Even if you are going to dig out the same little black dress to wear to your holiday parties every year, you can still turn up the volume on your everyday beauty routine. Don’t be scared to break out of your beauty box for just one night.
Take a cue from makeup artist James Boehmer, director of global artistry at Nars Cosmetics who uses his expertise at many runway shows.
He describes this season’s look seen at designer Carmen Marc Valvo’s fall show as “baroque with a punk edge.”
This trend is a great way to show off a holiday face — glamour with a twist.
“The eyeliner is a reference to the classic eyeliner, but with a punk spirit,” says Boehmer, “so it’s not delicate. The skin is very luminous; we talked about the girls looking haunted, but in a very pretty way.”
So Morticia Addams, move over. This season, it’s all about the drama, and not just during conversation around the bar. Let’s get the party face started. Here are some tips and trends:
–Be prepared
The trend in makeup foundation may be all aglow … but the shade of your foundation is critical. There are lots of factors that come into play. If you’ve been wearing Revlon all your life ever since you outgrew Bonne Bell in your teens then you need to take a U-turn right now, no matter where you are, and make an appointment with a makeup expert. There are hundreds of them out there … and many of them are available instantly by just walking into your favorite department store. They can answer all your questions, including “Do I have warm undertones or cool undertones in my skin?” Ask your friends for suggestions, and get thee to a beauty consultant fast. You’ll be surprised at how many years younger you may look with this one switch.
–Have a rosy outlook
Yes, the nude face may be a big trend, but the holidays are all about being merry and bright! So experiment with the newest berry hues and warm up those lips. If you don’t do anything else for your party face, try using a darker lipstick or gloss. This is another one of those times when consulting an expert may be your best bet. Velvety matte lipsticks and lip liners are popular now, but if you’re stuck on glosses, not to worry, just try a new hue. And make sure you reapply lipstick often.
–Keep an eye out
Besides your lips, the eyes are another way to focus on upping the glam factor for a holiday party face. The smoky eye is now famous (and infamous) for stealing the show. But there’s nothing worse than overdoing it and scaring the kids. Try some of the newer pencils that are more subtle than smearing on dark eyeshadows. Then, opt for a volumizing mascara to give your eyes that extra emphasis for an evening soiree.
–Go bold on brows
Maybe you’ve got the smoky eye down, but you rarely pay attention to your brows. Well, they can make a huge impact on your overall look. And this is one thing with which you can easily experiment — brow pencils and brow gels are very affordable. Fill in those barely there hairs and follow the natural line of your brows … you’ll be amazed at the results. Remember, bolder is better, but “natural” is the key word.
In the photo: Model backstage at Carmen Marc Valvo’s fall runway show in Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, Belle de Jour Velvet Matte Lip Pencil and Madere Pure Matte Lipstick.
Source: The National Ledger