This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

The red lip

There’s no denying a red lip is a fab fallback look for any festive get together. A winning combo for the porcelain-skinned gal (like myself) is MAC Russian Red with Cherry Lipliner, although bloggers say this works with all skin tones. Plus it’s got that blue undertone which works wonders at making your teeth look really white! A more orange-toned favourite is Lady Danger which looks amazing on darker skin tones. Fill in your whole lip with a liner first, and apply a layer of Lipcote to keep your pout perfected all night, no matter how many Chistmas Cosmos you consume!

Gold eyes

I know gold eyeshadow may seem like something you would never willingly try for a public event, but do it right and it can look festive and fun. Achieve the look by pairing your chosen gold hue (be it cream, shadow or outright glitter) with plenty of neutral shadows (like the ones found in a Naked palette), and make sure to keep the bling just to the centre of the lid, no higher than the crease. MAC’s Old Gold pigment is a gorgeous product for this, and will last you for many more Christmas parties.

Glitter liner

A more subtle approach on the tinsel-like eye is a flick of glitter liner over your normal black one. You can splash out on a Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner which have been a firm favourite of mine since about ‘07, or if it’s going to be a one-off event you could get a much cheaper version from Collection with their Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Liner – plus they have so many colours to choose from, you could even coordinate your makeup with that Christmas ‘do outfit you’ve had planned for weeks.

Pretty nails

If festive makeup just sounds too daunting, at least get in the spirit with your nails! A sweep of glitter polish on your accent (ring) finger can look super chic. My favourite silver is Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Harsh. This takes two or three coats but is definitely worth it, and their formula is fab meaning that you won’t have to touch up everyday! If Illamasqua is out of your budget, Barry M make lots of glitter polishes too, as do many other budget nail polish brands.

And if painting on an accent nail still seems like too much effort (after all, it is Christmas) press on nails might be the one for you. You can get these on eBay and I’ve also seen some in Primark with a fairisle print. Very easy to use and so cute and seasonal.

Party-ready hairstyles

The party season is the perfect time of the year to go all out and put some real effort into your hair. Foam rollers can be put into nearly dry hair at bedtime to give you 40’s film siren-esque waves the next day. This Youtube video by Becca Rose is my favourite tutorial on how to achieve this.

Or for a pretty hair-up idea, try this Emma Watson inspired bun by Tanya Burr which would look amazing with some sparkly hair accessories like the ones below for New Year’s Eve.