Vamp up your beauty look this Halloween and beyond with Topshop's latest collection. Ayesha Muttucumaru tells you how
I love Halloween and with it, the opportunity to let loose with my make-up. For one day of the year, we can all embrace our inner Catwoman, zombie, Hulk or pumpkin and opt for the more dramatic and theatrical over the understated and demure.
However, as much as I love the excuse to pile on the orange, green, talcum powder and home-brewed blood, it would be nice to have an alternative that’s wearable enough for the day which wouldn’t get me a) fired or b) committed, and that’s where Topshop Make Up’s new The Damned Collection comes in.
A limited edition range fusing high fashion with high drama, what really sets the products apart is their silky smooth textures and rich velvet finishes. Think goth meets modern day vamp by way of candlelit skin, deep berry shades, molten metallic eyes and deep, bold lips.
VELVET LIPS
My favourite part of the collection, this trio of matte, long-lasting lip paints are super pigmented yet also refreshingly lightweight. Available in Velveteen Ribbon , £10, (a just-bitten bloodshot crimson) Plush (a vibrant purple) and Raven (a midnight black), you don’t have to be brave to sport these daring shades. To ensure your pout is suitably prepped and not left parched, Hannah Murray , Topshop Beauty Consultant recommends the following: “As with all long-lasting lip products, moisturise lips with balm and then blot to remove excess before you begin.”
EYE GLEAMS
For a dose of gothic glamour, take your pick of any of these three shadow pots, £9 which can be pared down or built up to seamlessly take you from day to night. Hannah suggests, “Intensify the wet-look effect by pressing more product onto the centre of the lid. I like to create a two-tone, modern smokey eye smudging the metallic black along top and bottom lashes and blending outwards. I then press the silver or the rose gold onto the centre of the eyelid to give a flash of bling when you blink.”
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SKIN PERFECTING PRESSED POWDER IN WHITE LIES
They say candlelight is the most flattering of lights, and this clever hybrid powder , £14, has been designed to provide just that. Somewhere in between a powder, a cream and a fluid texture, it cleverly lifts skin and subtly diffuses T-zone oiliness with just a sweep of a brush (candlestick not included).
CHEEK & EYE DUO IN BITTEN CHERRY
This compact duo , £12 of red and pink shades can be applied to cheeks, eyes or anywhere in need of a little pop of colour. The powder formula glides on for a soft finish leaving a glow of luminosity that would bring the life back to the cheeks of even the most Damned.
MATTE AND GLOSS NAIL POLISHES
For the perfect finishing touch, take your pick between a slick of glossy red Bittersweet , £6, matte purple Bad Orchid or nightime blackout Croupier . Exuding subtle Halloween chic from top to toe all year long has never been easier, nor more on-trend.