Bold and Fun Holiday Makeup

The winter holidays are coming up, and that means parties and social gatherings will start to become more and more frequent.  This is a great time to experiment with makeup that’s a little bolder and a little sparklier than what’s appropriate for everyday wear.  Check out these seasonal makeup collections and some extra tips that’ll elevate your holiday makeup routine to the next level!

1.     The NARS Guy Bourdin Collection is named after the famed fashion photographer and features some really vibrant shades.  There are three blushes in this collection: a bright red called Exhibit A, Coeur Battant, which is a heavily pigmented fuchsia, and Day Dream, a light peach pink.  Exhibit A and Coeur Battant are both matte blushes, but their intense color makes any extra shimmer or iridescence unnecessary.  All three shades lay down a lot of color, so it’s important to use a light touch when applying this product.  These blushes cost $29 each. 

Five new lipstick shades are also part of this collection.  These moisturizing lip colors retail at $26 a pop, but NARS makes a high quality product and I feel that these are worth the price.  Future Red is a bright, cherry red—perfect for the holidays.  If you’re going with a bold lip, be sure to keep your cheeks and eyes fairly neutral as not to overwhelm your face.     

The Guy Bourdin Collection also features five new eye shadow shades.  These shadows have a really soft, almost cream-like formula that is super easy to apply.  Beware, though—some of these are really bold shades that make an impact!  Rage is a bright, shimmery purple and Wishful Thinking is an electric blue.  Cambodia, Mississippi Mermaid, and Bad Behaviour (iridescent copper, champagne-gold, and sparkly gray, respectively) are more neutral shades that are easy to use and transition from day to night.  

The vivid, eye-catching colors of NARS’s holiday collection 

2.     NYX Cosmetics makes very affordable products and a lot of them are great for creating festive holiday looks.  NYX’s eyes shadows, liners, and blushes are all of especially good quality, despite their low price.  I recommend their “Glam shadow,” a line of single-color individual shadows with a lot a glitter!  “Fairy” is a pinkish-lilac shade that is fairly sheer but works well near the brow bone or to apply on top of the eye makeup you’ve already applied to add some extra sparkle.  “Boost” and “In Motion” are more pigmented shades of this glitter shadow that flatter most skin tones.  Each pan of shadow costs $4.50. 

NYX Glam Shadow in “Fairy”

Also from NYX are “Liquid Crystal” eyeliners.  These liners come in a clear base with colored glitter.  Glitter eyeliner isn’t something to use every day, but for special occasions and parties it’s a lot of fun and looks really pretty!  The Liquid Crystal liners come in six shades, but “Crystal Hip,” a clear glitter and either “Crystal Silk” (bronze glitter) or “Crystal Gunmetal” (pewter glitter) are the most versatile and match with a lot of different eyeshadows.  These liners are only $4.50 and will last a long time.

3.     Running low on cash?  Even though they’re tempting and fun, there’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on limited edition holiday makeup.  Use what you already have to create a high-impact, party-ready look!  Holiday makeup is all about bold color and sparkle.  If you have an iridescent eye shadow palette with a range of shades in the same color family, use the darkest shade on your lid, the medium shade in your crease, and the lightest shade to highlight below your brow bone.  Add some bold liner in black or brown to draw even more attention to your eyes.  Also, if you have a white eyeliner, line the inner corners of your eyes with it and blend—this makes your eyes appear bigger and you look more awake!  Finally, don’t forget mascara or even some false lashes.