Festive Holiday Makeup

I recently went to a "tacky Christmas party," where bows, sequins, and glitter are basically required... which is right up my alley. I love to have a reason to go all-out (themed parties are literally my jam). For this particular party, I decided that a green smokey eye and a berry lip were absolutely necessary.

A few tips for sporting bold eyes AND lips:

• Tend to your brows. Polished brows really frame the face and pull together loud eye looks.
• Defining your lash lines and using lipliner works the way defining the brows does, by adding "boundaries" around bold colors you are creating a much more cohesive look.
• Use primers! You need a good eye primer to achieve a "fun and festive" not "disco glitter queen" look.  I like sticky bases when using any product with a good amount of shimmer. When the primer is tackier, there will be less fallout. Also applying a primer to the face, smooths out the complexion and preps the face for foundation.
• Use a lighter hand with bronzer and blush. When doing such a bold look, you need a smooth and even canvas so that the final result is striking and not at all clownish. 

Products:

Eyes:

Too Faced Glitter Glue
Tarte green eyeshadow quad -2012 holiday palette (Maybelline sells a similar quad called Gutsy Green)
Lancome Gel Liner in Black Fishnets
Ardell Glamour Lashes #105
NYX Eyebrow Pushup Bra

Face:
Revlon Colorstay 24- Nude
Lancome Effacernes Concealer- Clair
Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer- Light (for highlight)
Benefit Hoola
Lancome Blush Subtil- Aplum
Ben Nye Luxury Powder- Cameo

Lips:
Lancome Le Lipstyque- Deep Berry (try NYX liner in Ruby)
Maybelline Vivid Lipstick- On Fire Red
Lancome La Lacque Fever- Dynamic (L'Oreal Aqua Lacquer in Endless Red is a great alternative)

1.) Prep lids with Glitter Glue.
2.) Apply the bright green shade (top right) all over the lid.
3.) Apply the dark green (bottom right) to the crease, sweeping into the outer "V" of the eye. Use the army green shade (bottom left) as a transition color.
4.) Gently PAT on the glittery light green shade (top left) onto the center of the lid. (I strongly recommend spraying a dense shader brush with a setting spray like UD All Nighter or MAC Fix Plus before loading brush with shadow. Tap off the excess. If you try to brush this shade on you will have tons of fallout).
5.) Curl lashes and apply one coat of your fave mascara (I like Maybelline Great Lash "Lots of Lashes" w/the pink wand).
6.) Apply your fave strip lashes (I suggest Ardell 105 or 101, they are super black but more natural-looking than others in the Glamour line).
7.) Using gel liner (or liquid if you prefer), go over your top lash line. This will cover any tell-tale signs that you're wearing falsies while also adding some definition to all that color you got happening on the lid.
8.) Apply face primer and foundation. Lightly contour the face and apply a berry blush to the apples of the cheeks. Set with a translucent powder.
9.) Line and fill lips with a berry liner. Carefully apply lipstick (remember that neat lines keep this look polished) and top with a deeper shade of lipgloss with a subtle shimmer on the bottom lip (lips will appear fuller).
10.) Fill in brows and set with wax to hold shape. Apply a matte cream highlight to the browbones.


*Just thought I'd add a pic of our tacky get-ups! That mountain man is my love, Michael ;)

Merry Christmas Dolls!!

xoxo,
Alicia