VIVA LA GLAM
FOLLOW THESE EXPERTS' SUGGESTIONS TO SPARKLE AND SHINE FOR A SPECIAL PARTY OR
EVENING OUT
If there’s ever a good excuse to stray from your everyday beauty routine, it’s a holiday party. Stumped by how to
artfully apply fancy-occasion makeup? We’ve consulted the experts for their fail-safe application tips guaranteed to
get you glowing. Their advice: even if you’re all-thumbs, if you select one feature to play up and keep the rest of
your face neutral, you’ll look red carpet-worthy. To add a touch of holiday glimmer to your look, try their fast and
easy techniques for achieving festive gorgeousness.
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| When it comes to holiday eyes, go for the gold (or silver). Metallics are gorgeous holiday colors for eyes and make them stand out, says Elysa Ross, owner of Another Look Salon in Coral Springs, FL. Don’t be intimidated by the sparkle—for inspiration, think of Dr. Zhivago. “Sweep a silver or gold loose shadow onto the lid and then and blend into the crease,” says Ross. The perfect sparkly shadows? Bobbi Brown’s Diamond Dust ($21, www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com). Add pop by dotting a cream or liquid highlighter in a shade that compliments your shadow —a golden hue like Stila’s All Over Shimmer in #3 Luminous Gold, if you’ve chosen gold shadow, or a silvery pink such as Laura Mercier’s Secret Brightener in #1, if you’ve gone the silver route—to the brow bone ($20 and $30, www.sephora.com). For a more dramatic look, wet an angled eye liner brush and dip it into a charcoal or black shadow, and line the top lid, beginning at the corner nearest to your nose and then extending outwards. For voluminous eyelashes that don’t channel Raggedy Ann, Ross advises holding your brush horizontally at the very base of the lash, and then sliding the wand back and forth while moving out towards the lash tips. Confused by the multitude of available mascaras? Chanel’s Inimitable Mascara Multi-Dimensional does it all: lengthens, separates, plumps and curls—we’re obsessed. | ||||||||
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| To pump up your lips for a special event, begin by applying a lip plumper to make lips appear fuller and smoother, recommends Ashunta Sheriff, a makeup artist in New York. Try LipFusion Lip Plump ($36, www.sephora.com). For a nude lip look, softly line and fill in lips with a neutral colored pencil such as Laura Geller’s Lip Liner in Bare ($14, www.sephora.com). To finish, paint on a coat of a shiny, gloss like MAC’s Lipglass to impart dramatic shine ($14, www.nordstrom.com). If you’d like a dramatic red lip, use a lip brush to apply color precisely. “I love working with Stila’s #6 lip brush because it fits the contour of the lips perfectly,” says Sarah Lucero, makeup artist and Manager of Sales and Artistry Education for Stila Cosmetics. “Before you leave for a night out, load the brush with your favorite lipstick and pop the cap on the lip brush—it's a major space saver!” For a truly drop-dead red, try Smashbox’s Photo Finish Lipstick in Legendary and Tarte Lipstick in Chianti ($22 and $16, www.sephora.com). | ||||||||
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| For a glowing, I-spent-all-day-outdoors-making-snowmen complexion, skip the powders and opt for a gel or cream-based blush, advises Sheriff. To create a natural look, try one of Tarte’s Cheek Stains ($28, www.sephora.com). “Smile, then moving in a circular motion, roll the blush stick onto the apple of the cheek,” she recommends. “If too much has been applied, use a wedge sponge and rub over cheeks to remove any excess.” For a more dramatic, stand-out cheek, Sheriff loves Paula Dorf Cheek Color Cream in Cha Cha, a hot pink that works for all complexions ($19, www.sephora.com). To apply, use either a wedge sponge, patting color onto the apple of the cheek, or your fingertips, using the same method. | ||||
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| Unless you’ve spent a week in St. Tropez, sporting a full-on tan in December is a big-time no-no. A healthy glow, however, is a different story, says Leslie Lopez, a makeup artist in New York who has worked with Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson: “I always use Jergens Natural Glow FACE Daily Moisturizer on my clients to get that dewy, glowing look. It’s especially good during the holidays when skin is paler” ($5.99, www.drugstore.com). Don’t forget the rest of your body, too. Add a hint of color to your body with Breathe 24/7 Radiant Moisture Gradual Tanning Body Lotion. Our favorite scent: Vanilla Milk ($14.50, www.bathandbodyworks.com). To accentuate the glow and give skin a sexy sparkle, sparingly apply a shimmery lotion like Snow Glow Frosted Shimmer Body Lotion on the parts of your body that will be exposed ($14.50, www.bathandbodyworks.com). | ||||||
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| Much like art and music, fragrance is a very personal preference. Regardless of which scent you choose, for long-lasting fragrance, layering is key. “I like Ineke fragrances, which come in 3 different scents that can be used separate or together to create beautiful layers, says Sheriff. Allison Meyers, a makeup artist in New York, is a devotee of French perfumer Ferderic Malle “For an intoxicating scent, I always wear Iris Poudre. I constantly get compliments when I wear it,” she says ($180, www.barneys.com). Not sure where to spritz? “Apply scent on your pulse points: wrists, behind the ears, by the hair nape and the back of the knees,” Sheriff says. | ||||
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—Chelsea Kaplan
Click here to read all about Chelsea Kaplan's life with child in her blog, “I'm Somebody's Mother?”
