The holiday season means one thing, soirees galore. Although we love hopping from social event to social event, picking the perfect hair and makeup for each [not to mention buying multiple dresses, because social media!] can get overwhelming. Here at GLOSSYBOX, throughout the year we sampled hundreds of the best beauty products on the market to get the lowdown on how to look perfectly polished-and noticeably distinct-for each party you’ll be stopping by. And here’s a hot tip: you can find most of this tried and tested beauty bounty in our recently restocked Holiday Limited Edition Box.
Here, three of our favorites looks for cocktail hour and beyond...Holiday Highlight
Strobing is a full-proof way to look glowy and gorgeous, no matter what you’re wearing or where you’re going. Give yourself that lit-from-within highlight in just a few easy steps to feel like the belle of the ball. First, create a flawless canvas for your look. Use a hydrating primer (like Evelyn Iona’s green tea-infused iteration), followed by a few dabs of your favorite concealer or foundation to cover any imperfections, blending with a Beauty Blender, foundation brush (we love Tarte Cosmetics Undercover Lover Bamboo Concealer Brush), or your finger. Next, grab your Laura Geller Easy Illuminating Stick, which contains light-reflecting optics, and apply the creamy formula down bridge of your nose, cupid’s bow and vertically down your chin in a straight narrow line. Continue using the jumbo highlighting crayon on the inside corners of your eyes, as well as the top of the cheekbones, blending outwards as you go. Next, grab a fan brush and a highlighting powder like Josie Maran Argan Illuminizing Powder [be careful to avoid glitter-heavy formulas, and focus instead on those with subtle shimmer], sweeping it across those same areas, focusing especially on the highest point of your cheeks, to double the strobing effect. A twinkling finishing touch in the form of Emma & Chloe’s gilded earrings will help you continue playing off the light, as you dance the night away.
Femme Fatale
A fancy red pout is a holiday must. Bring the classic scarlet lip into modern territory with Laneige’s 2 Tone Lipstick, which imparts a cool ombre look with two complementary tones. We love No.10 Burgundy Love/ Violet Berry for its universally flattering cranberry shade and high-gloss/semi-matte finish. If you’re looking for a more traditional 1950s look, first line (and fill in) your lips with a bright red liner (like Face Stockholm’s gorgeous Mimmi shade.) But if you prefer a more high energy, high shine version of the look, add atop your lined lip a reflective lip gloss like GLAMGLOW’s Pout Mud in Scarlet, a classic shade of cherry apple that will bring to mind vintage vixens and holiday cheer. Play off your gorgeous, bold lip color with a graphic cat eye using DHC Liquid Eyeliner EX, which leaves behind a dark onyx finish with a felt tip for expert application. To keep your wing as neat as possible, experts say to rest the side of your hand on your cheek for stability, moving swiftly outwards until the desired length is achieved. For a slightly edgier feel, simply use an angled eyeshadow brush (like Vasanti’s densely bristled version) to diffuse the line that you drew, dragging the outer corner back inwards along the top of your eye crease, making a V shape. A spritz of Kat Von D’s Sinner perfumeis the perfect companion to this sultry holiday look, which will be sure to spice up any little black dress in your closet.
Smoke Show
Our go-to face for looking chic is a study in contrasts. Featuring a nude pout and flirty eyes this look can go from night to day, simply by layering on a bit more drama when the lights go down. Start by creating a show-stopping smokey eye with our favorite Skinn Cosmetics Smokey Treatment Palette, which comes packed with everything you need for looks that range from dark and intense to color-infused and glimmering. We love Gunmetal for its cool silver hues, which will look gorgeous on any skin tone. Define the lower lash line witha black or navy gel pencil liner like Julep’s Eye Glider, which sets in 30 seconds and stays put for 10 hours. Next, layer on The Big Tease Mascara from Buxom for doll-like lashes that will rival even the most expertly applied falsies. Focus on the outer corners of the eye for a bit more theatrical flutter. Finish things off with neat, but neutral lips by first lining them with Beauty For Real’s lip Liner (found in our December box), which is specially designed to match your exact lip color. We found our nude lip soulmate in LAQA Cloud Lips in Daydream, which delivers the ever in-demand nude look with a soft, light matte finish. Add a touch of Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers Pop Electric to bring out the rocker chick inside!
By Belisa Silva