How to Add A Little Sparkle to Your Holiday Makeup

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The festive season is officially upon us (I know, it snuck up on me too)! And there’s something about the holiday season that makes me want to break out the metallics, play with grown up glitter, and revel in a good smokey eye. 

Here, I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to add a little sparkle to  a holiday makeup look — including tips and the products you’ll need to create the looks! These are the makeup looks you’ll catch me wearing until the ball drops. 

The Wet Look

I always fan girl every time I see a runway show showcase a glossy, wet eye look. I talk about it, Pin it, Instagram it. But recreating it isn’t as easy. It seems hard to find a balance that looks wet but not sweaty. But it isn’t impossible. 

Let your eyes do all of the talking with a smoldering smokey eye with a twist … a glossy finish. Line the eyelid with a kohl liner and smudge it out with a glossy shadow. Top it off with a face gloss, and you’re good to go! 

Get the look:

• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in ‘Alkaline‘
• MAC Studio Eye Gloss in ‘Medoc‘
• Milk Makeup Face Gloss

Gilded Glamour

If you’re like me, you probably loved glitter in middle school. Loved it to the point you put a saturated amount all over your eyelids. That was awesome for a 12 year old, but as a 25 year old, I have graduated to a more subtle application of the glittery good stuff. 

If you’re looking for a mature but impactful way to incorporate a shimmery shine into your makeup look, a metallic shadow is just the thing! Add a pop of champagne to the center of the lid and inner corners, and then add a touch of smudgey brown shadow along the bottom lash line to kick it up a notch! 

Get the look:

• Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in ‘Ladybird‘
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow in ‘Sand Glow‘
• Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in ‘Jezebel‘

Silver Bells

Everyone always runs toward gold for a holiday makeup look, but don’t under estimate a good silver. It makes the whites of your eyes pop and looks hella modern. Sweep a metallic shadow all over the lid, layer up a silver glittery wing, or highlight the inner corner with a bright silver. Curl your lashes but leave them mascara free, and your metallic accent will get you  noticed in all the right ways!

Get the look:

• NYX Face and Body Glitter in ‘Silver‘
• Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in ‘Glamrock‘
• Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in ‘Liberty‘
• Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye Tint in ‘White Silver‘

Wigged Out Wing

When in doubt, a good cat eye is always incredibly chic and sophisticated. But dress it up for your holiday parties by topping it off with a glitter, or heck, go right in with a glitter liner for maximum impact. 

Get the look:

• Pretty Vulgar Vixen Glimmer Eyeliner in ‘Dare to Glare‘
• Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in ‘Midnight Cowboy‘
• Marc Jacobs Highliner Glam Glitter Eye Gel in ‘All That Glitters‘
• Too Faced Pure Gold Face & Body Glitter in ‘Gold‘

Under the Eye

Much like a winged glitter liner, popping it right below your eyes is a bold but simple look. I love keeping my upper lid minimal and adding a touch of glitter to my lower lash line. Paired with a nude lip and fresh face, it makes such a huge impact. 

Get the look:

• Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in ‘Perlina‘
• Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in ‘Cheap Date‘
• Essence Moon Glitter in ‘Outer Space‘
• Revlon Photo Ready Eye Art in ‘Topaz‘

Disco Queen 

This is a look I 100% am going to be wearing for the holidays. There are a lot of ways you can go with this. But the most simple only consists of a little liner and some sparkle. Line the top and bottom lashes from the center outward to create a cat eye. Dab some sparkle on the outer corner, and keep the rest of your makeup fairly simple. 

Get the look:

• Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘N’ Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in ‘Bedroom Black‘
• Makeup Forever Star Lit Glitter in ‘107‘

Pucker Up

When you think glitter and makeup, most of our minds go directly to the eyes. But you can wear glitter everywhere. Glitter lips made it onto the scene when Pat McGrath released her Lust004 Kit a couple of years ago. And while we can’t get our hands on that set anymore, you can still get the effect by pressing a red glitter onto a red lipstick. 

Like most of these statement making, glittery looks, I’d recommend keeping the rest of the face minimal so the lips take center stage. But you do you. 

Get the look:

• Pat McGrath Labs Matte Trance Lipstick Mini in ‘Elson‘
• Obessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cosmetic Glitter in ‘Red‘

Glitter Highlight

Another fun and unexpected glitter application is to spice up your cheek highlight with chunky glitter. It’s one thing to apply a shimmery, blinding highlight to the high points of your cheekbones, but adding another texture will take it to a whole new level. 

Apply a little glitter glue or your preferred adhesive, and then place your glitter. Again, I’d keep the rest of my makeup fairly simple. 

Get the look:

• Lunatics Moon Dust Glitter in ‘Bubbly‘
• ABH Glitter Adhesive 

The great thing about makeup is that you can swap any of these looks for the color you want and still get the same effect! How do you like to incorporate glitter into your makeup looks? And are you going to try any of these out for your holiday festivities?