BTS: Max Factor Party Makeup ft. Candice Swanepoel

OK, so this party season how-to features one of the world’s greatest make-up artists, Pat McGrath MBE, and one of the world’s greatest faces, Candice Swanepoel, so we’re aiming high with our make-up this party season.

We’re taking you backstage on set of the new Max Factor campaign with McGrath, its global creative director, “to show you this beautiful colourful couture look on Candice,” as McGrath explains, to pick up a little party inspiration more than anything – after all this is a “very bold, brave, decadent and hedonistic look,” she says.

Bold and brave it may be, we’re taking what we can from McGrath’s lesson in festive make-up by way of “bold shimmers, lots of colour, full blush, glossy lips – because they’re perfect for the party season.”

However, maybe not all at once. The idea is that “this is a really strong couture look that women can take inspiration from.”

“You can take a blush, you can use the bold lip. You know, even use the eye shadow and just work it as an eyeliner. So you can literally break it apart to make the perfect party look.” And if you are after a colour pop for a party follow McGrath’s tip and “apply the colour using a damp brush so that you get more colour intensity.”

“If you’re brave do the whole thing,” adds McGrath, “Other than that, just take elements.”