The Baftas are having a bit of an Oscar moment. Thanks to the will they/won’t they aspect of this year’s Academy Awards, all eyes are on the British equivalent, which take place tomorrow night.
The amount of preparation that goes into these award ceremonies is staggering – and Britishness, it seems, is no guarantee of restraint. No matter that it’s London in February: the dress, the hair, the make-up – all must be immune to vagaries of weather, lighting and nerves.
It is, of course, ridiculous that an actor’s standing depends as much upon his or her ability to strike a pose for the paparazzi as on talent, but I don’t make the rules. While ordinary people go about their weekends, the likes of Keira Knightley and Tilda Swinton will be performing their ablutions – by which I don’t mean a hot bath and a face mask, I mean professional help.
In this respect, Lancôme is one of the most successful names to be associated with the Baftas. This is not just because of the quality of its products; it is because it rents out a big suite and offers treatments to all the stars, from A to Z-list.
Such goings-on may seem light years away from the experience of most women, but the truth is we all have times – a party, a wedding – when we want to amp it up a notch. For make-up addicts like me, this is not a problem – if doing this job has taught me anything, it’s how to apply eyeliner – but there are plenty of women who wear little make-up in real life and who, when it comes to a big night out, haven’t a clue where to begin.
To this end I accompanied a virtual make-up virgin, Anna, to get Bafta’d. In the aforementioned suite (white roses, champagne, canapés), Lancôme’s top make-up artist, Amanda Bell, prepped her skin with a plumping product before applying Lancôme’s new foundation, Photogenic Lumessence (£24, available March 1). Designed to diffuse light on the skin, this works perfectly in flashbulb situations, minimising shine. A touch of pink for the cheeks, and it was on to the main feature, the eyes. According to Bell, most women want a classically glamorous look – and that means smoky, seductive eyes and big lashes.
After banishing a few shadows using Flash Retouche (£14), she created a stunning set of peepers, all moody blacks and greys. A final flourish in the shape of Hypnôse Onyx mascara (£18.50) and my virgin was now a fully fledged vamp. Afterwards, we met her husband for supper. “You look very glamorous,” he said, skewering a prawn. Coming from him, that’s the equivalent of a teary ten-minute eulogy.
