The Positive Solutions Of Mood-Boosting Beauty

Joy-inducing beauty

We’re exploring the power of joy-inducing beauty and discovering the bright ideas set to shape its future. So, get ready for a heady injection of colour, playful textures and a whole lot of fun…

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Joy-inducing beauty

We’re celebrating the power of joy-inducing beauty and exploring the bright ideas set to shape its future. So, get ready for a heady injection of colour, playful textures and a whole lot of fun…

Shop joy-inducing beauty

Joy-inducing beauty

As part of our Happy New Decade celebrations, in which we’re championing positive solutions for the new decade, we’re exploring the power of joy-inducing beauty and discovering the bright ideas set to shape its future. So, get ready for a heady injection of colour, playful textures and a whole lot of fun…

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Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough collection (coming soon)

The joy of collaboration

For our happiest creative campaign yet, we’re celebrating the boundless creativity that unexpected collaborations can bring to the worlds of fashion, design and, yes, even beauty. And what better beauty partnership to shine a spotlight on than Bobbi Brown’s collaboration with award-winning artist Morag Myerscough, who has created installations for the likes of London’s Design Museum and the Festival of Love for London Southbank. With its standout packaging in Morag’s signature colour-pop brights, this collection of eyeshadows, lipsticks, powders and eyeliners is the perfect way to brighten up those dark mornings. Fascinated by the relationship between colour, pattern and our environment, Morag’s mantra is: “make happy those who are near and those who are far will come”. We’ll second that!

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Top: Morphe The James Charles Artistry Palette
Bottom: Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipstick in Obsessed, Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip in Main Squeeze, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Left: Morphe The James Charles Artistry Palette
Right: Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipstick in Obsessed, Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip in Main Squeeze, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Go bold, or go home

If, like us, you’re tired of seeing the same-old cut-crease and contour tutorials everywhere, you’ll be happy to hear the key themes for 2020 champion self-expression, creativity and colour-saturated tones. Your inspo? Oscar de la Renta and Iceberg’s SS20 shows, hit TV series Euphoria (set to come back to our screens this summer), and a few of our favourite Insta-beauty aficionados (see below). There’s never been a better time to explore a bold new make-up approach. Your tools? Rainbow-bright palettes layered for a fresh take on eyeshadow (precision and purism have no place here) and highly pigmented matte lipsticks (we recommend a Q-tip to mellow out the edges for a softer finish). The colours you choose and how you apply them is entirely up to you – after all, it’s about showing off your personality. How liberating is that?

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Same same, but different

OK, so nude may not instantly say joyous, but trust us, this season it’s been given a serious dose of fun. MAC’s new Loud & Clear collection proves that au naturel doesn’t have to mean low-key. While the fail-safe colours haven’t changed (cue sighs of relief for some), what’s new is their strong pigments and beautiful textures, taking them into territories favoured by the bold. Ideal for those who like to build up gradually, it’s totally wearable but with the option of adding some flair when you feel like it. Win-win.

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MAC Loud & Clear Collection (coming soon)

Same same, but different

OK, so nude may not instantly say joyous, but trust us, this season it’s been given a serious dose of fun. MAC’s new Loud & Clear collection proves that au naturel doesn’t have to mean low-key. While the fail-safe colours haven’t changed (cue sighs of relief for some), what’s new is their bold pigments and beautiful textures, taking them into territories favoured by the bold. Ideal for those who like to build up gradually, it’s totally wearable but with the option of adding some flair when you feel like it. Win-win.

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What I’m most optimistic for in 2020 is the democratisation of beauty. After decades of a prescribed agenda or aesthetic, it feels like the community is now in the driving seat. Thanks to social media – and a whole lot of exciting voices challenging the status quo – not only are we more informed than ever before, but we’re starting to see genuine reflections of ourselves staring back.

– Beauty Editor, Grace Gargini

Left: Uoma Hypnotic Impact Metallic Lipstick in Savage, Natasha Denona Diamond & Blush Palette
Right: HUDA Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette, Matte & Metal Melted Shadows

Play around with texture

We get it: heading to the corner shop with a fluorescent pink eye may not be the most practical look. So if bold colour isn’t your thing, textures are another great way to add a bit of individuality. Seen across the SS20 catwalks – from Matty Bovan to Fendi – the classic smokey eye was given a glamorous update with striking metallic. HUDA Beauty’s genius Matte & Metal sticks are dual-ended with matte and metallic shadow that you can mix and match, safe in the knowledge that the formula will stay in place, even during a Little Women weepfest. When it comes to skin, layering both cream and powder for blush, highlight and everything in between adds depth and definition, as well as increasing the staying power of the colour (basically, the powder locks the colour in place). Oh, and lest us not forget this gorgeous metallic red lipstick from Uoma – kapow!

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Maison Margiela Replica Under the Lemon Trees and Lazy Sunday Morning Eau de Toilette

Fragrance gets personal

There’s something comforting about reminders of the past in a world that feels like its racing out of control, and Replica’s mood-boosting scents are just the ticket. Inspired by personal memories – strolling through a park at springtime, sitting front row at a jazz club – these scents will instantly take you to a happy place. What’s more, Margiela is just one of the fragrance brands pioneering new modes of personalisation – you can add your name and a special location to the label with a small Polaroid image – while Experimental Perfume Club’s LAYERS collection is made up of six fragrances that can be layered to create over a thousand unique combinations for a blend that is totally unique to the wearer (both available at Selfridges London). From fragrances designed by blood type to personality profiles leading you to an ideal scent – perfumers are seeking bold new ways to make fragrances totally unique, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next…

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