It’s the time of year where a full face of makeup seems a bit OTT, but a touch of easygoing colour is just the ticket when you want to feel a little bit put together.

Given we all should be dedicated to wearing a full face of SPF to protect our skin from sun damage and premature lines and pigmentation, adding a touch of depth to skin with a bronzer is the healthy way to give a nod to summer colour. 

The best bronzers are predominantly matte to provide the face flattering dimension and a touch of contour, but also impart an almost imperceptible lit-from-within glow. 

But if there ever is an appropriate time for accentuating the high points of the face with an extra touch of gilt shimmer, now is surely it. 

Powder formulas will look slightly drier on your face and can help with oily skin but make sure you’ve moisturised well and let that moisture sink in before applying or it can catch on dry areas. 

If you’re after a more dewy, fresh look, try a cream stick bronzer and apply by striping along cheekbones and blending into skin with your fingers, or try a sheer gel. Less is more so start with a tiny amount, blend and then add more if needed.  

Using a powder product? Use a light touch with a very fluffy blush or powder brush so you’re not left with any obvious stripes. Swirl across the surface of the compact then tap the excess off lightly so you don’t add too much colour, before applying to your skin. 

Start by dusting along the tops of cheekbones where the sun naturally hits, then use the brush without adding any more colour to give a once over lightly to temples and beneath the jawline for even definition. 

Gucci Poudre De BeautĂ© Éclat Soleil Powder, $105, has the most divine case so once you’ve applied, carry with you in your handbag – you’ll want to whip this one out for touch ups! It also comes in five shades, meaning it will work for many more skin tones, something that’s sorely lacking when it comes to bronzer options.

The tiny amount of peachy-pink radiance in La Mer The Bronzing Powder, $145, gives fair skin a natural – but not overblown – radiance that’s perfect for wearing without any other makeup if you please. 

The all-rounder you’ll keep reaching for long after you’ve ended your beach holiday, Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Matte & Glow Bronzing Trio, $88 is perfect for the tentative. 

Another subtle option is Clarins Bronzing Compact, $66, if you can bear to disturb the perfect surface embossing of this limited edition!

By Terry Twinkle Glow CC Highlighter, $125, is a glamorous and fun party-perfect highlighting option with a dazzling stone-covered case. 

And perhaps the most finely milled but incredibly pigmented option of the bunch, MAC Radiant Matte Bronzing Powder, $58, looks beautifully natural on skin and it blends like a dream. 

Celebrities favoured bold and dazzling eye makeup looks at the American Music Awards.

With the news lipstick sales are down 49% between August to October in the UK and mask wearing widespread in other countries, it’s not surprising celebrities are among those choosing to amp up their eye makeup looks instead, even at events where masks are not mandatory. 

That was the case at the American Music Awards, where Cara Delevigne and Dua Lipa both walked the red carpet in standout beauty looks that are ripe for recreation as we enter our own subdued, but not completely cancelled, party season. 

Cara Delevigne’s makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan employed an extended violet eye shadow in a halo all the way around her eyes, blending it out flawlessly in a slightly winged shape and paring with a soft tangerine lip. While the makeup look was modern, Delevigne chose a classic old Hollywood wave for her hair and a silver lamé suit by Dolce & Gabbana to finish the look. 

 

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Dua Lipa accessorised an embellished, starfish-covered minidress from Versace’s recent S/S21 collection with equally dazzling silver foil eyes, which also paired perfectly when she donned another shimmering Versace mini dress to perform her song Levitate, being hoisted on wires above the Microsoft Theratre in LA as she sang. 

Other stars wearing bold eye makeup to the event included Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Bebe Rexha and Laverne Cox.