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There’s something about the holiday season that makes me want to reach for every sparkly eyeshadow, bold lipstick, and shimmery highlighter in my makeup bag. I’m talking warm, rosy cheeks, a classic matte red lip, brown smoky eyes with dramatic winged eyeliner, and enough sparkle to catch the light at every Christmas party. Holiday makeup looks are the perfect excuse to have a little extra fun with your beauty routine, whether you’re getting dressed up for a festive dinner or just want to feel a little more glamorous than usual (which is totally fair during the holiday season, in my opinion).
Personally, I love a full face of makeup during the holidays, complete with warm blush, pink highlighter across my cheekbones and nose, and a touch of shimmer in the inner corners of my eyes. Sometimes I’ll go all out with glittery eyeshadow, while other days, a bold red lip and a sharp eyeliner wing are all I need. Luckily, when it comes to holiday makeup looks, you can easily customize them depending on your plans, personal style, and how much time you feel like spending in front of the mirror.
If you’re looking for holiday makeup looks that are festive, flattering, and realistically doable, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite ideas to try this season. From soft, glowing makeup to dramatic eyes and statement lips, these looks bring plenty of holiday sparkle without requiring professional makeup skills or an overflowing collection of products!
✦ Jump to a Look ✦
Matte Lips & Wings
Brown Smoky Eyes
Rosy Glow
Champagne Shimmer
Full Holiday Glam
5 Stunning Holiday Makeup Looks That Are Surprisingly Easy to Do
With a few additions or substitutions to your regular routine, you can turn your everyday makeup into something festive for the season. Holiday makeup looks usually just include intentionally chosen colors, some shimmer, and a little creativity, not necessarily changing your entire makeup routine. These five looks are easy to recreate, whether you’re getting ready for Christmas dinner, attending an office holiday party, or planning a super glam New Year’s Eve celebration.
Look No. 1
Classic Matte Lips and Winged Eyeliner
⏱ 15 Minutes · Difficulty: ●●● · Best for: Office Holiday Parties
There’s a reason red lipstick and black winged eyeliner never go out of style (sung like Taylor Swift, obviously). The combination is timeless, glamorous, and practically made for the holiday season. I personally love a true matte red lipstick with a sharp black wing because it makes such a statement without requiring much else.
Start with your usual foundation or concealer, then sweep a neutral beige or soft brown eyeshadow across your eyelids. Use a liquid eyeliner to create a wing that follows the natural angle of your lower lash line, keeping it thinner near your inner corners. A little mascara finishes the eyes, leaving your lipstick as the main attraction.
For a clean red lip, trace your natural lip shape with a matching lip liner before applying your lipstick. Blot once with a tissue and add another thin layer for richer color. If you’re planning to eat or drink throughout the evening, a long-lasting matte formula can help minimize how often you’ll need to touch up.
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Related: Holiday Beauty Gift Sets for the Beauty Lover in Your Life
Look No. 2
Warm Brown Smoky Eyes
⏱ 15 Minutes · Difficulty: ●●● · Best for: Holiday Date Night
Brown smoky eyes are one of my favorite holiday makeup looks because they’re dramatic without feeling too harsh. Rich chocolate and caramel shades create beautiful depth around the eyes, while a little gold shimmer adds that festive touch. You can make this look as subtle or bold as you’d like, depending on how much eyeshadow you blend into your crease.
Begin with a medium brown eyeshadow across your eyelid, concentrating a deeper chocolate shade along your outer corners and upper lash line. Blend the edges with a fluffy brush until the colors transition smoothly. Press a metallic gold shadow onto the center of your lids using your fingertip, which often gives shimmer formulas a stronger finish than a dry brush. A peachy nude lipstick complements the warm tones beautifully without competing with your eye makeup.
✦ Pro Tip
For a more dramatic effect, smudge a small amount of brown eyeshadow beneath your lower lashes and finish with black mascara.
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Look No. 3
Rosy Blush and Glowing Pink Highlighter
⏱ 5 Minutes · Difficulty: ●●● · Best for: Family Gatherings
Sometimes, the prettiest Christmas makeup comes down to beautiful skin and a little extra color in your cheeks. Warm rosy blush paired with a soft pink highlighter creates a fresh, luminous complexion that looks lovely at daytime gatherings, family celebrations, and holiday brunches.
I love applying blush generously during the colder months, concentrating the color on the apples of my cheeks and blending it upward toward my temples. A warm rose or muted pink shade gives your complexion a healthy flush, while a finely milled pink highlighter adds a gorgeous glow without looking overly glittery.
Apply highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, and the inner corners of your eyes. Keep the rest of your makeup relatively simple with softly defined brows, mascara, and a rosy lip color.
If you’re using cream blush and liquid highlighter, try blending them before setting your face with powder. This helps the products melt into your foundation for a smoother finish. Just remember that a little highlighter goes a long way, particularly around areas where your skin naturally has more texture.
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Look No. 4
Sparkling Champagne Eyeshadow
⏱ 10 Minutes · Difficulty: ●●● · Best for: Cocktail Parties
Champagne eyeshadow is one of those makeup products that can make your entire look feel more polished in seconds. Its soft golden beige color catches the light beautifully, making it a wonderful choice for holiday parties when you want a little sparkle without committing to a dramatic smoky eye.
Don’t worry, you don’t even need an elaborate eyeshadow palette for this look! Sweep a champagne shimmer across your eyelids, then blend a small amount of taupe or light brown shadow into your crease for definition. Remember you’ll want to use a product specifically formulated for the eye area, since craft glitter and some cosmetic glitters aren’t safe to apply near your eyes.
Finish with curled lashes, mascara, and a sheer pink or nude lip gloss. The glossy lips complement the luminous eyeshadow without making your makeup feel too heavy. This is also a great look to recreate when you’re short on time because the shimmer does most of the work.
✦ Pro Tip
If you want more sparkle, gently press a fine cosmetic glitter or glitter topper over the center of your lids!
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Look No. 5
Full Holiday Glam With Glittery Eyes and Bold Red Lips
⏱ 20 Minutes · Difficulty: ●●● · Best for: New Year’s Eve
If there’s ever a time to go all out with your makeup, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are pretty convincing excuses! This is the look I’d choose when I want everything: dramatic eyes, glitter, warm blush, glowing cheekbones, and a bold matte red lip.
For the eyes, blend a warm brown shadow through your crease and deepen the outer corners with a darker shade. Add a sparkling bronze or gold eyeshadow across your lids, then create a bold wing with black liquid eyeliner. A pair of false lashes can add extra drama, although a volumizing mascara works great if you’d rather skip them.
Once your eye makeup is finished, apply your foundation, concealer, and a warm blush that brings color back into your cheeks. Sweep pink highlighter across your cheekbones and add a small amount to your nose and inner eye corners. Complete everything with a super-pigmented matte red lipstick.
One trick I’ve learned with glittery eye makeup is to finish your eyes before applying foundation. That way, you can easily clean up any fallen shimmer without disturbing your base makeup. Using an eyeshadow primer or a glitter adhesive approved for use around the eyes can also help keep everything in place throughout the evening. This look takes a little more effort than the others, but none of the individual steps are difficult! It’s a fun way to combine your favorite holiday makeup trends into one glamorous look that feels worthy of the season.
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What Makeup Colors Work Best for the Holidays?
The best holiday makeup colors include classic red lipstick, gold and champagne shimmer, warm bronze and brown eyeshadows, rosy pink blush, and jewel tones like emerald and burgundy.
The colors you choose will depend on your complexion, the occasion, and how dramatic you want your makeup to look. A rich red lipstick might be perfect for Christmas dinner, while soft champagne eyeshadow and rosy blush can feel more appropriate for a casual holiday gathering.
Classic Christmas Makeup Colors That Never Go Out of Style
Some makeup colors seem to make their way back into my routine every December, regardless of what’s trending. Red lipstick is an obvious favorite, but I also love warm bronze eyeshadow, pink highlighter, and anything with a little gold shimmer.
For traditional Christmas makeup, jewel tones like emerald green and burgundy create a rich, festive appearance. Gold and champagne are wonderful choices when you want something softer, while silver glitter brings a cooler, more dramatic finish that works beautifully for New Year’s Eve.
You don’t need to wear several festive colors at once, either. A simple brown eyeshadow look with a touch of gold shimmer can feel just as seasonal as a dramatic green smoky eye. Even your everyday makeup can take on a holiday feel with a different lip color or a little extra glow.
How to Choose Holiday Eyeshadow Colors for Your Skin Tone
Your skin’s undertone can be a helpful starting point when choosing eyeshadow, although there aren’t any strict rules about which colors you can wear. The goal is to find shades that complement your complexion and create the effect you’re going for.
If you have warm undertones, gold, copper, bronze, and rich chocolate brown can bring out the warmth in your skin. Cooler undertones often pair beautifully with silver, taupe, rosy pink, and soft mauve. Those with neutral undertones may find that both warm and cool shades work well.
Skin depth matters, too. Champagne and soft rose gold can create a delicate shimmer on lighter complexions, while deeper gold, bronze, and copper often provide more noticeable contrast on medium and deep skin tones. For darker complexions, richly pigmented jewel tones can also create a stunning holiday eye look without appearing washed out. When you’re unsure which color to choose, try swatching a few shades in natural lighting. Eyeshadow can look quite different on your skin than it does in the palette.
Should You Wear Bold Eyeshadow and Red Lipstick Together?
Totally! There’s no reason you can’t wear dramatic eyeshadow and red lipstick in the same makeup look. I love combining a warm brown smoky eye with a matte red lip during the holidays, and adding a little gold shimmer makes the combination even more festive. Warm brown, bronze, and champagne eyeshadows complement most classic red lipsticks, creating a cohesive look without introducing too many competing colors. If you’re using a bright red lipstick with cooler undertones, silver or taupe eyeshadow can be equally beautiful. For a more dramatic Christmas party look, add winged eyeliner and a little glitter to your eyelids.
Ultimately, makeup is personal, and there’s no requirement to choose between statement eyes and a statement lip; if you love both, wear both!
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How Do You Make Holiday Makeup Last All Night?
Between holiday dinners, Christmas parties, family photos, and hours spent celebrating, your makeup can go through quite a lot in one evening. The best way to make holiday makeup last longer is to prepare your skin properly, apply products in thin layers, and choose formulas suited to your skin type.
Prep Your Skin Before Applying Makeup
Long-lasting makeup starts with skincare, but piling on too many products immediately before applying foundation can sometimes cause more problems than it solves! To prep your skin, cleanse your face, apply a moisturizer, and give it a few minutes to absorb. If your skin tends to get oily throughout the day like mine does, a lightweight moisturizer may be more comfortable beneath makeup. Those with dry skin might prefer something richer to help foundation apply smoothly over flaky areas.
Once you’ve applied your makeup, lightly set areas prone to creasing or excess shine with translucent powder. A setting spray can also help the finished makeup look more blended, and some formulas are designed to improve wear time. Check the product’s instructions rather than assuming every setting spray provides the same benefits.
Keep Glitter Eyeshadow From Creasing or Falling Out
Glittery eyeshadow is one of my favorite parts of holiday makeup, but finding shimmer scattered across your cheeks halfway through the evening can be frustrating.
The easiest way to minimize fallout is to use a small amount of product and press it onto your eyelids instead of sweeping it back and forth. For loose glitter, use an adhesive specifically approved for the eye area and follow its application instructions. Regular craft glitter isn’t safe for use around your eyes, and even some cosmetic glitter products aren’t intended for eyelid application.
Eyeshadow primer can help reduce creasing by creating a more consistent surface for your makeup. If you’re using a cream shimmer, allow it to set before adding another layer, since applying too much product can cause it to gather in your eyelid folds.
I also recommend doing your eye makeup before your foundation when working with loose shimmer. It’s much easier to remove stray particles from bare skin than to clean them off a finished complexion. A clean, slightly damp cotton swab can help with small mistakes, but avoid rubbing glitter near your eyes.
For pressed metallic eyeshadows, a fingertip often works beautifully for applying concentrated color. Just make sure your hands are clean, and avoid using a wet brush unless the eyeshadow manufacturer recommends that application method.
Make Red Lipstick Last Through Dinner and Drinks
An eye-catching red lip can pull an entire holiday makeup look together, but keeping that color in place through dinner requires a little extra prep.
Start with clean, smooth lips. If they’re feeling dry, apply a small amount of lip balm while you finish the rest of your makeup, then blot away any excess before reaching for your lipstick. Too much balm underneath a matte formula can make the color slip around. Lip liner is one of the most useful products for creating a defined red lip. Choose a shade close to your lipstick, carefully outline your lips, and lightly fill them in to create a base for the color. Apply a thin layer of lipstick, blot gently with a tissue, and add another layer if you want more intensity.
Long-wearing liquid lipsticks can be convenient for holiday parties, although some formulas may feel drying after several hours. Traditional matte lipsticks often feel more comfortable but may require additional touch-ups, depending on the formula and what you’re eating.
Quick Checklist for Holiday Makeup That Lasts
- Cleanse and moisturize your skin before applying makeup.
- Use an eyeshadow primer to help prevent creasing.
- Apply foundation and concealer in thin, even layers.
- Press eye-safe glitter onto your lids instead of sweeping it across.
- Set areas prone to excess shine with translucent powder.
- Outline and fill in your lips with a matching lip liner.
- Use a setting spray formulated to extend makeup wear.
- Pack your lipstick for touch-ups after eating or drinking.
Related: These Are The Most Thoughtful Christmas Gifts for Your Best Friend
Sparkle and Shine With These Holiday Makeup Looks This Season
Holiday makeup is one of my favorite ways to embrace the festive season, and there’s really no reason to save your favorite glitter, red lipstick, or shimmery highlighter for a special occasion. A little extra blush can make your complexion look fresh and rosy, while a swipe of sparkling eyeshadow or a bold eyeliner wing can completely change your usual makeup routine. You can even combine a few of these ideas to create something that feels entirely your own.
Whether you love dramatic glam or prefer a softer, more natural finish, these holiday makeup looks are easy to recreate with products you probably already have in your makeup bag. Play around with different colors, experiment with shimmer, and don’t be afraid to go a little bolder than usual. There’s so much room for creativity during the holidays, and fortunately, sometimes the prettiest makeup looks are the ones you have the most fun putting together!
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