5 Stunning 2024 Party Makeup Looks to Recreate for the Holidays, From Our Esthetician
As an esthetician and makeup enthusiast, I love creating holiday makeup looks that blend timeless beauty with the latest makeup trends. During the holiday season, there’s a perfect opportunity to experiment with glam, shimmer, and festive colors that reflect the spirit of the season while staying on trend. Whether it’s a glowing complexion, bold lashes, or soft, shimmering eyes, holiday makeup is all about enhancing natural beauty with a touch of sparkle. Read on where I’m sharing a few looks I’ve created based on popular makeup trends, perfect for any holiday occasion—from intimate gatherings to glamorous parties.
1. Golden Christmas Glow
This warm, glowing makeup look is perfect for holiday parties, blending soft glam with radiant skin and festive warmth.
How to Recreate:
Step 1: Prep the Skin
Mix a few drops of bronzing glow serum with your moisturizer and apply it evenly to your face. This will create a radiant, bronzed base with a natural glow.
Step 2: Create a Soft, Defined Eye Look
Blend a warm, medium-toned matte brown eyeshadow into your crease using a fluffy blending brush. Focus on building depth and creating a soft, diffused look. Pat a soft beige matte shade onto your eyelids using a flat brush. This brightens the eyes and keeps the look clean and polished. Dab a champagne shimmer shade on the inner corners of your eyes using a small brush or your fingertip. This step will make your eyes pop and add a touch of radiance.
Step 3: Apply Eyeliner
Use an angled brush to smudge a deep, smoky brown shade along your upper lash line. This creates a soft, sultry liner effect without being too harsh.
Step 4: Define the Lips
Finish the look with a matte, neutral lip color in a brownish-pink shade. Apply it directly for full coverage, or use your finger for a softer, diffused effect.
Shop the Makeup Look:
$28.00
Infused with skin-loving niacinamide, these glow drops provide a subtle bronzed finish while hydrating and brightening.
This versatile palette features warm, cozy tones perfect for creating holiday makeup looks.
$27.00
A rich brownish-pink matte lip crayon that defines and enhances the lips with full-pigment color
2. Silver Bell Smoker
This holiday look is perfect for a sophisticated evening event, with sparkling eyes, defined features, and a subtle, glossy lip to balance the overall elegance.
How to Recreate:
Step 1: Create a Cool-Toned Smoky Eye
Start with a light neutral shade as a base all over the eyelid to even out the skin tone. Apply a cool gray shadow to the crease, blending it softly for a smoky transition. Deepen the outer corner with a dark slate blue-gray shade, blending it inward toward the center for dimension. Add sparkle with a silver glitter liquid eyeshadow by tapping it onto the center of the lid for a dazzling highlight. Blend the edges gently to ensure it transitions seamlessly into the shadows.
Step 2: Define with Liner
Use a black liquid eyeliner to create a precise, defined line along the upper lash line. Focus on a clean, sharp wing for a dramatic, polished effect.
Step 3: Finish with Subtle, Glossy Lips
Apply a sheer mauve lip gloss for a soft, hydrating finish that complements the cool tones of the eyes without overpowering the look.
Shop the Makeup Look:
5 reviews
$36.00
This versatile eye shadow trio features a light grey base, a deep shimmering blue, and a rich black, perfect for creating a sophisticated, smoky eye with a mix of matte and shimmer finishes that last all day.
25 reviews
A high-impact liquid eyeshadow with intense sparkle, this formula glides on smoothly and dries quickly, delivering a dazzling diamond-like finish that’s perfect for adding a touch of glamour to any holiday look.
16 reviews
$24.00
This waterproof liquid eyeliner provides a bold, metallic grayish-black color that glides on smoothly, staying put all day without smudging. The unique labradorite hue adds a subtle, shimmery twist to your eye makeup.
1 reviews
$26.00
A sheer, glossy lip vinyl that combines the comfort of a balm with the shine of a gloss, offering a pop of cool-toned pink color while nourishing lips with maracuja oil for a soft, hydrated finish
3. Glacial Glow
This makeup look focuses on enhancing natural beauty with soft shimmer, light color, and a fresh glow.
How to Recreate:
Step 1: Eye Prep with Shimmer
I started with a creamy eyeshadow stick in a beautiful champagne shade. The smooth, shimmery formula was easy to apply directly onto the eyelids, giving a soft, radiant glow that brightened the eyes.
Step 2: Fresh Blush
For a natural flush, I applied a rosy mauve blush that adds a touch of color with a soft, luminous finish. This blush is a unique blend of cream and powder, providing a healthy, radiant look that enhances the complexion and blends seamlessly into the skin. I applied it to the apples of the cheeks and blended it upwards for a fresh, youthful appearance.
Step 3: Defined Lashes
Apply a sheer mauve lip gloss for a soft, hydrating finish that complements the cool tones of the eyes without overpowering the look.
Step 4: Natural Lip Color
For the lips, I went with a soft, peachy-pink lipstick that offered a hydrating, smooth finish. This lip color added a gentle wash of color without overpowering the rest of the makeup, giving a natural, elegant finish that’s perfect for the holidays.
Step 5: Sculpted Brows
To complete the look, I used a brow wax to shape and set my brows in place. This product gave my brows a laminated, feathered look, holding them in place all day without feeling stiff or crunchy. It added definition and structure to frame the face beautifully.
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$28.00
This creamy eyeshadow stick delivers effortless shimmer and dimension with its soft, blendable formula
$26.00
This brow gel provides extreme hold for flawless, laminated brows. It effortlessly shapes and tames brows while giving them a feathered, lifted look.
3 reviews
$35.00
A luminous blush that combines the best of cream and powder textures for a natural, radiant flush.
$35.00
This mascara delivers bold, dramatic lashes with turbo-charged volume and length. Its lightweight, buildable formula ensures your lashes stay lifted and defined all day and night.
2 reviews
$35.00
A hydrating serum-lipstick hybrid that nourishes while delivering a sheer, peachy-pink tint.
4. Roasted Chestnut Radiance
This holiday look is a perfect combination of warm, festive eyes, sculpted skin, and a bold red lip—a timeless combination for the season.
How to Recreate:
Step 1: Create a Warm Smoky Eye
Apply a burnt orange shade to the crease as a transition color, blending it out softly for a seamless gradient. Add a rich sienna shade to the outer corners of the eyes to deepen the look. Blend carefully into the crease for dimension. Use a brown shade on the outer third of the eyelid to create depth, blending toward the center. Apply a bronze shimmer across the inner and center eyelid for a luminous, festive pop. Use your finger to intensify the metallic finish. Line the upper lash line with a dark chocolate brown shade, applying it with a fine brush for precision. Smudge it slightly for a soft, smoky effect.
Step 2: Perfect Your Brows
Fill in and shape your brows with a precise pencil in a cool brown shade. Use small, hair-like strokes for a natural yet defined finish. Brush through with a spoolie for a polished look
Step 3: Sculpt and Bronze the Skin
Apply a warm bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks, along the hairline, and under your jawline for soft definition and a sun-kissed glow.
Step 4: Add the Perfect Holiday Lip
Complete the look with a classic holiday red lipstick. Choose a satin or semi-matte finish to ensure your lips look vibrant and festive.
Shop the Makeup Look:
$45.00
This versatile palette features richly pigmented warm matte and shimmering shades like burnt orange, sienna, rustic, and bronze, perfect for creating soft, smoky eyes. The dark brown shade, Cyprus Umber, doubles as a liner for added depth and definition.
2 reviews
$31.00
This precise brow pencil in a cool-toned brown shade defines and sculpts brows effortlessly with a natural, hair-like finish, ideal for framing the face and enhancing any makeup look.
1 reviews
$35.00
A golden-toned bronzer with a creamy, light-reflecting formula that adds warmth and dimension to the skin, leaving a natural, sun-kissed glow.
$48.00
A bold, classic red lipstick with a luxurious satin finish that feels comfortable and hydrating on the lips, making it the perfect statement color for any holiday look.
5. Sugarplum Shimmer
This look is all about enhancing your natural features with soft shimmer, a touch of color, and radiant textures, making it perfect for any holiday occasion!
How to Recreate:
Step 1: Create a Radiant Base
Start with a lightweight, tinted radiance serum or base product that provides hydration, a soft glow, and light sun protection. Opt for something sheer with a warm or neutral undertone to even out your skin while maintaining a natural finish. Blend it evenly with your fingers or a damp sponge for a seamless, luminous look.
Step 2: Add a Subtle Shimmer to the Eyes
Choose a cream eyeshadow in a soft pink champagne shade. Using your ring finger or a small brush, swipe the shadow across your eyelids and gently blend out the edges. This creates a soft shimmer that enhances the eyes without being overpowered.
Step 3: Illuminate the High Points
Apply a cream highlighter with a sheer, dewy finish to the high points of your face (cheekbones, brow bones, the bridge of your nose, and the Cupid’s bow). The goal is to create a soft, lit-from-within glow that complements the shimmer on the eyes.
Step 4: Define the Lashes
Use a tubing mascara for lengthened, defined lashes without clumping or smudging. Focus on coating each lash evenly from root to tip for a natural but fluttery finish that opens the eyes.
Step 5: Finish with a Glossy Lip
For the lips, choose a soft, dusty rose or mauve-pink lip gloss with a shiny, non-sticky finish. This adds a touch of color and elegance while keeping the overall look fresh and light.
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This multitasking serum combines lightweight hydration, broad-spectrum SPF 30, and a radiant tint to create a luminous, even-toned base.
1 reviews
$28.00
Add a touch of pink champagne shimmer to your eyes with this creamy, long-wearing eyeshadow that blends effortlessly for a soft, glistening look.
$40.00
This cult-favorite highlighter delivers a natural, dewy glow with its sheer, light-reflective finish, making it perfect for enhancing your holiday radiance.
1 reviews
$28.00
Define and lengthen your lashes with this smudge-proof, tubing mascara that stays put all day and night.
$20.00
Complete your holiday look with this richly pigmented, glossy lip product in a universally flattering mauve-pink shade that adds a touch of understated elegance.
The Bottom Line
Holiday makeup is all about embracing creativity and having fun with your look. With the right products and a few key techniques, you can easily create a look that feels both fresh and timeless. This holiday season don’t hesitate to experiment with makeup trends while keeping your style true to you because there’s no better time to shine and celebrate than now!
Esthetics has been a lifelong passion for Lindsay. Growing up as a dancer fueled her love of makeup and skin care from an early age, ultimately leading her to pursue esthetics school after college. In over five years of experience as a licensed esthetician, she cultivated a diverse skill set, from running her own makeup artistry business and working in a Forbes-listed resort spa, to collaborating with dermatologists and nurse practitioners in performing medical aesthetic treatments. Since then, she has joined the Dermstore team offering virtual consultation services and more to make skin care education easily accessible for everyone, no matter where they're located.
