Ford Brow Sculptor £32
• Blink Eyebrow Pencil in Mysore Sandalwood £13
• Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color £13.50

4. Welcome Back French Manicures!

Thanks to heavyweight endorsement by Chanel, Louis Vuitton and McQueen, the French Manicure is having a moment again, but not as you know it!  Manicurist Marian Newman who created the nails for Vuitton and McQueen explains “the modern French Mani is NOT a hard white with a defined edge that you all know and probably hate, it’s a soft white and soft edge teamed with a sheer pink. This way the nails look healthy and clean, super manicured and very ‘expensive’ ”.  You can’t argue with that! 

Nail it!

• Chanel Nail Colour in Attraction £18
• Nailene Skinny White French Tip Pen £4.99 
• As used at Louis Vuitton! Elegant Touch Classic French Nails £6.35 
• Your cheat to fine, neat lines:  Nails Inc Corrector Pen £10
• Rimmel White Nail Pencil £2.99