Last week I came upon a funny little facebook posting that got me thinking. It was from Allure magazine, the subject – Holiday party makeup! A matter always near and dear to my heart of course. The post showed a gorgeous girl in vibrant red lips and messy hair with the title of something like “Holiday makeup mistakes and how to avoid them” There were of course a zillion ridiculous comments that spanned everything from “she needs to eat a sandwich” (wow original!) to “that makeup’s horrid”…. But my favorite was from a guy that said…(and I am paraphrasing) “being a guy I can assure you that this is NOT a makeup mistake, this girl looks gorgeous and you should definitely take Allure’s tips.”
I just loved that he chimed in… and semi-silenced the clearly bored and clueless peanut gallery that was obviously mulling around waiting for their facebook voices to be heard. In any case, as a makeup artist I feel that I am actually qualified to wax poetically about pretty party looks that really do work for the season. And as luck would have it Refinery 29 has a great crop of them that I heavily endorse for your list of soirees from now until the New Year chimes in. Direct from their site here are a few to try!
The Golden Girl—This gilded look from 3.1 Phillip Lim resort pairs dramatic eye makeup with smooth, sleek hair for some edged-up elegance.
Difficulty Level: Easy. First, blend gold and bronze cream shadows together for an extra gilded, customized glow. Sweep the shadow across your lid, up toward the brow bone, and even smudge a little along the lower lash line. You want the cheeks to have more subtle gloss, so use a lighter touch when blending along the cheekbones and contour along the side of the face.
The Tools: Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Sheer Shine Mist, $23, available at Fekkai; Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture, $26, available at Sephora; Nars Lip Gloss in Giza, $24, available at Sephora; Topshop Cream Eyeshadow in Goldmine, $14, available at Topshop. Phillip Lim 3.1 Resort 2011 photo by Nacho Alegre.
The Matte Statement Lip—Make pink the life of the party and kill it with bright, shine-free kisses.
Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium. Once you’ve tackled the bold lip, all that’s left is black mascara. Always use a lip liner, and pat the lipstick onto the lips. Go matte by dusting the lips with powder (either translucent or a similar shade of pink).
The Tools: M.A.C. A Tartan Tale Lipstick in Full Fuchsia, $14.50, available at M.A.C.; Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Stain in Lively, $24, available at Sephora; Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara, $23.50, available at Estee Lauder; Lipstick Queen Invisible Liner, $18, available at Lipstick Queen. Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2011 image courtesy of M.A.C.
The Dramatic Smoky Eye and Pink Lip—Kick the black smoky eye up a notch by mixing in some deep green for an iridescent glow. Pair it with delicate pink lips for a fun contrast.
Difficulty Level: Medium. The at-home smoky eye only gets out of hand when you start off too big: remember to layer the shadows in steps, so you end up with sexy instead of shocking.
The Tools: Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Black Star, $28.50, available at Chanel; Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil in In the Flesh, $20, available at Ulta; Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in Peacock Green 80, $19, available at Sephora. Chanel Spring 2011 image courtesy of Chanel.
