Holiday Glam 2013

Tis the season for holiday parties, family gatherings and special events. Therefore, I have put together some of my favorite makeup looks to inspire you to create a beautiful look for this holiday season. Also find a list of products below to help you create each look beautifully. Happy Holidays!

Red Lips

Haven’t a clue about makeup or creating a look for your office holiday party or family gathering? Well, simply wearing red lipstick alone, with a few coats of mascara, is a great way to pull together an elegant look. Here are a few guidelines when choosing the right shade of red lipstick for your skin tone.

• Fair Skin Tone: Go for a lipstick with a cool red tone, with hints of plum. Try NARS Lipstick in Red Lizard, $26.
• Beige Skin Tone: This skin tone has warm sun kissed yellow undertones. Both warm & cool reds look best. Try NYX Black Label Lipstick in Black Cherry, $7.50
• Golden Skin Tone: Both warm and cool reds look great on this skin tone. Try Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze, $22
• Tawny Skin Tone: Dark skin with natural gold undertones, looks great with warm red/orange shades. Try Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte in Jenna, $25
• Dark Skin Tone: Blue based reds look gorgeous on this skin tone. Try MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo, $14

Gold Eye Shadow

It wouldn’t be the holiday season if you didn’t rock a little gold. Try out these gorgeous long lasting gold eye shadows all over your upper lid or as a highlight.

• MAC eye shadow in Amber Lights or Goldmine, $15.
• Urban Decay MoonDust eye shadow in Stargazer, $20
• Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eyeshadow in Sunlight, $32

Finally finish off your look with a black or navy blue eyeliner on your upper and lower lash line. Then top off with a couple coats of mascara.

Bold Lips

This Fall and Winter season it’s all about the bold lips from reds to deep tones like burgundy or wine. Lipstick in this shade family have the tendency to look a bit goth. But trying one of my recommended shades below will look elegant, feminine and beautiful on all skin tones.

• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Kate #9, #10 or #11, $2.89
• NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned, $25
• Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon, $28

Color Eyeliner

Swipe it on the top lid, swipe it on the lower waterline or even below the lower lashes. These beautiful long wear color eyeliners will look great on all skin tones. It can be worn alone or with a neutral eyeshadow such as MAC Sable. Pair it with a neutral lip color like a pale pink. Finish off your look with a couple coats of your fave mascara and blush to complete your holiday look.

• Sephora Jumbo Liner 12hr Wear Waterproof in Green, $14
• NARS Large Than Life Long Wear Eyeliner in Abbey Road, $24
• Urban Decay Glide On Eye Pencil, in Deliquent, $19
• Makeup Forever Aqua Eyeliner in Turquoise, or any of the lovely colorful shades, $23

Smokey Eyes

I think a smokey eye can be such a sexy look to wear during this season. As you can see from the two example looks below, you can go for a traditional dark smokey eye look on the left by using darker eye shadow shades. Or go for a more modern smokey eye like the look on the right, by using a combination of light and dark eyeshadow shades. You can also create a smokey eye by using shades of purple, brows, greens and burgundy. With a smokey eye you may choose to go with a more neutral lip color like the shade on the left or a more rich toned lip color like the example on the right. Which ever version of the smokey eye you choose to try, below are a few of my favorite eye shadow pallets you can use to create one of these sexy looks.
**Bonus look Tip 1: To create the perfect smoke eye, you can either use the darker color from the lash lid just up to the crease of your eye and finsih of with heavy eyeliner on upper lid and lower lash line.

**Bonus look Tip 2: Second option use a lighter eyeshadow color all over the eyelid and only place the darker shade eyeshadow in the crease in a > shape (doing this option you will acheive the look of the image on the right.)

Finally remember to blend, blend, blend, to soften the harsh strong edges between eyeshadow shades.

• Bobbi Brown Warm Smokey Eye Set(every product to create a complete look), $110
• MAC Velvetlux Pearlfusion Shadow in Pinkluxe, $40
• Stila Portrait of a Perfect Eye Palette, $16

Plumy Mauve Lips & Eyes

This unique, often under appreciated hue is popping up more and more on runways and cosmetic shelves this season. Plumy Mauve is such a rich color, it can be worn alone like the example on the right or paired with eyeshadow of the same color like the example on the left. However you choose to wear this color, here are a couple of my favorite products to help you accomplish the look.

• L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick in Eternal Rose or Everlasting Plum, $9.99
• ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Desert Angel, $24
• MAC Pressed Pigment Eyeshadow in Moth, $21
• Lancôme Color Design 5 Shadow & Liner Palette in Mauve Cherie, $49
• NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Charade, $34

photos courtesy of: vogue, allure, & glamour