The festive season is all about stars. They’re still on the tree, they’re on our clothes, and in our eyes… Even the pastries tend to be star-shaped! It’s just something about the festive spirit that makes us want to look like stars too.
This festive season HC is bringing you two makeup looks worn by stars, which are sure to make you the star of each New Years or belated Christmas party.
LOOK 1: Kate Mara (from House of Cards and 24)
This sparkly makeup worn by Kate Mara has got everything a classic festive look should have from the metals on the eyes to the berries on the lips. And it’s much easier to master than it might seem!
In eyeshadow-heavy makeup looks, it’s always best to start with the eyes, as by the time you’re done there is going to be a ton of fallout eyeshadow all over and you don’t want it to blend with your already applied foundation. The actual eye look is very simple as the main effect is created by the clashing shades on the lid and under the eye. Take any silver sparkly eyeshadow (I have mixed Pistol and Verve from the Naked 2 palette) and blend it all over your mobile lid and blend in the crease so the shadow doesn’t look like a harsh block of silver on your lid. Now take a coppery shade (I have used Chopper from the Naked 2 palette) and apply it under your lower lash line. Again, blend so the eyeshadow fades downwards as opposed to looking like a line under your eye. Then draw a super thin line with eyeliner very close to your upper lashes to make them look thicker. If you’re not too confident with eyeliner, skipping this step is totally fine. Now add mascara on your top and bottom lashes and that’s your eyes done!
Since this makeup is very eye and lip intense, keep the base light and natural using a BB cream or a tinted moisturiser. If there are any imperfections you’d like to cover, use concealer. Kate seems to be wearing a very natural looking blush in a berry shade to match the lips. The best for natural flushed look are Topshop Cheek Jellies, which give your cheeks a natural blushed look without looking flat or cartoonish. I promise they’re not as scary as they look in the pot! Just blend it onto our cheeks using fingers – the best tool when applying makeup.
Finally – the lips! Use a deep berry shade, preferably not too matte and more on the sheer side. If you only happen to have a matte lipstick in this shade (like me), no worries. Apply the lipstick lightly and then go over it with Vaseline or any other clear lip balm.
And here’s the finished look…
LOOK 2: Rihanna (from… well we all know Rihanna)
If you want to be slightly less conventional, or simply more subtle, Rihanna’s Dior show makeup look is perfect. Bronzy eyes with a flick of eyeliner and dusty pink lips create a youthful feminine look while still having that sparkle.
Again, it’s best to start with the eyes. To create a base for the shimmery shadows, blend a matte warm shade all over the lid – a matte bronzer is ideal for this! Remember to blend this out well, since it’s a shade not too harsh, you are allowed to go slightly past the crease. Afterwards simply take a shimmery copper shade and press it all over the mobile lid. To create a highlight effect, blend a golden shadow from the inner corners about halfway through the eyelid. To finish the eyeshadow look, blend the matte shade used for the base on the eyes under the lower lash line (you might want to go back and add more after applying foundation and concealer under the eyes). Now comes the tricky part – the eyeliner. The best advice is; just stay calm, do it slowly, and use whatever type of liner you feel most confident working with. Do not make the flick too intense, keep the flick in line with your outer lashes instead of extending it too far out. Remember, cotton buds are your friends, anything can be dealt with by a bit of subtle fixing.
If you’ve survived the eyeliner quest, congratulations – you’re on to the next level! Which is the face. RiRi is wearing quite a full coverage foundation, yet still manages to look natural. This is most easily achieved by using a foundation which doesn’t have a matte finish. Now you might not be the bronze goddess Rihanna is, but a bit of bronzer can save everyone. Use a fluffy brush for easier blending and more natural finish and blend a little bit over your cheeks, chin and sides of the forehead. She’s also wearing a nice peachy blush which brings the whole look together very nicely. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have a peachy shade of blusher, the bronzer is going to make even a pink blush look a little peachier!
Finish the look with a dusty pink lipstick. If your lipstick is either not matte enough, or too bright, dust a bit of powder over your lips to tone down the colour and create a matte effect.
And here’s the final look…
There you go, now you’re sure to be the sparkle of any party. HCXO <3
Image sources:
Kate Mara: http://www.hawtcelebs.com/kate-mara-at-the-martian-premiere-in-london-09242015/
Other images: Barbora’s own