The holiday season is upon us and many of us will be celebrating in person and at full capacity. Parties, dinners, work functions, and get-togethers with family and friends are once again back in full force. Some of us may be seeing certain people in person for the first time in years, so you are going to want to look your holiday best!
Now through January is the most seasonally appropriate time to up your makeup game. The holidays provide the perfect excuse to experiment with colors, glitters, metallics, smoky eyes, and bold lips like no other time of year.
Try stepping outside of your usual makeup routine and playing with products that you already have sitting untouched for the rest of the year, or new purchases that are not part of your daily look.
If you are a makeup minimalist, try focusing on punching up one area of your face with a bold, vivid lip color or shimmering eye look. If, on the other hand, you are comfortable with a full beat, go all out with your holiday glam!
Try the “Cold Girl” trend this year with extra-blushed noses and cheeks (or get nipped at by Jack Frost himself), a shimming shadow, and blotted lip to round it out (you can also find the full tutorial here).
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Or check out some other products to help you achieve your perfect holiday-inspired look.
For Sparkling Holiday Eyes
NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow
Amp up your eyes this holiday season with this versatile eyeshadow from NARS. Ultrafine blends of shimmer, glitter, and pearl reflect light for an eye-catching, radiant combination of rich pigment and high shine. It also blends and builds effortlessly for a crease-resistant, long wear that lasts all night.
Apply this eyeshadow sheer for a luminous effect, layer it for more drama, or use a wet brush for super intensity or to line the eyes.
Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Gemstone
The entire line of Obsessions Eyeshadow palettes by Huda Beauty is beautiful and high quality, but the first one that comes to mind for the holidays is Gemstone. This nine-pan palette features shimmery shades of pink, purple, teal, and copper. Some have larger sparkles, and some are more metallic.
These shadows are easily blendable, highly pigmented, buildable, and long-wearing. They can also be applied with a wet brush for a more intense color payoff, or to line eyes with shiny, high-impact hues.
Charlotte Tilbury Gorgeous Glowing Eye Secrets
Everything you need for festive holidays eyes is in this set from Charlotte Tilbury. You get two best-selling, universally flattering Eyes To Mesmerize long-lasting cream eyeshadows in Star Gold and Golden Eclipse.
Star Gold is a warm bronze with a metallic shimmer and Golden Eclipse is a warm-toned light copper with a pearl shimmer finish. Both create maximum impact with minimal effort for long-lasting and crease-proof results. With a foolproof application, these shadows glide on with a tap of a finger for opaque coverage, or with the swipe of a brush for more drama.
This set also includes Charlotte’s Legendary Lashes Volume 2 for the perfect finishing touch. This mascara increase thickness and volume in just one coat as it envelops lashes in a jet-black, long-wear, smudge-proof formula for the perfect holiday flutter.
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow
This award-winning liquid glitter eyeshadow from Stila is sure to make your eyes the focal point of any holiday party this season. The perfect combination of pearl and glitter luxuriates eyes in light-reflecting brilliance, and the liquid formula glides on effortlessly and dries down to lock in sparkle for minimal fallout.
The best part is that these lightweight shadows are also non-tacky and transfer-resistant for comfortable wear. With eleven gorgeous, shiny shades to choose from, there’s a Glitter & Glow for every event this season.
Palladio Glitter Pencil
It’s easy to achieve dramatic, jewel-encrusted eyes with this thin, long-lasting pencil from Palladio. It glides on easily without pulling or tugging thanks to an infusion of vitamin E and castor seed oil to rim the eyes in glittering sparkles.
All of these shades are cruelty and paraben-free, and the Black, Silver, Emerald, and Sky shades are vegan to boot.
Fenty Beauty Flypencil Longwear Pencil Eyeliner
From a sharp winged liner to a smudged and smoky eye look, anything is possible with this creamy, long-wear, water-resistant eyeliner pencil from Fenty. A rainbow of super-pigmented colors, these liners come in intense matte, shimmer, metallic, and glitter finishes to create endless eye looks.
The convenient twist-up tip requires no sharpening and delivers lightweight, smudge-resistant lines. The smooth formula also ensures there’s no pulling on delicate skin.
Sisley Paris Phyto Kohl Star Sparkling Waterproof Liner
For a more subtle approach to sparkling holiday eyes, try this long-wear, waterproof eyeliner infused with delicate glitter from Sisley Paris. The self-sharpening, retractable design features a firm tip that delivers a creamy texture with extreme precision and exceptional comfort and glide.
Enriched with rosehip oil, bisabolol, and vitamin E acetate, these liners also help soothe and firm delicate eye areas while reducing the signs of aging.
NYX Professional Makeup Face and Body Glitter
Put as much or as little sparkle only where you want it with this loose glitter for the face and body from NYX. Take your look from drab to fab with light-catching glitter in a variety of shades to match any makeup look.
Pair these shimmering pots of glitter with the NYX Glitter Primer to lock it all in place for hours while minimizing fallout.
Make-up Studio Jewel Effects
Shine bright like a diamond at your yuletide festivities with Jewel Effects from Make-up Studio. Jewel Effects have a consistency between a compact glitter eyeshadow and loose glitter, making it super easy to apply.
These shimmering shades deliver an enchanting, reflective effect on the eyes thanks to real silver particles in the powder. Suitable for the eyes, face, and body, you can ensure all the sparkle is sealed in place with the 2-Way Glitter Gel.
Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils
Add a pop of color to the lashes while building volume, length, and definition with this iconic mascara from YSL. It delivers a false-lash effect that coats from root to tip without smudging or flaking.
This luxurious formula also uses pro-vitamin B5 to condition the lashes while strengthening them over time. It also comes in six different colors to enhance the flair of your eye makeup.
Kokie Cosmetics Lashes
Nothing adds a glamorous punch of intensity to the eyes like a set of false eyelashes. Kokie Lashes are the ultimate finishing touch to any eye makeup look for a touch of drama.
Made of natural fibers, these falsies are lightweight, durable, long-wearing, comfortable, and reusable. They’re also easy to apply with the included adhesive.
For Bold Holiday Lips
Christian Dior Rouge Dior Lipstick
Dior’s iconic Rouge Dior Lipstick is infused with red peony extract, pomegranate flower extract, and shea butter to protect, nourish, hydrate, and soften lips while enveloping them in rich, vibrant pigment that lasts for 16 hours.
Shade 999 is the quintessential holiday red (deep intensity with a satin finish). Red not your thing? No worries. There are plenty of other colors—from pinks and corals to burgundies and berries—to choose from.
These luxurious lipsticks also come in four finishes: satin, matte, metallic, and velvet. The sustainable packaging is refillable to boot.
MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick
Another classic holiday red lip color is MAC’s Matte Lipstick in the cult favorite Ruby Woo shade (a very matte, vivid blue-red). The formula features a rich, creamy texture with intense color saturation and a no-shine matte finish. It’s also available in a wide selection of other colors.
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
Get the application of a lipstick with the precision of a pencil. NARS’ Velvet Matte Lip Pencil has a tapered point that makes lining, defining, and filling lips a breeze.
Vitamin E and emollients provide a creamy, non-drying texture that glides on while unique silicones ensure long-lasting color for hours.
This lip pencil comes in a range of rich, vivid shades. Dragon Girl is a bright, raspberry red that’s perfect for holiday parties.
J. Cat Beauty Freedom Creator Lip Palette
For something a little different, why not create your own holiday lip color? This lip palette from J. Cat Beauty has 18 shades to mix and match for endless options.
Use one color alone, as a topcoat over another lip product, or mix multiple shades for a totally unique hue using the included dual-ended lip brush and spatula.
Three separate palettes with an equal amount of creative freedom come in bold primary, shimmer, and sparkling metallic finishes.
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer by Fenty Beauty provides the ultimate finishing touch to your holiday lips. Delivers explosive shine in shades that are universally flattering on all skin tones.
This non-sticky formula makes lips look instantly fuller while conditioning shea butter nourishes them. You’ll also be sure to love the yummy peach-vanilla scent.
Wet n Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss
Megaslicks Lip Gloss from Wet n Wild combines gorgeous color with brilliant shine to make lips appear fuller and smoother. Jojoba glaze, hyaluronic acid, collagen, sunflower oil, and vitamin E also promote firmness and hydration.
Red Sensation (a deep ruby red with metallic bronze sparkle) has been a go-to shade for years, and it’s the perfect pick for holiday festivities. Not to mention, these glosses are super budget-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free.
For Radiant Holiday Cheeks
NARS Blush
Nars Blush is a superfine, micronized, highly-pigmented powder that is soft, blendable, and buildable from sheer to bold. Just one swipe of this silky powder delivers a natural, glowing flush, but you can use more to achieve a more dramatic, contoured, sculpted cheek.
With an abundance of shades, these blushes come in matte, satin, and shimmering finishes. Taos is a soft red with a golden sheen that compliments many skin tones and is an ideal shade to ring in the new year.
Milani Rose Powder Blush
Milani’s Rose Powder Blush will have your cheeks in full bloom this holiday season. Create a natural rosy flush from this beautiful compact that’s finely milled and blends seamlessly into all skin tones.
The creamy texture of this blush applies smoothly with a matte finish that delivers a light luminous glow to the cheeks. Coral Cove is my holiday color recommendation.
These are also 100% vegan and cruelty-free blushes made without parabens.
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
This Pressed Highlighter from BECCA has an ultra-creamy formula that provides a natural, luminous glow anywhere you need it. Infused with super-fine multidimensional pearls that catch light from every angle, this highlighter instantly creates a radiant complexion.
This formula offers medium, buildable coverage with a shimmer finish. It is also cruelty and paraben-free.
Palladio I’m Glowing Creamy Stick Luminizer
Create a soft strobe effect with this Creamy Stick Luminizer from Palladio. Highlight your best features this holiday season with the sheer and silky texture that melds flawlessly into skin for a natural, luminous glow.
The soft-focus color is infused with moisturizing ingredients like vitamin E, safflower seed oil, and aloe, and it’s available in three radiant shades.
Scent Of The Season
For Her
Etat Libre d’Orange Noel Au Balcon Eau de Parfum
This luxury women’s fragrance from Etat Libre d’Orange is about as close as it gets to capturing the essence of the holiday season in a bottle: “Noel Au Balcon” translates to “Christmas on the Balcony.”
This scent juxtaposes soft notes with warm notes, and sweet with spicy; it’s the perfect fall/winter perfume that’s warm and spicy, sweet and sexy. Spritz some on for an uplifting holiday experience to be remembered.
The main notes include honey, tangerine, vanilla, cinnamon, nigella, red pepper, apricot, and patchouli.
For Him
Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb Eau de Toilette Spray
Spicebomb from Viktor and Rolf is an explosive fusion of two masculine accords.
First, you’ll smell spicy with chili and saffron, rounded out with leather and tobacco. The second aroma is zesty notes of bergamot and grapefruit with undertones of elemi and pink pepper. Other notes include dutch cinnamon, pimento berries, and vetiver.
This is an excellent seasonal choice for the man who wants to encapsulate the holidays in a bottle.
For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com
