Woo all the Boys... with MAC 'Ruby Woo' Lippy

MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo, £14.00, available from MACcosmetics.co.uk and MAC lip pencil in Cherry,  £11.50, available from MACcosmetics.co.uk

I have a hot new love in my life (and it isn't a man. Who needs 'em?) Nope, it's MAC lipstick in 'Ruby Woo'. I absolutely love it. Such a glorious deep red, it adds instant glamour to any outfit. It doesn't dry out the lip, and feels nice and velvety on application. Here's my New Year's Eve make-up choice, featuring the treasured lip wear:

Top Tips for Red Lip Perfection

1. Invest in a matching lip pencil. MAC's lip pencil in 'Cherry' matches 'Ruby Woo' perfectly, and will add clarity and perfection to the lips. 

2. Optimise your pout. Use the matching lip pencil to create a cupid's bow, and add fullness by going slightly over the edge of your bottom lip. Apply the lip pencil to the entirety of the lip if you want your red to stay put all night long.

3. Think about colour clashes. Avoid blushes which are pink or red based, and opt instead for a blush which looks closer to a bronzer. I wore Benefit Sugarbomb Face Powder (and focused on the bronze/golden shades of the palette) The same applies for a highlighter - I used Barry M's Dazzle Dust in Gold Iridescent. 

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Be Spooktacular this Halloween

Last minute Halloween party with no outfit? DISASTER, non? Fear not and think fast, as you have the essential tool kit right in front of your eyes. Behold the potential of the humble make-up bag:

In five minutes you can create this 'drop dead' gorgeous effect, for free, without using harsh face paints which can dry out the skin.

My Frankenstein tool-bag consisted of:

Red lippy (cheaper the better, don't be using your Chanel Rouge Allure on this look!) I used Rimmel's Lasting Finish, in Alarm 170, £4.99, available from Boots.
Red Gloss (for that oozy blood effect) I used Maybelline's Superstay Tint Gloss in Lasting Pink, £6.99, available from Boots.
Black, blue, green and purple eyeshadows (again, the cheaper the better) I used a mixture of brands, ranging from Rimmel's Colour Rush Mono Eyeshadow in blue and green, £3.99, from Boots, to a highly pigmented pink MAC Eyeshadow in Tease to Ease, £16.50, available from MAC Cosmetics. Of course it all depends on what you have handy in your bag - but rusty browns and greens are great for creating an authentic-looking head wound. Joy!

My top tips for getting ghoulish:

1. Apply your usual base make-up. This will help to prevent the additional effect make-up from absorbing/shifting on your skin.

2. Start with the shadows. Blend black shadow into the sockets of your eyes, hollows of your cheeks and temple area. This will instantly give you a skullish appearance. Spoooky!

3. Blend in blues and pinks to the black shadow around your eyes, making the skin appear bruised and zombiefied.

4. Take a bronze shadow and apply to where you will be creating a head wound. Apply red lipstick in a wound shape, then add more bronze shadow to create a dirty, bloody wound. I use eyeliner to create contours in the wound, i.e. make it look deeper, by outlining one edge and smudging slightly. Add a few dabs of gloss over the top for a really sticky, bloody effect.

5. Add comical stitches as your heart desires using black eyeliner. Great fun.

Muwahahaha! Who said Halloween needn't be glamourous?