Fajazzle

Accessories for the face have burst back onto the beauty scene in recent times, swept in with the tide of the 90s revival. Fond memories of brightly coloured stickers applied haphazardly to the face as a child come flooding back to me, accompanied by the image of the heart-shaped patch of raw flesh it would leave when removed. Nowadays, fun face things are far gentler on the skin and can be purchased in places other than dodgy party shops and Claire’s Accessories. Miu Miu was quick to jump on the bandwagon during its Autumn/Winter ‘12/13 show: models appeared with small circular mirrors framing their brow bone and inner corners of the eye – a mesmerising look and one which I am impatiently waiting for an opportunity to copy, facial glue at the ready.

Bindis – as popularised by the legendary Gwen Stefani – are the most prevalent facial accessory at festivals and clubs worldwide. Ms. Stefani’s face has become something of a template for revellers, and who can blame them? She looks fierce. Of course it would be ignorant to disregard the history of the bindi, whose positioning between the eyebrows signifies the sixth chakra, the site of ‘concealed wisdom’, which also plays an important role in yoga as the ‘Third Eye’. I enjoy a little spiritual meaning to my make-up. However, the definition and function of the bindi has loosened with time, and has been adapted by both Eastern and Western cultures. When my sister went to India this summer, I made a specific request that she bring me back some beautiful authentic bindis, and indeed she did. Now all I have to do is wait for more appropriate occasions to embellish my absent mono-brow. For ’tis not, alas, a library look.

In other facial accessory news, glitter is still an easy solution for when your face needs a last minute sprucing. Coordinate your glitz with your eye shadow (I love coppery-bronze shades) and dab in the corners and on the lash line for a more subtle sparkle. Or when at a festival just tip half a pot on your face.

Tattoos have also had a revival – the transfer, non-permanent type. I would not encourage the eternal inking of skin just for the sake of fashion. Chanel released some limited edition tattoos featuring beautiful double Cs and swallows made out of pearls, and even the rather strange lip tattoo is not amiss at a fancy dress party or on the faces of Jessie J and Lady Gaga, for whom every day is a fancy dress party. Eastern traditions not only take shape in the form of bindis, but in Mehndi, or Henna to us Westerners.

Nail art is also an insanely popular beauty trend, with some artists adding gems or even piercings to their customer’s nails. Am I the only person here who kinda wants a nail piercing? Quite possibly. But the point is, Fajazzling (I really want to get this term off the ground) is indeed achievable, and more importantly, fabulous. I expect to see you all suitably sparkled out at the two Big P’s next year: Pangaea and Parklife.