5 days til Christmas – yay! It is so soon and I’m so excited! Today I wanted to shift gears from gifts and outfits and focus on holiday beauty.
My makeup routine is pretty basic everyday – more about it here – but I do love getting done up for special occasions! I still feel like a makeup novice most times, but I have found some items that are easy to use and pretty foolproof. So here we go!
I stick with my favorites for my face – Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue and Maybelline concealer. These provide a great base and I know they’ll last all day! I’ll add my normal Tarte blush and then add a swipe of Charlotte Tilbury Highlighter on my high cheekbones. Too much highlighter will make you look like an Instagram star, so less is more. Plus the Charlotte Tilbury is very concentrated so a little bit will really reflect the light!
The real difference for special occasions is my eyes – and I use a Charlotte Tilbury Cream Eyeshadow, Charlotte Tilbury Eyeliner and my favorite L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara. I am definitely on a Charlotte Tilbury kick lately – her stuff is SO GOOD. It’s the right amount of sparkle without being “too much.” And so easy to apply! The eyeliner is super soft and glides onto your eyelid without dragging.
Once I’ve applied all that I’ll use my Laura Mercier Setting Powder to keep the shine down. After that I spray with entire face (eyes included!) with Urban Decay setting spray. Both these steps will keep your makeup all day (and night) if you’re going to multiple events in one day – we are!
Ok now onto my hair – I always curl it for special occasions and I haven’t found anything better than this curling wand. The curls will last for days! I go for tight curls the first day and then they’ll fall the next few days. I prep my hair with this Aveda styling cream and then let it dry. I’ve also found that letting my hair air dry and then curl will help them last longer – so I try to do that when I can.
I section my hair and start at the bottom – curling away from my face. I curl all away from my face – not alternating at all. Some people recommend alternating the direction of your curls, but they get to be a bit too messy for my liking. So I curl away from my face, holding on the iron for like 15 seconds. My hair is SUPER thick so I have to hold the hair on for longer than most. After each section is done I spray with Kenra Hairspray – this stuff is no joke. It lasts all day and isn’t crunchy or sticky! Highly recommend.
So holiday beauty isn’t really that much different for me! I just add some fun elements that I won’t wear everyday – like a highlighter. My eyes always feel tired if I add a ton of eye makeup, so sparkly eyeliner is my speed for fun events. Plus all of these items aren’t gimmicky or trendy – they’re classic and can be worn in any season. Highlighter is now a year-round thing! So I definitely recommend all these items, and love wearing them all together for special holiday events.
Shop all my holiday beauty picks in the carousel below:
Want to see more makeup posts? Check out my makeup essentials , 5 minute makeup routine, and winter skincare tips.
