Christmas Party Makeup Looks
Are you guilty of getting into a Christmas party make-up rut too? Every year we plan to try a new look for party season, promising ourselves that with all those post-work drinks planned and all the nights out we have to look forward to, it’s the perfect time to pull off a new look or at least try a new lippie. And yet every year we do the same thing: we go for the failsafe smoky eyes, the clichéd red lip and, if she’s lucky, we’ll let our manicurist talk us into trying a bit of sparkle on our nails. We’re creatures of habit, but if there’s any time of year we should be feeling a little more daring, a little less self-conscious and a little more willing to dress up then it’s now. Which is why we’ve come up with three looks that are more imaginative than your standard go-to Christmas party get-up. Yes, we know that you’ll be heading straight from boardroom to bar most nights, with little more than five minutes in the office toilet to nail your Christmas party look, but glamming up your look is easy when you know how- and we do. And yes, we know that shopping for a new make-up wardrobe isn’t something you have the time, funds or extra energy for when you’ve already got so much shopping to do for everyone else – so we’ve taken that in to account too. So if you fancy pushing past your make-up comfort zone and letting 2019 be the year you finally let go of your trusty smoky eye, then we’ve got all the Christmas party make-up inspiration you’ll need: so just read on, take note and be bold.
If you usually go for a smoky eye, try: molten eyes
If you want to instantly lift your look and elevate it to party (and after-party) proportions then we have two words for you: metallic eyeshadow. There’s something so alluring about metallic eyes all year round, but particularly at Christmas. At this time of year we’re suckers for a little sparkle too – not full on glitter, but just enough shimmer to add dimension, make the eyes sparkle and of course, tick that Christmas glitter box. Updating a matte smoky eye with a molten gold or bronze is the most modern way to wear metallics, and this party season we’ve really fallen for Luna Gold Eyeshadow – which we’ve generously included in our December Roccabox. You know when you just stumble across the perfect colour? Well this is the ultimate shade of gold, thanks to a heady mix of gilt particles that - depending on how they catch the light - draw attention to different colours within the eye. The result? This shadow is super flattering on pretty much every eye colour- it highlights the golden flecks within green, hazel and amber eyes; plays up the colour in blue ones; and enhances the warmth within brown and chocolate-coloured peepers. For a party-ready look that’s seriously striking, use your fingers to pat the colour all over your lid, taking it deep into the sockets, and then use a chunky eyeshadow crayon in a slightly deeper metallic shade to rim the outer lash line and all the way under your bottom lash line – Charlotte Tilbury’s Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil in Amber Haze works well for this. Finish with a dark coloured kohl on the inner rims of both your upper and lower lash line, for extra intensity – use dark brown on blue eyes; purple on green and hazel eyes; and black if your eyes are brown or darker. Finally, pair this stunning look with a set of fluttery false lashes, opting for a feathery set over very heavy thick lashes, to allow your eye colour to do all the talking.
If you usually go for highlighter, try: a peach blush
We hear you: it takes a lot to part us from our trusted Becca highlighter too. It’s eye-catching, it gives your cheekbones megawatt definition and it’s just the right side of contouring for us to not relegate it as passé. However, it’s just starting to look a little too, well, expected, and quite frankly, this festive season, we want to try something that’s a bit fresher, a bit less predictable and a little less done. Enter peach cheeks. Yes, we’re talking creamy, frosted peach blush, that imparts just a little flush, a luminous dewy finish and just enough glow that we still look nighttime-ready. And there’s another reason why we’re crushing on apricot cheeks right now: they bridge the gap between tanned skin and winter white. Right now, peaky pale skin needs warming up, but a full on terracotta glow is too much: and peachy cheeks really help to add warmth, without imparting too much colour. NARS’s cult Orgasm Blush is the most obvious route to this look: one easy sweep of its peachy-shimmery pigments instantly delivers that just-got-out-of-bed-wink-wink glow. Benefit’s Dandelion Brightening Blush and Charlotte Tilbury’s Glowgasm Beauty Light Wand are also strong contenders.
If you usually go for matte red lippie, try: glassy nude lips
A statement lip is as synonymous with Christmas as mulled wine, mince pies and Mariah Carey. However a statement red lip, as festive and striking as it is, is a little bit too obvious for us. This party season we’re favouring a different kind of bold lip: glassy, creamy, high-impact nude lips. As much as you’ll hear beauty editors declare that there’s a red lippie out there for everyone, and for all the times you’ll hear red lip fanatics declare Mac’s Ruby Woo as a thing of perfection, the reality is that pulling off a red lip – particularly when you’re a red lip virgin – can sometimes be daunting and unrealistic. And let’s face it, when you’re already suffering a little hang-xiety, you want a Chrimbo party look that’s like a big beautiful comfort blanket. This is where we see lip gloss playing its part: the little black dress of the make-up world, it is sexy, glam and has the power to instantly elevate your look to look-at-me standards, without all the is-it-on-my-teeth/do-my-teeth-look-yellow/does-it-look-too-much internal monologue. Our go-to Christmas party must-have this year is Steve Laurant Lip Gloss. Both the ‘Peaches’ and ‘Café’ shades are rich in opaque nude colour – in fact, they have that beautiful colour intensity of a lipstick that you rarely find in a gloss, yet with all the mirror-like shine and catch-the-light look-at-me finish that we love from a gloss. We’ve handily included one in your December Roccabox, too, so you too can keep one in your clutch this party season.
