The festive season is calling, and I'm heading straight for the drinks cabinet. A pre-party tipple wouldn't go amiss, but I'm not turning to my go-to cocktail for a top-up, rather a swig of makeup inspiration.
TikTok's ongoing obsession with linking trends with food & drink is still going strong, enough to irk even the most devoted beauty fanatic.
But I'm prepared to turn a blind eye for 'Martini Makeup', seeing as it's in a league of its own.
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Try The Trend: Martini Makeup
Boozy, buzzy and bold – glimmering green across the lids is hard to resist. Although for most, it's perhaps the less obvious shade choice.
Wise Man-worthy gold, dusky champagne and flashy opal certainly all make for pretty party looks, but in my book, a gorgeous sludgy green takes top spot.
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© Orin CarlinIn case you missed the memo, Martini Makeup draws inspiration from the classic aperitif. Its hero hue (washed over the eye) references the customary gin-soaked olive, and in some cases features a flush of red across the cheeks and lips, nodding to its pimento pepper innards.
The trend first sloshed onto my feed at the end of the summer, but it's taken me until December to lean into its elegant, celebratory energy. Why? For me, it's about spirit.
The Verdict
Bond sitting alone at a bar with brooding eyes is just not my style. Granted, the martini is sophisticated, but it also works entirely as a festive party tipple, painstakingly carried through a throng of revellers. Better still, with the makeup to match.
Glassy, lit-from-within skin is a must. I'd suggest infusing your usual base with some form of illuminating liquid. I'm currently wedded to Drunk Elephant's B-Goldi Bright Drops – the vibe is more dewy than all-out shimmer and that suits me just fine.
© Orin CarlinWhen I took the trend for a spin, I didn't want my eye look to feel too calculated, more smudgy and soft. I went in with Trinny London's Eye2Eye all over my lids in the shade 'Chariot', a gorgeous gold-flecked khaki. The creamy formula is buildable and a dream to blend (oilier types could benefit from an eyeshadow primer beforehand), and I simply blended out the pigment with my trusty MAC 219.
© Orin CarlinNext, I enlisted the help of Victoria Beckham's Satin Kajal Liner. Interestingly, the brand actually does a colour called 'Olive Green', although to me it feels too deep and verdant for this particular task. 'Sequin Green' fits the bill perfectly, a murkier, gold-adjacent shade which I ran along my upper and lower lash lines for some definition.
© Orin CarlinAfter a slick of mascara, I was keen to pay homage to the pimento pepper. 3INA's No Rules Stick in '244', a pretty, true red, delivered a subtle hint of colour on my cheeks and lips. I personally think shade uniformity here looks lovely and polished.
© Orin CarlinIn the interest of full disclosure, I adore cool tones. Give me mink over bronze any day of the week. My eyes are blue with a hint of green, and I am always drawn towards dirtier shades rather than 'warmth' and 'heat'. And so, when 'Martini Makeup' won my approval, it didn't come as a shock.
But a makeup trend that fits with my personal shade preferences and my tipple of choice?
Consider me utterly quenched, no hangover cure necessary.
