HOLIDAY PARTY MAKEUP

Last week I shared my ideas on holiday party attire, now I’m talking about what to put on your face. By no means am I a makeup expert (I’m constantly browsing Youtube tutorials on how to replicate Ashley Olsen’s eye makeup), but I like to play around with different beauty looks whenever I get the chance to go out. I think I’ve mastered my version of the messy smokey eye, so I did a more dramatic version for the holidays. It’s inspired by the strong, sensual women in Helmut Newton’s photos…with a dash of that disheveled look French girls do so well. I think heavy makeup looks best with something paired down- wool trousers and a tee or an LBD and a vintage leather jacket.

Starting with the skin, I used a light foundation and attempted to contour the cheekbones (keyword: attempted) using a cream bronzer by Clinique. For the lips- I moisturized them with some Aquaphor, then used Sephora lip liner in Cherry Chestnut as my lipstick. To get the exact washed-out pinkish color I wanted, I dabbed a hint of foundation on my lips. The eyes are what’s most important here! First, I did that scotch tape thing where you use tape to create a triangle at the outer corner of your eye. Then lined the inner rim and upper lash line with Revlon ColorStay eye pencil. Using Mac pigment in Dark Soul and a Nars smudge brush, I packed on the eye color onto the outer corner of my eyes…sort of like a cat eye, but messier and cooler. I took a small fluffy brush and softly blended, adding some of darker sparkly shades on YSL Pure Chromatics eye shadow palette to create less of a harsher look. I doted on some of Kevyn Aucoin highlighter in Candlelight on the inner corner of my eyes and also on the middle of my eyelids and blended some more. Finally, I removed the tape, fixed my eyebrows, curled my lashes, and topped it off with tons of Maybelline Falsies mascara. Cleaned up the edges with a Q-tip and voila!