Nothing quite says sultry like a deftly applied smokey eyed look. MiD reviews The Body Shop’s holiday inspired makeup line, which includes a handy 4-Color Eye Palette, their skin-matching All-in-one BB cream, and two new eyeliner shades, just in time for the new year. Starting the holiday season off, The Body Shop has launched the Smoke & Sparkle makeup collection, and as the name suggests, it’s all about smouldering eyes, glossy lips and bronzed perfection.

All about the skin

The All-in-One BB Cream (AED79) allows you to skip the prepping and priming step in skincare, accomplishing three hefty tasks in one: moisturising, protecting against the sun, and evening out complexion. Available in three shades, the BB cream offers light coverage for most skin tones. The watery white product blends into the wearer’s shade to the closest pigment. For those who need more coverage, the BB Cream can act as a makeup base for concealers that can be set with pressed powder for a long-lasting look.  We tried the product out in 03 to match an olive-toned complexion. For those with dry skin, a light layer of moisturiser can help seal the pigment in for longer, while those with combination or oily skin could benefit from keeping the product on with a layer of pressed power. The skin-matching non-sticky formula moulds to the facial structure in a way that catches the light at the highest points of the cheekbones, while casting a sculpted shadow in the right places for a chiselled bronze look.

 Smouldering gaze

The Body Shop’s holiday line includes two shades of nude eyeliner pencils (AED55 each) that can be used to replicate a doe-eyed innocence for the daytime. Nude liner on the waterline contrasts vividly against strong black definition along the lashline, making the eyes look wider and well-defined. A quick swipe of liquid liner on the eyelids, extended out to the upper corners captures the old world appeal of Audrey Hepburn or Brigitte Bardot.

For a glamorous night look, The Body Shop 4-Colour Eye Palette comes with easy-to-replicate instructions on creating the perfect smokey eyes in Silver Black and Golden Brown (AED125 each). Each palette contains three powder eye shadows, a glittery cream eyeshadow, a mini eyeliner pencil and a small eyeshadow brush with synthetic fibres. The pigments in the eyeshadows and eyeliner pencil contain Community Fair Trade marula oil from Namibia.

The Silver Black palette is ideal for a heavy-handed wintery look, with the matte charcoal black working to define the eyes and the icy silver shade is ideal in adding a touch of frost.  The palette also includes a satin medium grey and a glittery nude base colour. The glitter in each shade is subtle enough to work under the sun, while glamorous enough to complete a night look. The four-step application instruction on the back of the packaging allows you to use all four shades, whether you’re a professional or a makeup novice.

The Golden Brown palette achieves a completely different look, adding warmth and bronzed sophistication in contrast with nude lips. Equipped with four warm shades—a  nude base, honey, caramel and coffee tones– the Golden Brown palette is naturally complimentary on any eye colour or skin tone.

The matte black shade is ideal for adding definition and dimension by smudging it along the lashline and the outer “V”. The look lasts for 8 to 12 hours a time, ideal for the party season and for long nights out.

In a nutshell:

• The All-in-One BB Cream comes is three shades, from porcelain light (01) to a warm medium tone (03). The watery product is easy to apply, blend and ideal for layering, offering light coverage for a natural, dewy finish.
• The nude eyeliner pencils are a perfect throwback to the swingin’ sixties, opening up the eyes and making the doe-eyed look easy as pie.
• The limited edition 4-Colour Eye Palette contains four shades—3 powdery shadows and 1 creamy base colour—and includes a mini eyeshadow brush, a mini eyeliner brush, a mirror and step-by-step instructions on application.