Yes parties are curtailed, and there’s a bit of damp squib feel about this winter. However, there will still be nights out, small get-togethers and cocktails to drink, and we will be dressing up no matter what. These beauty buys help to make the season sparkle:

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1 A bottle of glamorous perfume

If your signature scent now reminds you too much of lockdown, look to something new and golden. The new Elie Saab perfume, Le Parfum Lumière, created by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian – recently announced as the new creative director of perfume at Dior – is a glamorous addition to your going-out beauty kit. Kurkdjian worked with Saab on the popular original Le Parfum, but this one is more of a floral woody chypre, with notes of jasmine blossom and heady tuberose. Sunshine on a rainy day. From €57 at department stores and pharmacies nationwide.

2 Shimmer for eyes

It’s the one time of year most of us countenance a bit of sparkle around the eye, so a mini palette like Nars Orgasm (€36, at www.SpaceNK.com) is a good investment – you only need a little of these pigmented shimmer and metallic shades for maximum effect – I love the iridescent copper shade, Pattaya. Glossier’s refillable Monochrome eye trios are great too – our pick is Jute, a shimmering soft taupe (€22, www.glossier.com).

3 A brilliant berry lipstick

I’ve been wearing Charlotte Tilbury’s Walk of No Shame all year – it’s just a great shade, a berry that isn’t too dark or dramatic but perfect for everyday. For a bolder berry, Chanel Rouge Allure in Legendaire (€41, at counters nationwide) is a glorious velvety dark shade. Instant glamour, whether dabbed on as a lip stain, or carefully lip-lined and blotted to maximise its staying power.

4 Something to make your skin glow

Can anything lift our skin from looking grey and tired at this time of year? Sorry, this is expensive, but it does work: MZ Lift & Lustre Golden Elixir Antioxidant Serum (€260, www.harveynichols.com) makes your skin look as if it’s bathed in candlelight. It’s both a treatment serum, with antioxidants to protect the skin, but also seems to light it from within, so is a very subtle way to look healthier and glowing. Everyone will tell you that you look well. An alternative is Chanel’s gorgeous Sheer Highlighting Fluid in Gold (€42).

5 A comforting body collection

Realistically, the chances are that some nights out will be cancelled. As a compensation, treat yourself to some Laura Mercier bath and body concoctions as a back-up plan – this Grand Indulgence Ambre Vanille collection (€95) is sweet and warming, and will make sure you don’t feel too bad about missing out. At counters nationwide. Other body comforts to have on standby: Max Benjamin Magnesium Bath Salts (€27, www.maxbenjamin.com), L’Occitane Shea Butter Winter Walk Rich Body Lotion (limited edition, €29.50, ie.loccitane.com) and Ground Sleep Pillow Spray (€18, www.groundwellbeing.com and Seagreen, Co Dublin).

STOP PRESS …

Not strictly a beauty buy, but posters of Eve Arnold’s photographs of Marilyn Monroe are certainly things of beauty and make a lovely gift (€30). Head to www.evearnold.com to see the new collection, which also features stunning shots of Isabella Rossellini and Mikhail Baryshnikov. For the remainder of 2021 the Eve Arnold Estate will donate all profits to UNICEF from the sale of posters of the Children in the nursery in China (Cotton mill nursery, Peking, China, 1979).