Christmas is hands-down my favorite time of year. I love the decorating and the music and just how cozy and pretty everything looks with fairy lights all over the place. I'm feeling festive the whole time from Thanksgiving up until Christmas, so I really pull out all the stops for Christmas parties and get-togethers.
The look that screams "Christmas/holidays" to me the most is a bit of gold and burgundy eyeshadow (this is why the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette is one of the top things on my Christmas list). My favorite combinations right now are Gold and Garnet (3rd & 6th in bottom row) from the Lorac Pro Palette and Last Sin and Sonic (top row far right, last row 4th from left) from the Urban Decay Vice3 Palette (shout out to my sister for the super early Christmas present). Another eyeshadow that makes me think of Christmas parties whenever I wear it is YDK (10th from left) from the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette. This is a little more low-key, and definitely a great option if you're scared of the burgundy in the other 2 looks, but still super festive. It's a very unique bronze in that it's more cool-toned than your normal bronze and gold eyeshadows. When packed on, it can look almost purple-y/silver - I find it also makes a great option for New Years Eve! A similar purple-y-bronze eye look can be achieved with the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock with MAC eyeshadow in Sable over the top - one of my current favorites.
Eyeshadow taken care of, another thing I like to do is always use a black liquid liner. It's so pretty and clean-looking to have a crisp liquid line rather than my usual subtly smoked out pencil liner. I used to be absolutely useless at winged eyeliner, but the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner has turned me into a pro (ok maybe not a pro, but I can always make both eyes even). If you're really feeling festive you can top off the eyeliner with a glitter eyeliner as well - I'm currently loving the glitter side of the new Revlon Eye Art Lid+Line+Lash (I have the shade Topaz Twinkle).
With more eye makeup than I'm used to, I like to keep the rest of the face fairly natural. I love using the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Foundation with the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer to achieve a perfected base that still looks like my skin. For cheeks I go with my usual Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed because the mauve-y-brown color goes with everything and subtly sculpts the face. I finish off with a little bit of the Benefit Watt's Up on my cheekbones because when can you add in a little extra glow if not for Christmas?
Another classic holiday look is a festive red lip. If you're looking for a true red, look no further than the MAC matte lipstick in Russian Red. This is less blue-toned than Ruby Woo, so it will look nice on all skintones, and the matte formula stays put through Christmas cookies and eggnog. Another option that I'll definitely be breaking out this season is the Nars Audacious Lipstick in Audrey. This is a little more unique, as it's slightly berry-toned and slightly muted as well. This would look absolutely lovely paired with the YDK eyeshadow. A slightly more wearable option is the Nyx Butter Gloss in Red Velvet - these glosses are absolutely beautiful. If you feel like a red lip is too high-maintenance through Christmas dinners, a soft mauve-y MLBB shade would look perfect - my favorite combination at the moment is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Rush with the MAC lustre lipstick in Syrup.
What's your favorite makeup look for the holidays?