Break out of your routine with some fun holiday makeup looks that you'll be able to sport at cocktail parties, family gatherings, and other festivities. Holidays are perfect times for experimenting with your makeup. Festive dinners, parties, and other activities and events offer a chance to brighten up your look with your look in a new way.
Holiday Eyes
They eyes are often the focus of a holiday makeup look because they are one of the easiest features to play up with new colors or applications. Consider one of these four ideas to experiment with.
Green or Red Eye Makeup
Green and red are classic holiday season colors, but just choose one to dress up your eyes for a festive look that isn't cliché. Choose jewel tones or shimmer formulas in one of these colors. Highly pigmented shadows and liners work well to really make the eyes pop. Simple ways to use these colors for a holiday eye:
- Use rich green eyeliner along the top lash line in a thick, dramatic line that wings out slightly at the end of the eye. This is a change from the standard black or brown liner, but still looks elegant. Pair it with a champagne eye shadow and black mascara.
- Create a red-based smoky eye. Maroon, brown-red, or deep berry colors can work for a unique smoky eye, and are especially great colors for blue-eyed gals. If the red color seems to be too much, temper it by blending grey eye shadow and adding grey liner for a look that is still bold, but also dramatic and sexy.
- Use a sheer wash of either a red-based or green-based eye shadow along the top lid only, sweeping the shadow out to extend to a slight "v" at the corner of each eye. Finish with black or brown mascara for an intriguing look.
Metallic Eye Makeup
What would the holidays be without all the glitzy decorations? Metallic and glitter eye makeup looks can really spice up you look in a festive and fun way. Metallics are also perfect for New Year's Eve.
- Try glittery, pearl, or metallic-shimmer eye shadow formulas. These will offer a hint of splash or sparkle without looking garishly glitzy.
- Add gold or silver eyeliner to any makeup look. Make sure to wear mascara if you use this eyeliner alone to keep the eyes from looking washed out and to add definition.
- Work a metallic smoky eye. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Charlize Theron have been spotted on the red carpet in smoky metallic eye makeup. Simply use your choice of silver, gold, bronze, or other metallic color to create a smoky eye, but line the top eye with black eyeliner for definition and drama.
Snow Angel Eyes
White eye shadow, or off-white colors like cream or champagne, can look lovely and romantic. You can make white eye shadow the basis of the eye makeup, by using a high-pigment shimmer white shade on the top eyelid, or just use it to add a bit more ethereal appeal with small touches. Use at the inner corner, it can highlight and brighten. Used to highlight the brow bone, it can help make the eyes appear larger.
Baked Beauty
You might not like the thought of all the calories the holiday season's baked goods have to offer, but they may just inspire some new eye makeup ideas. Consider rich, warm, colors to accentuate your eyes, such as:
- Gingerbread
- Cocoa
- Cinnamon
- Spice
- Chocolate brown
An advantage to these slightly spicy neutrals are that they look naturally beautiful and work well for holiday events where less drama is called for.
Bright Blush
In many climates, winter washes out those last traces of summer color, so blush is important to brighten your face for the holidays. Pink and rose tones work well for most skin tones and a light application is probably all you need if you are planning on highlighting either your eyes or mouth. A cream-based blush can help your skin look fresh and dewy, especially if suffers from any winter dryness.
If you have great cheekbones an want this feature to stand out, try a red-based or berry-tone gel blush and blend a small amount lightly on the apples of the cheeks and then sweep slightly up along the cheekbones.
Festive Lips
Just like the eyes, there are many ways to dress up the lips for the holidays.
Classic Red
One of the classic seasonal looks in lipstick is a traditional red lip. There is a flattering shade or red lipstick for every woman; just make sure the base color is right for your skin tone. If your skin tone is cool you will most likely need a red lipstick with a blue undertone. If your skin is warm-toned, you'll need an orange-based red lipstick.
To keep red lips looking vibrant all night, use a lip primer and line the lips with a coordinate lip liner prior to applying your lipstick.
Gorgeous Gloss
Glossy lips are perfect to wear for holiday events. Even if the rest of your makeup is on the simple side, a quick swipe of gloss instantly adds glamour to you look. Wear clear or light-colored gloss if you have heavier eye-makeup. If your eyes are on the lighter sides, you can choose a more colorful gloss. Berry shades, purple-based hues, and candy pinks are all fun colors to try.
More Holiday Looks
- 24-Karat-gold lips:Give your mouth a flirty finish with translucent gold lipstick, worn alone or over your everyday lip color to give it added shimmer.
- Luminescent skin: Apply a face gloss anywhere you want extra sheen: cheeks, lips, and down your nose. For a dewy, sexy look, try skipping foundation and use a tinted moisturizer instead.
- Sparkly nails: While cherry, slate, and burgundy may be holiday nail color staples, why not try glittery nail polish for the office party this year?
- False eyelashes: For an added touch of glamour, try individual or strips of false eyelashes for a lush, fun look.
Holiday Makeup Tips
- Never play up both the eyes and the lips, pick one or the other.
- Don't be afraid of bold makeup colors that are infused with that holiday makeup feel. If there's snow on the ground, bold colors are a perfect contrast during the holidays.
- Anyone can pull off red lips during the holidays, as long as your lips are moisturized and not chapped. Exfoliate your lips by applying an eye cream and following up with a light scrub using a toothbrush or washcloth.
Holiday makeup can be natural-looking, bold, or somewhere in between. Try a range of looks for different events to look radiant no matter what the season brings.
