Jungle fever has hit the make-up counters and suddenly there's no place for pale and interesting, writes Phyl Clarke
IT'S A BIT Katharine Hepburn in African Queen, a touch Greta Saatchi in White Mischief and a soupçon of Meryl Streep in Out of Africa.
If you were paying attention some weeks ago, I referred to a beauty offshoot based on the tribal and safari looks from the catwalk. Sunkissed outdoor girls with super healthy, glowing skin and natural earthy shades are all the rage this summer. The flatter-all shades of safari-inspired clothing is reflected in this summer's make-up collections.
To get the "I've just been in the jungle for a week and still look this good" look, you don't have to be a make-up expert. A few basic products will see you through, or you can go the whole hog and super glam it up à la Lauren Hutton circa 1970.
Key to the trend is bronzer; there is no place for pale and interesting here. Apply bronzer after liquid or cream products and before mascara and lip colour. Chanel has won my heart with its Soleil Tan de Chanel, which gives a subtle glow lighting up the face. It comes in five shades, has a terrific brush, and a beautiful pattern of embossed sandy waves. Sheik chic for € 40.50
Begin with concealer on selected areas to even out skin, and try and skip foundation altogether, as it's important for skin to show through and not look covered up. Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (€26) is a terrific cross between powder and bronzer and comes in seven shades. If you want to go for a super sun protector with colour, La Roche-Posey's XL Tinted Anthelios (€19.50) gives a healthy glow and stays put, too. It has a SPF 50.
Cream blush is more natural, and one of the best is The Multiple (€40.50) from Nars, a multi-use stick which can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks and as a highlighter for the body. Another multi-use product is Oxymoron, so named because it feels like a gloss, but looks matte. It is available in four wearable shades for cheeks and lips, my favourite being the perfect pinky brown called Honest Politician. It costs £18, from spacenk.com
Now you can have some fun with colour. For eyes, YSL's palette, Couleurs d'Afrique (€50), is inspired by African tribal fabric patterns and has an embossed design on each colour. If you prefer a cream eye shadow, Clinique's new Quick Eyes (€19) glide on seamlessly and stay put all day. It comes in a terrific choice of nude shades, too - Muffin and Sunlit Palm are favourites. Chanel's eyeliner Stylo Yeaux in Vert Bronze is the perfect shade of Jungle Green (€20). Lancôme's Star Bronzer Shadow (€30) is perfect for adding a touch of evening glamour sitting around the campfire.
Lips should be natural and matte and using a lip crayon is an easy way to achieve this. Bobbi Brown's Lip Crayons (€24) come in naturally flattering shades, and the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (€24) does exactly what it says on the tin, and lasts for hours. Dolce Vita, a new shade, is divine. Brows are always important, but particularly here, and will pull the whole look together. Estée Lauder comes to the rescue with its new Brow Perfecting Duo (€24), which contains powder, wax and a double-ended brush to achieve the perfect shape. It is available in three shades.
Now then, where did I park my camel?
pclarke@irish-times.ie