How to be beautiful: Bright eyes

Bright colour on the eyes is tricky, even for the committed cosmetics-wearer.

By some twisted logic, you can apply 10 tonnes of black eyeliner and sludgy brown eye shadow and still remain convinced it’s a relatively natural look; but dust on some green or blue and suddenly all you can see in the mirror is make-up with a capital M.

This, however, is exactly the point of this season’s “peacock eye”, which is basically a smoky eye rendered in vivid combinations of blue, green, purple and bronze, as seen on the catwalk at Prada, Cavalli and more.

This is unashamed display rather than covert enhancement. And since Christmas-party season is traditionally time for sequins and shimmer – clothes that wear you, rather than the other way around – there’s no better moment to give such a look a shot. Practice makes perfect – and it does need to be perfect, because nobody wearing four shades of eye shadow can pretend not to have tried.