New Year's Eve Makeup Looks
If any night of the year is meant for glitter, glitz and drama, it is definitely New Year’s Eve.
This meant-to-party night allows you to get fun and flirty with your aesthetic and gives you the opportunity to try out looks that would be deemed too over the top for the average celebratory outing.
Although your ensemble is certainly a large part of your overall appearance, New Year’s Eve fashion isn’t all about that flashy dress.
From bright lip colors, false lashes, sultry eyes, flashy manicures, and even rhinestones (tastefully applied) the possibilities are endless and New Year’s Eve is the perfect time for you to experiment with those daring trends that you’ve been dying to attempt. Don’t be afraid to go all out with your look, just be sure to keep things polished and refined.
When preparing to apply your New Year’s Eve makeup, it’s important to make sure that your beautiful facial work of art lasts all through the night. Keep in mind that when you decide to go for a dramatic lip or eye, the surrounding skin must be flawlessly clear.
To begin, before using concealer or foundation, prep the skin with a quick scrub to exfoliate and a moisturizer. Primers work great to allow colors to glide on smoothly and also set your makeup for the entire evening. Use a wet sponge when applying cover-up for a dewy finish and wrap up with a setting powder that will keep you lasting all through the night (even through a potential midnight kiss!).
Dramatic Smoky Eye
A dark smoky eye is always a sexy go-to that enhances any eye color and instantly glams up the rest of your ensemble. A smoldering eye adds edge to an otherwise girly attire and looks even more alluring when worn out after a few hours of fun.
Start by applying an eye primer to set the eye shadow in place and ensure that it lasts all night. Opt for dark browns and black for a sultry smoky look or use a plum liner and shadow to define the eyes and add more color.
For a soft yet dramatic look, dab on a metallic cream shadow all over the lid and use a brush to draw black shadow from the inner corner of the eye past the outer corner. Then use a blending brush to smudge the lines on both top and bottom lash lines.
For a subtle hint of shine, place a thin line of glitter over your eyeliner. Finish off the look with a nude or light pink lip—and make it matte so that it lasts all night long.
Glitzy Lids
If you’re feeling really festive, dress up your lids with some shiny glitter shadow or sequins application.
To apply loose sequins or glitter, prime the eyelid and the area beneath the eye with concealer and blend a powder shadow over the eyelid (make sure the color of the shadow compliments the shade of your glitz).
To give the eye extra oomph, blend the eye shadow along the lower lashes; then, work a black eyeliner pencil across the top and bottom lash lines, and along the upper and lower inner rims.
Dip a flat synthetic brush in glitter glue and press it over the eyelid. Pick up some sequins glitter on the same brush and pat it onto the eyelid. Keep adding more until you build up the desired intensity–and presto, you have disco eyes!
Bold Lips
Play up the latest winter trend and vamp up your lips with a dark seasonable hue. Experiment with rich browns, currant, or raspberry shades for a fierce alternative to the typical red.
Use a lip liner to define your natural lip line and avoid reapplications by covering the lips with powder, then applying one coat of the lipstick, re-blotting and applying another coat.
When using a bold lip color keep eye makeup to a minimum with simple liner and hints of copper shimmer (especially when using a burgundy or currant lip color). Make sure to define your eyebrows and fill them in with a brow pencil or wand and keep them in place by dabbing a bit of mild gel.
Festive Nails
Don’t overlook nails as a part of your glamorous New Year’s look! Step out of your lacquer comfort zone and opt for something creative that will let your hands do all of the talking.
Try a gradient manicure with a dark base color that builds up to a flashy shade or add cascading glitter for a contrasting effect. Attempt a glitzy polished manicure by using thin strips of tape to achieve the perfect french tip, or for an edgier take on the french use a burgundy base topped off with a thin black stripe.