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STRIPPED DOWN
I ditched the OTT glam for a barely-there make-up look – and I absolutely love it, says Love Island star Demi Jones
You can achieve Demi's natural look too
WHETHER it’s gym lips or Yorkshire Terrier-style ponytails, Love Island has brought us some memorable beauty looks.
And as they entered the All Stars villa last month, it was clear this year’s contestants would not be adopting the latest “clean girl” aesthetic, which favours minimal make-up and hairstyles.
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False nails, golden tans and full-face make-up were sported by the villa’s returning beauties, including Demi Jones.
The 25-year-old, who came third in the first winter series of Love Island in 2020, wowed viewers with her trademark all-out red-carpet glam.
But she admits that she has to spend two hours a day doing her make-up.
Demi, who was dumped from the villa last week, says: “I’m a very glam person and I like doing a full face of make-up.
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“I am a bit stuck in my 2016-era look, with big, bold brows, a contour and false eyelashes.
"But I don’t care — that’s my look and I like it.
"People tell me I wear too much make-up but I enjoy the process of getting ready."
And it seems she isn’t the only one.
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Half of British women have spent up to an hour longer on their make-up since Love Island first aired in 2015, with 60 per cent buying more make-up, according to research from beauty retailer .
But it seems that the trend for full-face glam might be dwindling.
Last year the clean-girl aesthetic trended on TikTok after stars including Hailey Bieber, Sofia Richie and Bella Hadid ditched heavy beauty looks in favour of “make-up-free” make-up.
Six in ten women are now happy to go without cosmetics following lockdown, with the majority more concerned with skincare than slap, beauty brand Foreo says.
Never one to miss out on a new trend, Demi agreed to ditch her signature glam style for the barely-there look.
But as we prepare for her make-under, she admits she has her reservations.
Demi, from Portsmouth, says: “I am quite attached to my make-up.
"Even going to the gym I will pop a skin tint on.
“When I was recovering from thyroid cancer in 2021, getting glam definitely helped me regain my sense of self.”
But she is nevertheless keen to embrace her natural beauty.
She says: “My body’s all natural, but I have had a bit of filler in my lips.
"I was so nervous to go on the show and put my natural body out there.
"Being next to girls who have beautiful fake boobs and natural tan, I did compare myself.
“As I’m a redhead I don’t tan naturally, and I suffer from acne.
“When I first did Love Island, I refused to even remove my sarong for the whole series because I felt so self-conscious.
“But this series I took it off and learned to embrace my figure.
“I want to try and do that more, especially with so many young girls watching Love Island.
“When you wear a lot of make-up and suddenly strip it back, you do feel that bit more vulnerable.
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“But I think stripping back could be a good thing for me, as everyone is always telling me I should try it.”
Demi needn’t worry, though — Aimee Adams, a make-up artist to stars including Tess Daly, Ranvir Singh and Binky Felstead, is on hand to create her new, understated look.
In order to achieve a natural, glowing complexion, Aimee suggests forgoing heavy, powder-based products and opting instead for ones that will give you a light coverage.
She says: “Start with a tinted serum as a base. I like Sculpted by Aimee HydraTint (£23).
“Concealer is essential for a strong and natural base, so make sure you are working that on the skin.
“I opt for a jelly highlighter to give skin a dewy look and avoid anything too highly pigmented so that it can be more easily blended with your skin tone.
“Other than a swoop of mascara and gel on the brows, I keep other products to a minimum.
“You can add a sweep of shimmer with a cream eyeshadow. I love Primark’s £2.50 Nudes Metallic eyeshadow.”
When it came to Demi’s hairdo, celeb stylist Jay Pinder — who has worked his magic on Demi’s fellow Love Islander Ekin-Su Culculoglu and former EastEnders actress Danielle Harold — was on hand to provide a sleek but simple alternative to the Yorkshire Terrier up-do.
Jay says: “For a super-simple dressed-down look, blow-dry your hair smooth and give it a bit of a brush.
“Then add a smoothing cream.
“I love Colour Wow One Minute Transformation, to instantly get rid of any split ends.
“I then gave Demi a side-parting and swept her hair behind the ears and she was ready to go.”
And while Demi might not be quite ready to ditch her false lashes yet, she reckons she might be ready to leave some of her 2016 style behind.
She says: “I was really surprised with how much I love this look.
“My make-up is super-glowy and stripped back and it really highlights my natural features.
“I really feel like me — there’s nothing I am trying to hide and that feels very liberating.
“I will definitely try to embrace myself more after seeing this.
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“It’s been the encouragement I needed.
“This year will be my clean-girl year and I suggest all the Love Island girls give it a go when they leave the villa.”
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