Glam up the holidays with stunning holiday beauty looks

During the holidays, we come together with family and friends to celebrate everything that’s good in life — so of course, you want to look fab! But staying on top of makeup, nail and fashion trends during the busy holiday hubbub can be a challenge.

“If you’re running from work or find yourself with just a few minutes to freshen up, a red lipstick is by far the easiest way to insta-glam,” says beauty blogger Laurie Leopold of 312 Beauty. “It’s probably safe to stash your favorite red in your purse now.”

But don’t worry. This time around, the red lip is all about comfort, according to blogger Lianne Farbes of The Makeup Girl.

“This season, I think there is most definitely a return to the lip,” she says. “More focus is being placed on different textures of lipstick. Gone are the days of the drying matte lip — these days, a more long-wearing and comfortable semimatte is all the rage.”

But no matter which lip formula you choose — matte, moisture or gloss — it’s all about finding the right red color and texture that makes you comfortable in your own skin.

“Lorac Lip Lustre in Ruby Lustre is the perfect winter red,” says Ashley Robertson of The Teacher Diva. “It’s right in the middle between a true cherry red and a burgundy, which is complementary to most skin tones.”

But just because red is the color of the season doesn’t mean you have to wear it. You can even pull off pink lips during the holidays, according to Kara Endres of Sprinkles in Springs.

It’s easy to get caught up in the light in children’s eyes as they open presents this season, but hey — we deserve to have bright, playful eyes during the holidays, too.

Laurie Leopold recommends the smooth and creamy formula of CARGO Essential Lipcolor paired with layered shadows in LORAC’s Sweet Temptations palette. Heck, maybe with the palette’s super-sweet names like White Chocolate, which is packed with neutral tones, and Satisfying Toffee Crunch, which has bronze and brown hues, you can skip the dessert this holiday season! (On second thought — nah.)

Audrey McClelland of Mom Generations celebrates the holiday season with simple but pretty eye looks, like smoky eyes and glitter eyes.

Audrey says, “I love being able to create a very dark, smoky eye and have some fun with it! I always tend to use charcoals, blacks and grays when I’m creating a nighttime smoky eye.” As for glitter eyes, she says, “It’s bold, but it’s also really pretty and delicate, too. I love to go for more golden tones, too!”

Not all women on the go know how to apply ornate makeup looks when the holiday season rolls around — especially when they’re just applying a little mascara and heading out the door each day. Luckily, the season’s gift sets make it easy. Tammy Gibson of A Mom in Red High Heels loves the LORAC Close Up: Real Life to Red Carpet Natural to Dramatic Face Tutorial Kit, available at Kohl’s.

“The LORAC makeup set is great because it gives you a tutorial on how to do your eyes for a daytime look (school party or networking group, perhaps?) or a sultry nighttime look to go with your LBD and red high heels,” Gibson says.

The holidays are all about wearing those super-fancy outfits you can’t find an excuse to wear the rest of the year. Danielle Smith of Extraordinary Mommy created three looks that are easily replicated at Kohl’s.

“Of course, we are always plagued by the what-to-wear question. We don’t want to be too dressy, but this is the time of year when it is just too much fun to pass up the chance to put on our very best.”

She included a fun, flirty and semicasual look with a simple golden dress, lace pumps and simple beads around the wrist; a sophisticated look with a body-con lace dress, silver pumps and effortless pearl earrings; and an über-glam look with a full-length black evening gown, peep-toe slingback pumps and smoky eye makeup, courtesy of the Academy of Colour Get the Look Smoky Eyes Makeup Palette.

After you’re done with your face, it’s time to look to the small finishing touches that turn your holiday makeup into an all-out holiday look! Nail polish and nail art are the perfect finishing touches. This season, Dina Fierro of eye4style is all about golden nails.

“A gilded manicure (to try: Essie Good as Gold)… is an easy way to add holiday sparkle without being overtly, hit-’em-over-the-head obvious. Subtlety — it’s a beautiful thing!”

Or if gold isn’t your thing, try the spicy colors of the season with Essie’s Sole Mate, says Robertson. But if you want to go all out, it’s time to break out the super-fun nail art. Jennifer Gaonach of 52 Shades of Nail Polish used glitter and polish to create coral-and-gold, purple-and-beads and silver-and-blue glitter manicures.

And of course, the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without a new signature perfume. Dina Fierro uses the season to play with shockingly red lips, glitter, gold and an often-forgotten detail — scent! She tops off her holiday looks with Michael Kors Rose Gold Eau de Parfum.

“Try elevating just an element or two of your daily beauty ritual to feel party ready. For me, that often means a smokier eye and a headier fragrance like Michael Kors Rose Gold Eau de Parfum, which I keep tucked in my desk drawer for spontaneous evening occasions,” she writes.

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