Holiday Beauty
 | Chilly winds gust through the streets, leaves desperately cling to the last signs of summer and with every passing day, it becomes as clear as the fall air that winter is not far away. And although with winter comes the inevitable stashing of strappy sandals  and putting fall frocks to rest, it does offer new opportunities for wearing incredible holiday colors! Put away the bronzer , retire your soft summer hues, and get ready for a stunning arsenal of makeup. We'll show you how to create a winter look so hot, it will melt snowflakes in their tracks. | |
The Trends
The holidays are the ideal time to whip out your more adventurous makeup, including ethereal shimmers , bold jewel tones, and metallic glimmer . With plenty of parties and an array of festive get-togethers to attend, you'll no doubt want to exude the joy and happiness of the season on your face. But what happens when the parties are over? This winter's palette is all about minimalism. Contoured eyes and cheeks, pale nails, and red lips will grace every woman's visage. Also look for mascara-less eyes, blush-less cheeks, and thick eyebrows.
The Looks
Below you'll find suggestions for how to wear your makeup this holiday season as well as product recommendations for new items that may or may not be available at ShopWiki. If you can't find them here, check the manufacturer's Web sites. Go to the External Links section for further reading.
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Soft Beauty
Delicate plums and pinks dusted over the eyes and cheeks should give your face the look of being out and about in the frosty winter air. Pair light eyes and warm cheeks with tame gloss or a sheer lip stain for an innocent, chill-kissed look. |
Black Eyes Eyes lined with black liner is a classic look, that's why it's such a hot trend this winter. Liner not only makes your eye color pop, but also defines these very important features. Go for a pin-up aesthetic with a winged top lid, or for a more edgy look, line around your eyes. |
Red Lips Everyone loves a beautiful pair of lips, and the best way to achieve this is with red lipstick. Paired with the near colorless faces of winter, this bold shade will direct all of the emphasis to your pucker. |
Bejewled Glitzy golds, ambers, and coppers can jazz up basic browns for a totally-you-but-totally-electrified holiday face. When using gilded shades, keep them monochromatic, except for some berry lips when you want to dress it up. To enhance your eyes, play up the creases with a deep chocolate. |
Thick Eyebrows No one likes bushy brows, but when they're trimmed and tame, thick ones will frame a face. Manicured thick eyebrows are hot this winter, but if you can't grow them out in time (or you happen to be brow-challenged), you can always opt for an filler kit or long-lasting pencils, powders, and markers. |
Glowing Cheeks
Now that your tan is just about gone, you might be tempted to run to the local pharmacy's beauty aisle and snag all of their bronzing products. We have one message: Step away from the bronzer! Pale and natural is in, so this means you can throw away all of your faux tanners and get back to the skin you were born with. This doesn't mean that your complexion will remain colorless. For a subtle gleam, pick a luminizer or highlighter to dab on cheek and brow bones as well as down the bridge of the nose. Or use a smidgen in your daily moisturizer to give your face an overall glowing radiance. When pairing these crystalline-looking cheeks with lips and eyes, there are a few routes to take. Go mellow all around and swipe on just a touch of brown mascara and pink lip gloss or stain for an au natural, just-off-the-slopes feel. You can also try creating soft gold eyes and barely there lips to warm up your look (best paired with a warm highlighter).
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- Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion : Make your cheekbones, eyes, and cheeks stand out with this allover highlighter. It's a luminous cream that blends easily and makes you look radiant.
- Bobbi Brown Face Highlighter Pen : This compact and travel-efficient liquid highlighter provides a dewy glow, which is perfect during those hard winter days. It's also luminescent and won't clog your pores.
- Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Highlighter : If your complexion is dull or just needs a little brightening up, Physicians' highlighter features skin-correcting colors that enhance your skin tone and even it out.
- Cargo blu_ray Blush Highlighter : With just the swoop of a brush, you can highlight your cheekbones and add a little color to your face. This blush-highlighter duo contains photochromatic pigments and irregular-sized particles to give you a soft glow.
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Starry Eyes
Soft, shimmering eyes are easy to wear, quick to apply, and gorgeous on everyone. They easily transition from day to night with an extra coat of black mascara and a little liquid eyeliner (but always pair this look with soft lips and cheeks so that the eyes can really take the stage). Choose the shade of shimmer depending on whether you want something cooler or warmer, and be careful that you choose the rest of your palette to match. Another option that is particularly good for a New Year's Eve bash or for younger women is bold, colorful liners that really make a statement.
- DuWop Smoke : This duo of deep, daring jewel-toned shadows comes in sets of plum, olive, navy, and gold. The duo is monochrome, one pod in cream and the other in powder.
- Too Faced Starry Eyed Liner Stalkerazzi : Get gutsy and glitzy with this 100-watt glowing eyeliners. Stalkerazzi is the perfect bubble champagne hue for all your New Year's Eve extravaganzas.
- Pop Beauty Glitter Stix : Choose your fave shade for your fancy gala in warm gold or copper, cool crystal or turquoise, or get girly with pink or sultry with sage. Either way, your eyes are sure to pop!
- Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner : Got a rock concert to hit over the holidays? Don't go unarmed. Bring along this bold glitter liner to make eyes stand out, no matter how loud the music is or how long the party lasts.
- Almay Intense i-Color Play Up Liquid Eyeliner : If you can't rationalize spending $20 on eyeliner, this product is a great choice and comparable to high-end versions.
- Bobbi Brown Diamond Dust : This ultra soft selection of shadows is powdery and satiny for a barely-there dab of color and a gorgeous eye-enhancing sparkle.
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Luscious Lips
Prominent red lips are all the rage for fall and winter. They work best with subtle eye makeup and minimal or natural cheeks. If a strong lip makes you feel too vampy, consider paring your down deep crimson to a chilled yet sheer berry, and then dust the eyes with soft neutrals, pale charcoals, or pearly whites and champagnes. For a glamorous starlet look, pair matte skin and ruby lips with liquid-lined eyes. Red truly not for you? For a delicate look, go easy and indulge in pearly pinks and roses.
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- Vincent Longo Diamond Lip Gloss : Elegant and sheer for just a touch of luster, plus the gloss is enriched for soothing lips as well as making them look plump.
- Bourjois, Lovely Rouge Perle : Pearls are always an elegant fashion accessory for any outfit. Now you can carry the look of pearls to your lips with a shimmery shade giving you just the right touch of pearly glamor. The line currently offers four soft, creamy colors in rose perlé (pearly rose), rose doux perlé (a soft rose), brun perlé (mocha brown), and corail perlé (a light bronze).
- Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lipstick, Rose Ingenue : Guerlain's creamy lipstick is infused with vitamin E to moisturize your lips. The line of browns, pinks, and mauves contain gold undertones for a radiant finish.
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Pale Nails and Deep Colors
The sun may set earlier these days, but that doesn't mean fashion and makeup should reflect this dark trend. While dark nails are certainly more prominent during colder months, neutral nails are also a hot look. Of course, the satin black shade popularized by Chanel is still holding its head high, and many other polishes have dared to follow in its footsteps. But dark colors are not for everyone. If you prefer the classic look of nude nails, choose an iridescent beige or pink for a hint of sparkle and sophistication.
- OPI, Lincoln Park After Dark : This dark eggplant hue is devilishly delightful and perfect for the cool winter months. Wear it on short nails for a neat and trendy look that adds instant sophistication to your holiday look.
- Barielle Shades Nail Color, Freestyle : Metallic polishes are perfect because they offer flair without a lot of the unwanted attention. Barielle's Freestyle nail polish is a sea-green color with a touch of sparkle. It's long-lasting with a protective glossy finish.
- L'Oreal ProManicure Nail Polish, Dozen Red Roses : Red works well during any season, but there's something about red nails during the holidays that increases its appeal. L'Oreal's Dozen Red Roses polish gives you shiny salon quality nails within minutes.
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Take It Off
Whether you attended all of those holiday parties or it's the end of a cold winter's work day, it's time to remove your makeup. Soap and water won't do the trick because it doesn't properly cleanse your skin. We have a few tips that will let your pores breathe and make your skin look healthy and new.
- Delicate Eyes: The skin around your eyes is very thin and sensitive, which means when you're removing eye makeup, soft strokes and gentle rubbing will be much more beneficial than scrubbing. But you'll also need a cleanser. Look for oil-free removers or products that won't irritate your eyes. Waterproof shadows, liners, and mascaras can be removed with petroleum jelly .
- Say No to Alcohol : Although many makeup removers claim to clean your face better than other products, these seemingly amazing cleansers actually contain alcohol or an alcohol-based product. This will dry out your skin and may cause breakouts .
- Exfoliate Daily: One way to get makeup out of your pores and off your face is with a scrub . These beaded facial cleaners get trapped dirt and makeup particles out of pores while removing dead skin cells.
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