You might have bought the perfect party dress and dancing shoes, but you can’t really complete your look without perfection in your make-up too. There’s still time to hone those skills and get a new holiday palette to test drive at home!
So before you go all out with the Christmas makeup (gold eyeshadow, green eyeliner and wine-red lipstick, anyone?) this season, here are some fail-proof makeup tips for you:
Shimmer & Shine
Tinsel looks good on Christmas trees, but it can look good on you too. To get that festive shimmer, highlight your best features with a glittering powder. Sweep it over your cheekbones, under your brow bone, and the inner corners of your eyes. Pink-based highlighters work well on fair-skinned ladies, while medium- to darker-skinned ladies should go for golden tones (think bronzer).
Brows
Brows help to frame your face, and defined brows not only make you look more wide awake, they also add a certain allure to your look. Lily Collins certainly nailed that baby doll look with her strong brows, cat eye flick, and nude lipstick.
So make extra effort to groom your brows! Comb the hairs and fill in the bare spots with an eyebrow pencil. Invest in a comprehensive and handy brow-grooming kit that comes equipped with tweezers, a mirror, brow pencil, powder, brush, and wax for a complete brow touch-up.
Eyeliner
The best way to define your eyes for a bold, elegant look is by sweeping black eyeliner across the top eyelid. There’s a reason why this is a go-to must-have makeup tool for many celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Angelina Jolie. Swap your pencil for a gel or liquid eyeliner for a sleeker, more dramatic look. While it is a little more difficult to control in the beginning, you’d be glad you ditched the pencil!
For winged-tip eyeliner, close your eye and begin from the inner corner. Move the line outward and extend it slightly at the outer corner. If you find it difficult to hold your hand steady, make little dashes along the lash line and then connect them later. Stick to a neutral tone for the rest of the eyelid so the black really pops.
Blusher
To get that festive glow, blusher is your best friend. Dial up your natural rosiness by mixing complementary blush colours, one lighter and one darker, or start off with a paler shade and layer a darker shade over it. Just remember not to go in with a heavy hand and no solid lines! Layering and round strokes is key! A fluffy brush for your blusher is definitely going to make a bigger difference.
Eye Shadow
Eye shadow can be risky, as there’s a tendency to get carried away and smear it all over your eye. But for the holiday season, eye shadow is perfect for upping the drama. Take your look to another level by adding flecks of gold, purple, or green to your basic grey eyeshadow.
Be sure to contain the colour in the crease between the eye and brow bone, though. Bringing it all the way up to the brow bone can make you look dated and over-the-top. And if you do go overboard with the shadow, soften it by dabbing with a makeup sponge.
What are some of YOUR holiday makeup tips? How do you get party-ready? Share your tips in the Comments section below!
An Exercise In Trivial Pursuits 