Holiday Makeup By B.B.

We've been talking about holiday attire, but we haven't discussed holiday makeup.  If there is ever a time to glam it up a bit (other than Halloween, of course) I'd say holiday parties and NYE is the time to do it!  There's just one problem, makeup is not my area of expertise.  Luckily, my uber chic friend Brie happens to be a makeup artist extraordinaire.

Yeah, that's actually her.  Perhaps her modeling days were what got her so interested in the field?!  Nonetheless, Brie knows what's going on.  And today she's giving us the lowdown on how to achieve the perfect touch of sparkle this season. 



First, let me thank Chassity for asking me to do this post for her. I love her blog and it's one of my daily must-reads. I met Chassity back in October through a very good mutual friend of ours (child photographer and fellow blogger Gray Benko) and we instantly hit it off over our mutual love of fabulous purses. When she asked me to write a guest post on holiday makeup, I knew immediately I had to do it! So here it is, I hope you all enjoy!

I LOVE this time of year. The air is crisp and full of sweet holiday smells, I get to put on all my favorite snuggly sweaters and boots, and every day is full of holiday magic. One of my favorite parts of the season is, of course, the parties! Seriously, what girl doesn't love to throw on a fantastic dress and heels, slip on a few sparkly baubles, and go out for an evening of holiday cheer? As a makeup artist I get a lot of requests around the holidays for looks with a little sparkle to it. This can sometimes prove difficult to achieve at home without looking like you got caught in the middle of a glitter war in a craft shop, but with a few of my tips you'll be perfectly dazzling in no time.

The first thing you need is a good eye primer. I suggest Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This stuff is magic in a bottle and really keeps your eye makeup from sliding or creasing. You'll also need to select a color palette for your shadow. I personally love grays and silvers for this time of year. Dior 5-Colour Designer All-In-One Artistry Palette in 'Smoky Design' has some gorgeous shadows in it, perfect for this look. Start with the gun metal gray color and apply it very lightly over the lid and into the crease, blending outward. Then take the silvery color and apply it over top the gray color on the lid only. This will give a nice depth of color. Then dip back into the dark gray color and really darken up the crease, always blending and softening any lines. Use the soft white shadow as a highlighter under the brow bone. Line the eyes in black. Now you can go two ways with this look. For a subtle shimmer, try a gel liner such as Sephora Glitter Eyeliner in Silver on the outer corners of the lash line. It will look a little something like this:

  For a full on glitter glow (Make Up For Ever makes some great glitter in a range of colors), you are going to need a mixing medium to hold the loose glitter in place. The one I like to use is FACE atelier Transforming Gel. Remember, with both the glitter and the gel, a little goes a long way. Mix a little of each together and then begin to gently pat it onto the eyelid with a small shadow brush. Allow to dry. You should end up with something like this:

A good secret for catching any glitter fall out - hold a kleenex under the eye with one hand while you pat it on with a brush in the other hand. If any strays land on your cheeks, use a piece of scotch tape to gently lift the stray sparkles up and away. Swipe on some mascara. With a strong eye look like this, it's best to go with a nice neutral lip color and a light soft blush on the cheeks.

And there you have it. This was a lot of fun to put together, and I hope you all enjoyed it.While you're out on the town this holiday season partaking in the festivities, remember to be safe, and have fun! Love, b.b.

Thanks so much to Brie for sharing her tips and tricks.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very daring with my makeup, but I think I might be able to give this a try!!  Oh, and check out Brie's blog to see the 5 items in her kit that she can't live without.