Easy-To-Copy Party Looks, By A Top Celebrity Makeup Artist

Regular makeup artist to the likes of Jorja Smith and Lucy Boynton, and a firm fixture backstage at London Fashion Week, Zoë Taylor is responsible for dreaming up all the biggest beauty trends months before they hit the mainstream.

With party season around the corner, lots of us are hitting Instagram and Pinterest for beauty inspiration, but Zoë thinks it's time to switch things up, as we're set to eschew the classic red lip, smoky eye and lashings of glitter for something a little more experimental. Ahead, she predicts the coolest festive looks and how to create them, whatever your style or budget.

Flashy sparkle is out. "I think the festival season has taken ownership of glitter," says Zoë. "This season, it’s more about powdery matte colour; a real layered, bespoke pop of colour, especially on the eyes." Zoë recommends Victoria Beckham's Smoky Eye Brick, £48. "This is an inclusive palette because it’s all in one and you don’t feel as though you have to use one single shade." Also try Sample Beauty's Loose Eyeshadow Pigment, £8, in various shades like Matte Lavender and Terracotta. Use a flat eyeshadow brush to pack on the colour, and a softer, fluffier brush to blend up towards the brow bone and out in the direction of your temples.

When you think of a true '70s colour palette, avocado green and muted orange hues spring to mind, but Zoë is placing a focus on brights with a retro twist that sees texture take centre stage. "We are moving towards this very beautiful '70s use of colour: think shimmering golds juxtaposed with bright, matte colours like cerulean blue and yellow. It's very Studio 54 but much more modern."

Try the shades Axis or Edge in Anastasia Beverly Hills' Subculture Eyeshadow Palette, £43, and blend right up to the brow bone using a fluffy eyeshadow brush, like L.A. Girl's Tapered Blending Brush, £5. MAC's Eyeshadow in Chrome Yellow, £15, or Atlantic Blue, £15, offers a more vibrant take on the trend. Finish with a slick of mascara on both top and bottom lashes and keep skin fresh.

"I think this trend will come as a relief for some people because the glamour, opulence and grandeur of it doesn’t take a lot of time," says Zoë. "There's zero foundation involved. Instead, there's just a touch of shine thanks to a mixture of facial oil and moisturiser, which allows you to still see the texture of the skin."

Team this look with a deep "rouge noir" lip, adds Zoë. "I like really big commitment colours and the secret lies in the application. Use the same brush you like for eye makeup to get a really soft, diffused, slightly over-the-edge look so that your lips become pouty and dolly-like, rather than sharp."

As always though, it pays to prep lips pre-colour. Try the Tinker Taylor Lip Kit, £64, which includes a scrub, oil and balm, or the Dr PAWPAW Scrub & Nourish, £8.95. "Blot off the balm with tissue and invest in a really serious matte," says Zoë. R29 rates MAC's Retro Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Fashion Legacy, £19. "Then, take your foundation or concealer brush over the edge and over the top to make things a little more symmetrical, but not too much. This feels really cool but you get that glamour element."

Instagram-esque eye makeup is making way for more of an imperfect finish, says Zoë. "Application should be painterly and you can use anything. At a lot of runway shows and on shoots, the inspiration behind eye makeup is being able to use either my fingers or a brush. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly contoured eye."

If you don't want to use your fingers, invest in a mini flat concealer brush to apply swathes of eyeshadow, like the Sigma 4DHD Precision Brush, £16.50. Instead of powder eyeshadow, opt for something with a creamy texture for malleability, such as Tom Ford's Emotionproof Eye Color, £32, or 3ina The Cream Eyeshadow, £12.95. The trick is to swipe and go.

"I keep pulling myself back into this ‘60s vibe, which is where the halo eye comes from," says Zoë. "Playing with shadows and lines in this way recreates the architecture of your face." To avoid everything looking too precise or painted, skip liquid liner and opt for a super sharp kohl liner, like Zoeva's Soft Kohl Liner, £9, or Charlotte Tilbury's Rock 'n' Kohl, £19, for smudging. According to Zoë, anything goes here. Start at the outer corner and fashion a half-wing, or trace inside your crease.