Now is the season to decorate the halls and decorate the makeup. “It’s the time of year when you can really say ‘whatever,’ and sprinkle some crystals or glitter on your eyes,” says celebrity makeup artist and founder of Neen Jeanine Lobell. “This is the perfect time to play around with makeup.”
From Christmas parties to white elephant exchanges, you’ll want a happy look that matches your mood, so we asked four professional makeup artists to share the best festive beauty looks to try. Whether you’re looking to spread Christmas cheer or wow on New Year’s Eve, these glamorous festive looks are perfect for any holiday. Thanks to makeup artist tutorials, you can easily recreate or add your own style. Check them out below, along with all the products the pros use.
Sugar and spice in equal parts, celebrity makeup artist Sofia Tilbury created this sweet and sexy look that’s unabashedly radiant. From sparkling eyes to simple contouring, this festive look creates a bright and lifted effect that sparkles under the mistletoe or as New Year’s ball falls. Here’s a breakdown of the products Tilbury used to create the look.
Your makeup routine really starts with skin prep, and Tilbury loves Magic Cream because it creates a smooth, dewy finish.
For foundation, this medium-coverage formula uses Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin for a radiant finish.
Tilbury erases dark circles and brightens the under-eye area with this color corrector.
Next, makeup artists apply the skin-care-rich concealer subtly under the eyes, around the nose and in the hollows of the cheeks for a lifted look. Choose a shade lighter than usual to enhance this bright contouring effect.
For brows, Tilbury uses a combination of products to style and shape brows. This refillable pencil has a precision tip and spoolie end so you can fluff up brows before filling them in.
A tinted brow gel can add more shape and definition to sparse brows, or you can use a clear brow gel like Brow Fix to hold them in place.
While the Pillow Talk quartet of blush shades often sells out, the Luxury Eyeshadow Palette comes in 14 other versatile shades, so you can pick your favorite based on your skin tone or palette. Use one of the matte shades as a primer, followed by a shimmer or limited-edition Hypnotizing Pop Shot eyeshadow from the palette.
Highlight the eyes with a touch of black eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner will give you the precision you need to create a sharp cat-eye look.
Finish the eyes with a coat or two of mascara to add volume and length to your lashes.
Complement the eye makeup with a pink blush pout. One of Tilbury’s favorite makeup gift sets, this lipstick set includes a full-size Hyaluronic Happikiss Lipstick, along with travel-sized Lip Cheat Lip Liner, Matte Revolution Lipstick and Collagen Lip Bath Gloss.
Don’t forget it’s all about glowing! Apply a generous amount of blush and highlighter on top to give your cheeks extra fullness.
Set your party look and create an airbrushed blur with translucent powder.
Bobbi Brown professional artist Michele Shakeshaft designed this simple yet stunning look from day to night. Perfect for holiday office parties or to add a touch of glam to your everyday look, beautify your eyes, lips and face in just five products. Plus, Bobbi Brown is currently running a winter beauty event with 25% off sitewide.
Cover and correct undereyes or wherever you need to with this lightweight, wrinkle-free formula.
Shakeshaft starts with the neutral cashew shade of these eyeshadow sticks, then dabs a shimmery golden bronze shade just below the crease for a sculpted eye look. Then, the golden pink creates a pretty highlight on the inner corner of the eye.
Using an eyeliner brush, apply this tinted gel as you would a liquid eyeliner for a winged effect.
Whether you like a bold coral like Shakeshaft, a classic red, or a neutral blush shade, the hydrating Luxe Lipstick is available in 39 shades, so there’s something for you.
Finish the look with a touch of shimmery highlighter. Shakeshaft opted for a pearlescent pink luminous shade, but the luminous highlighter comes in nine shades to suit all skin types and undertones.
Lobell’s holiday look has the chill vibes of a winter wonderland. Icy eyeshadow and iridescent highlighter add a frosty touch, while pink lips embody the season’s festive vibe. There’s plenty of room to play—switch it up to gold for a warmer look, or try a doe eyeliner to make eyes look bigger.
Lobell covered the lids with champagne Beam before applying black Like eyeshadow as a liner. Application Pro Tip: Use a fine liner brush dampened with water to pick up more pigment to define the eyeliner. Then, after you’ve applied your favorite mascara, remember to go back and add a swipe of Beam in the corners of the eyes and bottom lash line for extra highlight.
Next, makeup artists illuminate cheekbones, nose, and Cupid’s bow with this creamy, reflective highlighter. It comes in three luminous shades, and Lobell used Frosty in the tutorial.
Coordinating lips and cheeks, Lobell wears this multipurpose product in the shade Shake. The creamy formula spreads and blends easily with fingers.
The makeup artist used this long-lasting lip liner in warm pink before applying Neen’s Going Rouge.
To finish, swipe on a shimmering lip gloss to add a frosty finish to lips. Neen’s Glisten Up duo includes two shades, while Lobell opted for a pink shade of Bye to complete her look.
Shine bright with Valentino
For haute couture holiday beauty, recreate this gorgeous graphic eyeliner look from Karoline Karakeosian, Valentino Beauty’s National Professional Artist. Negative Space Eyeliner with a shimmery finish is extra special. As Karakeosian says, you’ll be ready to “kill the holidays” with this look.
The dual-ended Twin Liner has a precision tip liquid eyeliner on one end and a gel tip on the other. Whether you’re doing a classic cat’s eye or a negative space version like Karakeosian, use it to paint your designs.
Once your eyeliner is set, use the eyeliner brush to apply Stick With Me Primer to your design or wherever you want a sparkly accent.
Apply shimmery eyeshadow over base makeup to add sparkle to your eye makeup. Karakeosian opts for the Emerald Queen shade of Dreamdust Glitter Eyeshadow.
Enhance your glow with a touch of golden highlight. This Go-Clutch compact clutch even doubles as a crossbody clutch and features a mini lip balm so you can take your glamour with you wherever you go.
For lips, limited-edition Rosso Valentino Lipstick comes in a cheerful, bright red that’s perfect for the holidays and beyond.