Purple Reign

Winter and purple just go together. Purple is a warming, cozy, opulent colour that can hold its own and add richness and depth to winter neutrals. This winter, there’s a focus on mauve, amethyst and deep berry tones. Currently, I’m loving a strong purple matte lip. Whatever your fancy, here’s some purple inspiration and every makeup product you could wish for in this heady hue.

1. Palladio Butter Me Up Sheer Colour Balm in Sugar Plum is a luscious, buttery lip balm that moisturizes, protects, and smoothes lips. It’s perfect for a hint of colour but can be built up to a stronger colour. Available from Dis-Chem for R95.

2. Palladio’s Matte Shadow Duo in 5th Avenue is the perfect way to create a subtle violet smoky eye. Use the colours you would usually use for a smoky eye (blacks and browns) and then use the darker purple under your lash line and the lighter lavender shade to blend out your eyelid. The aim is a hint of purple. R89.95 from Dis-Chem.

3. Use Lancôme Stylo Khol Kajal in Prune 04 on your waterline for a softer effect. Black can be harsh sometimes, and this creamy formula glides on so easily and doesn’t transfer. Available at all Lancôme counters for R350.

4. If you’re a fan of the original Flowerbomb, you’ll be happy to know that the notes of Viktor and Rolf’s Flowerbomb EDP Extrême have been intensified, to magnify the sweet, floral opulence of the  fragrance. Notes of Jasmine Sambac evoke sensual pleasure, Osmanthus provides velvetiness and Pure Vanilla Absolute adds lushness. R1715.00 for 50ml.

5. Create a soft and pretty purple day time look with Ombre Hypnôse Eyeshadow Palette in Reflet d’Améthyste from Lancôme. These shadows are so intensely pigmented and can be used ‘wet’ to create a bolder look, if you dare. Watch this fun Lancôme tutorial here. Available from Lancôme counters for R715.00

6. Palladio Velvet Matte Cream Lip Colour in Damask is a velvety liquid lip colour that provides an intense lasting matte finish. Engage in a little bit of lip lovin’ in the form of a lip scrub and a touch of lip balm before you apply this product, making sure that your lips are super smooth and flake-free. The colour that goes on your lips is darker than it looks in the tube and every ‘imperfection’ shows. I would recommend this for lipstick pros as the product can smudge and does feather. I’d also recommend it for darker skinned girls. I’m light skinned and it looks super dramatic and gothic on me, even though I like a bit of goth done right. R109.95 from Dis-Chem.

7. Following the matte trend, Elegant Touch stick-on nails offer you a manicure in a flash with a dramatic matte finish that would be difficult to achieve with a nail polish or gel. When my nails are gel-free and I want a quick fix, these are my go-to nails. In 10 minutes, I literally get the perfect manicure. The box says 3 minutes, but I guess that only if the stick-on nails match your nail shape perfectly. It takes me a bit longer, because I have to file the nails (which are chip-free, so it’s totally safe). I love this ultra luxe shade, Purple Reign. No mess, no stress and no glue… it couldn’t be easier! R79.95 from Dis-Chem.

8. Work the matte lip trend with L’Oréal Infallible Matte Max Lip Colours (R169) in 008 I Gotta Feeling. These new matte lippies are really cool in that they offer a gel-to-powder formula, delivering a soft yet pigmented matte finish via a unique delivery system: you apply them with the sponge applicator and the product is in the lid! They feel like nothing on the lips, and upon first application, literally feel like you’re applying eye shadow to your lips. Even though I love them, I find matte formulas drying, and especially so in winter. Luckily, these layer nicely over lip balm without changing the matte finish, so moisturise away. They give an intense velvety glow of colour, are really easy to wear and have staying power.

9. Whilst I do love a matte lip (as you know by now) I also love a shiny finish. Lancôme’s Rouge in Love Lipstick in Violet Coquette is the perfect berry shade for most skin tones. It has an almost-second skin texture to it – you don’t feel like you’re wearing anything on your lips. It’s the only lipstick I’ve come across that manages to give my lips lip colour and shine for longer than 4 hours. R325 from Lancôme counters.

10. Plum Tuckered Out from the Morgan Taylor Urban Cowgirl range is a gorgeous, deep, rich dark plum creme that is flattering on most skin tones. Around R123 each.

11. In this post, I went through the products that you should get rid of in your 30’s. My view is that as long as you use glitter liner in ‘conservative’ shades like black, brown, eggplant, copper and any metallic really, you can work a little bit of shimmer liner into your makeup routine every so often. For some fun, use Palladio’s Line Out Loud Liner in Amethyst. R89.95 from Dis-Chem.

12. Garnier Mineral Protection 5 Spray (R29.95) has a gorgeous scent and provides 5 in 1 protection for skin and clothes: anti-odour, anti-humidity, anti-irritation, anti-white marks and anti-yellow stains. I like that it doesn’t contained  alcohol or parabens.