We needn’t tell you of our love for Lancome‘s creative director Aaron de Mey and his no-holds-barred approach to high-impact makeup – we met him back in September last year and got a slice of his skills ourselves, no less – so if there’s one boy we’re happy to take beauty tips from, you can rest assured it’s him.

And if you want to know what beauty buys to invest in for the new season and what shades to wear with your neutral wardrobe, Aaron’s shared his autumn makeup tips to keep you looking cool.

“Colour, whether it is for eyes or lips—for instance, an eye cream or shadow in deep green or violet,” he says, are the key products to invest in this season. “Blue looks striking when applied over a chocolate or black eye pencil and finished with black mascara. Or apply a deep, rich, saturated hue of red, crimson or burgundy to the lips—use a sheer or gloss formula for a more natural result. And don’t forget the amazing shades offered in nail polishes, as they are an easy and inexpensive way to experiment with colour and trend.”

And what will work with our camel-filled neutral wardrobe?

“Classic reds, deep brick and cherry or burgundy tones look great on lips paired with neutral, sculpted eyes in shades of grey, taupe, chocolate or black. Alternately rich jewel colours (amethyst, sapphire, ruby, emerald) look striking when used to sculpt and contour the eye area,” Aaron tells NOWNESS. “For more natural makeup, use a deep burgundy or rose cream and blend into the apples of the cheeks for a flushed, wind-bitten effect. Touches of rich, electric colour brighten the face and make it look polished when paired with a neutral wardrobe.

He’s just done the make-up for a new KT Auleta-directed short film too which, let us tell you, is nothing short of shimmering gorgeousness. And yes, that is such a thing. Make sure you check the film – and the rest of Aaron’s tips – out at NOWNESS.com

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1. Serious devotees and bargain hunters buy at auctions and house clearances – you are much more likely to find real treasure – but these tend to take place during office hours making them fairly inaccessible to most shoppers.

2. Don’t worry too much if there are buttons missing, these can always be replaced by your drycleaner or tailor.

3. Rips and tears are harder to deal with, especially if they’re not on the seam or the fabric is very delicate, so check carefully before you buy.

4. Avoid anything with stains under the arms , this cannot be fixed and is very hard to cover up.

5. Check carefully for moth holes as there is nothing worse than bringing home a lovely dress that ends up compromising your whole wardrobe.

6. Don’t be afraid to bargain, it doesn’t hurt to ask and vintage sellers are usually in the business because they truly love the clothes, so if they think it’s going to a good home they may be willing to chop the price.

7. Don’t be afraid to wear it! There’s no point in buying a gorgeous embroidered 50′s ball gown if it’s just going to sit at the back of your wardrobe. As long as you don’t treat them badly, vintage clothes are more resilient than they may seem.

1960s Indigo Scarf Dress (pictured above), £1488 available at Couture Lab

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Overdosed on turkey, trimmings, trifle and champers? well haven’t we all. Its time to detox, re-hydrate, replenish and restore. Here we round up our top picks for a dose of beauty rehab.

Dr Zelens , Zelens Shiso Detox Infusion, £30, from www.spacenk.com and www.zelens.com

This Japanese tea infusion from skin science experts Zelens provides a powerful antioxidant to cleanse and detox your body. Incorporating the properties of the Japanese shiso leaf (a powerful antioxidant, anti,inflammatory and anti-allergen) results in a refreshing drink that combines elements of mint, basil, cinnamon and anise. Consume a cup as required!

Crabtree & Evelyn, Refreshing gel eye mask, £3.00, available at crabtree-evelyn.co.uk

Too many tots of tequila? Perfect for that morning- after ,the- night ,before. Pop in the freezer for 10 mins and apply over eyes to de- puff, by encouraging excess fluid to drain away from eye area & soothe that banging headache.

Darphin Instantly Radiant Hydrating and Brightening Eye Care, £30, available at House of Fraser

To combat grey, tired circles, a light- reflecting brightening stick is ideal. This “hydrating formula touch up stick” from Darphin is perfect for tackling signs of fatigue.

Dr LeWinn’s Instant Radiance Booster, £25, available at Boots

Great for thirsty skin, use this instantly hydrating, brightening formula as a quick fix application, or apply generously for 10-15 minutes for deep down moisture replenishment to calm blotchy, partied out skin.

Estee Lauder, anti-aging brightening cream, £39.15 available at www.esteelauder.co.uk

The rich consistency of the cream is great for replenishing lost moisture in the skin caused from dehydration plus it really does instantly brighten skin-tone and even out the complexion!

Vital Eyes, moisturiser, £2.93, available at Boots

Nothing can make you look worse for wear than red, dry eyes. Apply a couple of drops to instantly whiten and replenish tired eyes, and to fool everyone that you’ve had your recommended 8 hours!

Champneys, Crackling foot reviver gel, £3.00, available at Champneys.com

Use this instantly cooling spray to de-puff and refresh tired tootsies with mint essence and chamomile to give them some much needed TLC.

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Guerlain, Midnight Butterfly Sublime Radiant Powder Face & Body, £46: Bring back old school glamour with this decadent shimmer powder. With the signature violet fragrance of Guerlains powders, this is the ultimate indulgence for sexy, sparkling skin.

CR by Coco Ribbon, Little Miracle Balm, £24, available at www.cocoribbon.com: This multi-purpose balm in its chic packaging is perfect for a multitude of beauty tasks. Use as balm for lips, to tame unruly brows, add shine to cheekbones or highlight the brow bone.

Mister mascara paradise lashes, £8.63, available at beautique.co.uk: Adore your peepers with these fluttery-feathered lashes…perfect for attention grabbing lashes!

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan, £4.99, available nationwide: This no , fuss instant tan is a must have beauty back up. Quick, easy, and gives a perfect sun kissed colour. Apply with a tan mitt for ultra ease and perfect coverage.

Mini Wax strips, Parissa, £7.99, available at Boots nationwide: Eyebrow emergency? These specially designed super mini wax strips are just the answer to rescue unruly brows in seconds!

Stiletto Stick, Butter London, £24.47, available at www.strawberryandcream.com: Keep dancing heels smooth and soft with the equivalent of lip balm for heels. Trust us your partied out feet will thank you.

Blotting paper compact, Paul & Joe, £10, available at www.hqhair.com: Essential for a quick fix , yes its party season and we are partial to a bit of shine , but not that kind of shine.

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Sure, celebrities are always touting the contents of their makeup bags and their beauty must-haves. This is all well and good, but when it comes down to it, we’d all look flawless if we had a legion of beauticians applying our makeup every morning. Here in the Big Apple, most of us work ridiculous hours, yet almost never head home directly after work.

When you’re going to bed at 1 am and waking up six hours later to head to the office, it wreaks havoc on your appearance…and it’s only Tuesday! So what’s a girl to do when she has to dress up for work and look her best? I rely on a tried and true routine, no gimmicks and no personal makeup artists included:

1. I always make time for a long shower in the morning, no matter how tired I am. I feel that much more refreshed; normally I use the Whole Foods brand Lavender body wash, but if you want to pamper yourself check out Kiehl’s body wash in lemon verbena; something about citrus-y scents always wakes me up in the morning.

2. I use Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer with spf 20. It provides a touch of moisture, a hint of color to even out my complexion and an spf to block out UV rays. It’s super lightweight and non-greasy, so it’s perfect for use all year round (I throw on some extra moisturizer underneath during the winter).

3. Now, onto those terrible dark circles under my eyes (if I’m lucky there is no puffiness)! I swear by Sephora brand Cooling Cover Stick in Clair 01. It blends perfectly and is a great under-eye concealer as well as to pat on to any trouble spots. It’s perfectly pocket sized as well and at $12 won’t break the bank, so you can tuck one into your bag for last-minute touch-ups during the day. I think that this may be magic in a tube; my skin is very fair but my sister has super-dark Brazilian-like skin and this is a great under-eye concealer for her too.

4. To finish up my eyes, I use Maybelline Unstoppable eyeliner in espresso on my lower inside lashes only. Then I swipe on a light gold eyeshadow on the inner corner of my eyes (I use Sephora brand Strass No. 17 but any gold that suits your skin tone is fine)….

5. and a light coat of MAC Zoom Lash mascara on my top lashes. If it’s really dire, I’ll swipe some on my lower lashes as well.

6. And finally, blush! I use Cargo blush in Tonga but the color isn’t pink enough for me (although it has good coverage) so once I’ve finished this up I’m switching over to MAC powder blush, as recommended by a friend who has gotten me addicted.

Once I’ve rectified my late night with makeup, I’m almost ready to go. The final step in my routine? The largest cup of coffee I can find.

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A good fashion photographer is more than somebody who takes good pictures. He or she must also have the midas touch to make clothes and their models look their best artistically (and marketable!).

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