Melanie Morris on how to achieve full-on Hollywood glamour.
The trailer: This winter it's okay to be a powder-puffing, lip-lining, compact-clicking lady ... in fact, it's to be encouraged. Full-on glamour is back with a bang.
The main feature: Forget going natural; just as fashion is looking back to a more elegant era, make-up trends are going retro, too. Think Hollywood's golden era ... perfect, porcelain complexions, carefully curled hair, smoky eyes and strong, deeply-stained lips. It's going to take time to get ready this winter, but it'll be worth it.
The plot line: Here's how it goes. Foundation and powder first. Move away from dewy and go for a matte base, then smoke-up the eyes (blue/charcoal, dusky pink/oxblood or dull gold/cappuccino combinations work best). Spend time developing perfect brows. First arch, then extend them like Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge. Sweep kohl pencil under eyes - just along the outer half - and smudge. Curl lashes and add layers of big dramatic mascara such as Lancôme's Hypnose, then line lips and fill with colour-packed lipstick before glossing. Finally, dust a little tawny blusher in the hollows of cheekbones and highlight the face with something such as MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish. Don't forget shoulders, collarbones and arms.
The supporting cast: Poker straight blow-dries are so last season. It's time to invest in heated rollers or a curling attachment for your styling wand. Argos has the best selection. Manicured nails - worn long and slightly more curved than in previous seasons - should match lips, so think berry tones or, for the real deal, killer scarlet. Then buy a handbag to match.
Star quality: The return to glamour can be encapsulated in one collection this winter - the gilded looks of YSL. Its eye shadow combos offer full drama or reserved chic. Its lips are colour-soaked and glossy or pouty and velvety. Foundations are matte, with good coverage. And its new fragrance, Cinema (launching today), is a contemporary classic that's perfect for sophisticates, blending timeless favourites such as amber and amaryllis with more edgy bourbon and clementine. Even the iconic bottle oozes red-carpet style.
The money shot: This winter, real divas won't stop with cosmetics and fragrance. The ultimate beauty indulgence must be La Prairie's Skin Caviar Luxe Body Cream (from €324 from the spa at the Four Seasons) that lists caviar and gold in its principal ingredients - the former lifts, while the latter adds radiance.