I'm not really doing anything for Christmas other than watching movies in my pajamas and eating my weight in Santa-shaped chocolates, but I wanted to put together three different Christmas looks depending on what you were getting up to. They go from barely there to more glam, so I think I've got you covered for any occasion.
STAYING IN: NO MAKEUP-MAKEUP
This is the look I'll be going for on Christmas Day, if I even wear any makeup at all. Usually if I'm just sitting around at home I'll go for a no-makeup day, but on a special day like Christmas it can be fun to get a little bit dolled up. This look calls for a barely-there base, like the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint, fluttery lashes via the Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara, and soft pink lips and cheeks courtesy of the Stila Convertible Color in Lilium and the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 01 Rose Shimmer or Dior Addict Lip Glow. For a dewy but subtle highlight, the rms beauty Living Luminizer is the best of the best. This look is fresh and healthy looking, perfect for any Christmas morning pictures that might be snapped.
FAMILY PARTY: EVERYDAY APPROPRIATE
For something like a family party, I like to get a little more dolled up without going overboard. It's usually a look that I wouldn't feel uncomfortable wearing on a day to day basis. I actually had one of two (or three) family parties on Saturday (for the best family tradition - we go to some family members' houses to check out their Christmas trees and decorations before having a big dinner and party at the end), so this is what I wore then. I went with a slightly more dramatic eye and a nude-y lip, since I knew I'd be gorging myself on ham and scalloped potatoes and lipstick would be no match. A good base here would be one that you can't really feel on the skin but still evens everything out, like the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water. For my slightly glammed-up eye look I used the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise in Mona Lisa, a quick smudge of brown eyeliner, and a few coats of the Maybelline Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara - it's similar to the Clinique offering used above, but a little more dramatic. On the lips I went for the MAC Lipstick in Patisserie, the ultimate MLBB shade, and swiped on a bit of the Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight.
FANCY PARTY: GLITZ AND GLAM
Now I haven't been to a fancy party in quite some time, but if I was I'd go all out with the shimmer and red lips. This look would call for a more polished base like the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, a shimmery neutral eye - the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia used wet would be perfect - and a red lip. For a bright, true red I'd go for the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Always Red (01), and for something deeper and more berry-toned I'd pick the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Audrey - my favorite. This more glam look would of course call for some contouring and highlighting, and since I'm a bit of a noob I'd go for the Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow Duo and use the cream contour - it's really natural-looking so it's not easy to mess it up. To brighten my undereyes and keep it from looking like I'm usually in bed by 10 I'd go for the Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter. And if I'm going for an intense highlight, how could I not reach for the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop? It's seriously stunning.
What are your plans for Christmas?