We’re leaning towards warm, bright and optimistic shades in clothes, interiors and beauty now. Pantone’s key colours for 2021 include Blush Beauty, somewhere between pink and orange, and Siesta, a brighter coral; shades that are comforting and flattering, whether on a wall or on the lips. Red carpet stylist Elizabeth Stewart is leading the charge, dressing Amanda Seyfried in peach Oscar de la Renta, and then a Woke Morais peach velvet suit that sums up the spirit of dressing now – soft, strong, joyful. As for beauty, coral has a certain retro charm. I can still picture my grandmother tapping her coral-painted nails across the piano keys. Peach and coral shades are associated with screen stars such as Audrey Hepburn – applying her signature salmon-pink lipstick in Breakfast at Tiffany’s – and Marilyn Monroe, coral lips against pale skin. And now we’re reclaiming this nostalgic colour. Make-up artist Zoe Clark (www.zoeclark.com) says she adores using peach/coral shades when aiming for a fresher, healthier make-up look. “They give an immediate lift to the face, particularly if you’re feeling pale and washed-out (which let’s admit, a lot of us are at the moment). These shades also work incredibly well on tanned or darker skin tones. For a more modern and cohesive natural look, I often pop the same coral shade – using just one peachy blusher, for example – on the eyes and cheeks, with a similar lip colour.” This summer, embrace the giant peach … once you try it, you’ll never look back.

Make-up artist Zoe Clark’s peach tips:

FOR EYES “If you have visible fine veins in your eyelids, or are prone to any kind of redness around the eye area, firstly apply a fine concealer over the lid and under the eye. Then set the concealer with a dusting of a matte ivory or cream base eyeshadow before appplying peach or coral shadow. Sometimes less is more when working with these brighter tones – perhaps only apply to the socket of the eye. One of my favourites is MAC’s Rule shadow. For an inexpensive palette of coral tones, try Paradise Enchanted Palette by L’Oréal Paris, which also has a fun peach scent.”

FOR CHEEKS “A little pop of peachy pink colour on the apples of the cheeks can work wonders. If you’re concerned about broken capillaries, use a little foundation/concealer to cover them prior to applying the blush. My tip is, if you naturally have more a pinky skin tone, fire ahead with the coral blusher; for more sallow, yellow-toned skin, aim for something a little more pink than peach. Try Nars’ Orgasm blush. L’Oréal Paris also does a fabulous blusher, Life’s a Peach, (€11.99; www.boots.ie) which lives in my own personal make-up bag as I use it not only on my cheeks, but also a little in the socket of my eyes, for that tonal look.”

FOR LIPS “A lovely bright coral lipstick on its own does the job if you want to look more ‘alive’. Check that the colour doesn’t make your teeth look yellow, though; if it does, go for something more pinky.”

Main featured image: Marilyn Monroe in the Nevada desert during filming of The Misfits, 1960, by Eve Arnold. Poster, £30stg; www.evearnold.com