New Year’s Eve make-up looks for every tier

Whether you are celebrating on the sofa, on Zoom, or in the fresh air, make-up artist Madeleine Spencer brings us the perfect looks to see in 2021

The year of corona has changed many things about our daily lives. Travel became a thing of the past; dressing for entirely different occasions above and below the waist is now the norm (I am currently wearing an Equipment shirt with Puma tracksuit bottoms); and words like lockdown, tiers, and self-isolation have entered everyone’s vocabulary.

Physical contact has also been a casualty of 2020, which seems to have had the effect of making us all buy less shampoo and deodorant (guys…). But that is not the only impact on our self-care: endless hand washing or sanitiser has seen many of us left contending with dry red patches, and daily mask-wearing has introduced a new level of complexity to our grooming routines.

For the myopic, opting for glasses over lenses is now no longer a quick aesthetic fix for a trip to the shops because of the inconvenience of foggy lenses (the only trick I’ve found that works: a plaster holding the mask onto the nose. A faff, but effective). 

And for make-up wearers, mask-wearing has seismically shifted our habits. Data has shown that we’ve all said a resounding hello to jazzy eye make-up, and it’s sadly RIP lipstick. And anyone who habitually wears foundation or concealer has by now been well acquainted with the drudgery of washing masks ad infinitum to remove said make-up.

All those things considered, corona has given us plenty to be a bit fed up about, especially if you’re a keen decorator of your face. But given how rubbish 2020 has been, it seems only fitting that we should gladly welcome in a new year. So instead of thinking of New Year’s Eve as a write-off, why not go all out on the glamour?

So whatever tier you’re in, and however socially distanced your plans are, make sure your make-up is worthy of a new year to remember.

Tier 3 and 4 - staying in: matching eyes, cheeks, lips and nails

Forget the idea that matching colours is dated: right now, more is more is more of the same colour scheme, and there’s something fun about throwing precisely the same shade on your lips and nails, then complementing that hue with hazier versions of those tones on eyes and cheeks.

And if you’re staying in, you can revel in the heady joy of wearing lipstick in the knowledge that it won’t be covered by a mask – and you won’t have to worry about washing a lipstick-smeared mask afterwards.

To get the exact same colour on your nails and lips, look to the brand Emolyne Cosmetics, where lip liner, lipstick, and nail polish all bear the same names inspired by places across Africa. Try Casablanca (£40 for the kit) for a fiery injection of colour, or Cape Coast (£40) for a rich, berry red.

Once you’ve applied your lipstick, take a soft complexion brush like the Nanshy Buffed Base Round Brush (£9.95), tap it on your lips, and brush the colour in a tick shape concentrating the bulk of it on your cheeks and pulling the tail of colour up towards your hairline. If you want a hint more colour, draw a little cross on the apple of your cheeks with the tip of your lipstick and use the brush to buff that colour in.

Next, use an eyeshadow blending brush like MAC 217 and swirl a little colour onto the outer corner of your eyes, rounding the edge to nuzzle the v-shaped edge. Add lashings of mascara, and you’re done.

Tier 1 and 2 - going out: celestial glitter

This is the one to go for if you’re spending the night at a restaurant and know that you’ll be eating that essential substantial meal to qualify for a glass of wine, and popping your mask on if you’re heading to the loo or outside for a cigarette.

Basically: it focuses on eyes, meaning you can do all of the above with impunity without spending even a minute of your precious time out celebrating worrying about your make-up.

Prep your skin by mixing your favourite base with a highlighting product like Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (£34) – and add a little extra neat highlighter to the high points of your face for extra lustre.

The rest of this look all hinges on your eyes. Start by pressing a shimmering shadow onto your lids, focusing on the centre and softening the concentration at the edges for a lived in, relaxed take on shimmer. Try KVD Dazzle Stick (£19), Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow (£28), or Huda Beauty Gold Obsessions Palette (£27) for good quality glitters that won’t end up falling down your cheeks.

To finish this look, add mascara. Lots of mascara. Layering up your usual one will do the trick, or if you’re after something that’ll give you loaded up lashes speedily, get your hands on Nars Climax Extreme (£22).

All tiers - outside: golden glaze

Watching fireworks? Having a socially distanced drink with friends? Whatever it is you’re doing outside (within the rules), it’s likely to be dark and it’s likely to be cold so offset the appearance of both with a softly sheeny, golden-hued finish to your skin with gently-defined features.

Start with a glowing base that also offers good coverage to hide redness like Sculpted by Aimee Second Skin Dewy Finish (£25), massaging it onto skin with fingertips for a seamless finish. Next, add dew. Nothing does the job quite as well as Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face Illuminator (£26). Pop some on your cheeks, your lids, and maybe a little on your cupid’s bow.

If you’re serious about glow and want even more, sweep a little powder highlighter on before you add the Aucoin liquid. Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette (£36) is the gold standard, and looks best when swept over skin with a soft brush like Zoeva’s Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush (£15).

For definition, add a lick of deep black liner like Ruby Hammer’s Precision Liquid Liner (£19), sweeping it just past your lash line to elongate eyes, then add plenty of mascara, a little lip gloss (Surratt Lip Lustre in Etoile, £30, would work really well with this look), and you’ll be ready to see in 2021 with a glowing complexion.