It’s a cold December evening. As you step out of a taxi, you walk to the door in your sky-high pumps, light snowflakes angelically land on your perfectly waved hair. You’re greeted by a doorman and enter the party as the door is held open for you. Everyone at the party stops to turn to you, flashing you a welcoming smile. Light music is playing in the background as you’re handed a glass of champagne and the party and laughter begins.
Ok, so maybe that seems too much like a Christmas party from a Revlon commercial. In reality, you drive to the party in your own car, cursing your gas light for turning on right before getting out and are forced to walk blocks in heels. Shivering, you keep removing hair from your face as it keeps getting stuck to your lipstick. Your makeup and hair took you hours to fix so you refuse to walk in looking like you spent a minute less than what you actually did.
Holiday parties, we all go to them; holiday party makeup and hair planning, we all go through it. With sparkles and glitter taking over racks at the store, it seems impossible to go astray from that cliché holiday look. So what can you do to stand out in a party in your own unique look without losing your holiday spirit? Easy!
Red lips look great during the holiday season. Not only is it a festive color, but it exudes Christmas time cheer. However, this year, try opting for a glossy nude lip! For your eyes, try light golden shimmery eye shadow with top liner, smudged on the outer edges to give it a softer look. Use black pencil for your water line for an even sultrier evening look. Ever had a tan during December? Living in Virginia, you probably haven’t. But there’s no reason you can’t fake it with bronzer. Try a bronzy cheek, contouring your cheekbones and jawline, adding an extra shimmer all over your face! Try Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude lipstick, topped with a coat of Revlon Nude Lustre lip gloss and NYC Fire Island Tan bronzer.
Having dark brown eyes, I find it harder than green-eyed or blue-eyed girls to make my eyes stand out. Simply putting on a coat of mascara doesn’t quite do the job for me. So when I wanna go all out, I run to my smoky palate to help make my eyes pop! For this, you don’t necessarily need to pull a Kardashian and cake your eyelids with black eyeshadow (although that does look super hot!). Try using shades of brown instead of black to change it up a bit! Apply golden/light brown shadow all over your eyelid. Using a darker shade of brown, begin by rubbing the brush into the crease of your eyelid. You could do this with your eye open, simply moving the brush from the outer corner of the crease to the middle of the crease and back. Using the same dark shadow, begin rubbing the outer corner of your eyelid in small circles blending in the golden/light brown shade with the darker shade. Use pencil liner on your top eyelid, smudging it according to your preference for a softer look. If you want, add some golden shadow to the inner corner of your eye to help add an extra pop of color. A few coats of mascara, glossy nude lip (you can tell I love nude lips), some bronzer (…and bronzer) and you’re good to go, you doe-eyed beauty! Try Maybelline Studio Give Me Gold Quad Palate.
As much as I love having long hair, it’s a pain in the neck trying to get new styles to work. I love wavy hair but sometimes it just gets boring. So, why not put a sock in your hair? Literally. Sounds crazy, but the sock bun has become a popular go-to hair style which looks sleek and smooth without taking too much of your time! A high bun goes along with any holiday dress you plan on wearing so give it a try at your next holiday party!
Try staying away from hot curling rods and flat irons this holiday season! Do your hair (and yourself) a favor and keep it all natural by putting your hair in a side fishtail braid. You probably thought you were done with braiding your hair once summer was over but I’m here to tell you you can still make it work! Try braiding your hair but leaving a few loose strands around your face. Lightly tug at parts of the braid to relax it so it’s not so tightly put. It’ll give an ethereal look without costing you your time or giving you burns from grabbing the curling rod from the wrong end!
So girls, no matter where you go, there are plenty of ways to make sure you stand out at each and every holiday party you attend! Sure, your trip to the holiday parties may not be as perfect as they show in commercials but there’s no reason you can’t look the part! A very merry holiday season and happy dressing up!
Photo Credit: Harper’s Bazaar