Four beauty trends to take your make-up and hair game up a notch this summer

NUDES ARE IN

2016 was the year Urban Decay relaunched all its lipsticks with the Vice collection (HK$150). Fronted by edgy Ruby Rose, the collection includes deep chocolate browns, burgundies, and even a black. Not to be outdone, Make Up For Ever then launched the Artist Rouge Crème lipsticks (HK$190), boasting shades that one would readily associate with the waves of the Maldives.

Last year also ushered in the crazy Instagram lip art trend. (Dripping liquid metal lips for a groceries run? Sequin lips for a work meeting?) On top of all that, celebs were constantly seen jazzing up their everyday looks with a bold lip. So it makes sense the coming season will see a more toned down pout making a comeback.

This year’s award season saw ladies of the screen, big and small, take to the red carpet in flattering nudes. Janelle Monae and Gwendoline Christie at the Golden Globes, and Neha Kapur and Viola Davis at the SAG awards were just a few among the many culturally diverse actresses who rocked barely there lips. And, let’s be honest, if Meryl does it, it’s basically law for the rest of us mere mortals, right?

Get naked with your perfect nude this season, and look no further than the bareMinerals’ Gen Nude collection (HK$150-$190). With 43 buildable shades – covering mauve, pink, peach and beige undertones – in four textures, bareMinerals has you covered whatever your skin colour.

SPARKLE AND SHINE

Often, people find glitter “too much” or hard to work with (the fallout!), but as long as you stick with packed pigments instead of loose or a hyper shimmery shadow, it really is quite usable.

Start with your eyes, it’s the easiest feature to go big or small with when it comes to glitter. If you’re a glitter novice, pick up a small amount of a pale shimmery shade – or your favourite highlighter to ease into the trend – on a small flat synthetic brush and pack it around your inner corners. To soften the effect, buff it out a little with a small fluffy brush. If you have single eyelids, line your inner lower lashline instead. This is a particularly flattering technique if your eyelids remain quite bare, as glitter often looks best when it’s blended into other colours. If you have no colour on your lids because of your eye-shape, an isolated spot of sparkle may look odd. However, if that’s the kind of statement you like, go for it.