Instant Holiday Glam : 5 Easy Upgrades From Makeup Pros

It’s that jolly good time of the year! Celebration and cheer abound with a flurry of parties, get-togethers, and gatherings. Let your beauty shine with holiday looks that build on your hydrated skin and groomed brows. This season’s trends offer many sexy shimmers, bold colors like classic reds and berries, barely there lips, and blush. Are you looking for a few modern makeup edits? We’ve checked in with two of New York City’s hottest makeup artists, Ashunta Sheriff and Tyrone Traylor, for tips to help you elevate your look and slay the holiday way!

Here are four ideas you can try:

1. Glow, Girl. Glow (Focus on Your Skin).

For skin that can compete with the bright holiday lights and otherworldly candlelight, you will need a great base and a few fabulous helpers for a luminous finish. After applying your moisturizer, reach for a hydrating primer. Follow with foundation. Amplify the skin’s radiance, Traylor explains, by going in with a glowing highlighter on the top of your cheekbones, brow bones, and the tip of your nose. Dot on and blend with your fingers or highlighter brush for natural light from within glow. Gala-worthy shindig? Traylor loves the use of bronzers for warm, soft sculptures. Apply along the hairline, the nose, and the jawline, and blend well.

Best Buys:

Keys Soulcare Let Me Glow Illuminating Serum in Bronze Aura is $26. It contains niacinamide, which brightens and smooths skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand in Goldgasm, $42. Brightening pigments provide a translucent finish.

LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer Stick, $20. Adds dimension and warmth to the face as a light contour.

2. Let Sparkling Eyes Take Center Stage.

Play eyes up in metallic shadow, says Sheriff, who has created red carpet looks for Taraji P. Henson and Zendaya.To make the look, start with an eyeshadow primer (we like Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Amplifying Eye Primer, $22) to ensure your look lasts all night. Apply a bold metallic shade on the lids using a damp brush to enhance the color’s vibrancy. Or blend shadow out with your finger for a wash of shimmer. Define your eyes with eyeliner and finish with mascara for flirty lashes. Keep the rest of your makeup subtle—think neutral cheeks and lips—to let your eyes truly steal the show.

Best Buys:

Grande Mascara Conditioning Peptide Mascara in Rich Black, $25. The ophthalmologist tested and infused with protein to nourish lashes and provide volume and length.

Maybelline Tattoo Studio Sharpenable Gel Pencil Longwear Eyeliner in Stardust Chrome or Deep Chrome, $9. Work the white (Stardust) liner in the waterline to build on an icy glam eye, or go classic black (Deep) winged cat eye!

Ashunta Sheriff Beauty Unicorn Multi Chrome Glitter Shadow Palette, $40. It features brilliant, multi-dimensional color, is long-wearing, and is muss-free.

Ardell Seamless Underlash Extensions, $20. Lengthen and volumize lashes with wispies for drama.

3. Opt For Naughty and Nice Neutrals For a Festive Finish.

Natural hues imbued with shimmer for the lips and toasty colors for the cheeks serve effortless beauty. Traylor notes that Lip Oils are having a moment, but he cautions that they should always be used with a lip pencil. Lining the lips will help define your lip shape and guard the shimmery oil from migrating into the corners.

Best Buys:

E.L.F. Glow Reviver Lip OI in Chocluxe, $8. Rich brown glimmer lip oil is enhanced with a pop of pink pearl for sparkle and shine.

Wyn Beauty by Serena Williams Acceptance Speech Shimmering Hydrating Lip Gloss in Trophy, $20. A clear gloss with gold shimmer works by itself or over lipstick for a high-impact shine.

MAC Ximal Sleek Satin Lipstick in Creme in Your coffee, $19. Full coverage and pigment-rich.

NYX Professional Makeup Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner #17 Rebel Kind, $8. This pencil has a creamy formula, glides on smoothly, and is fade-resistant.

Nars Powder Blush in Dolce Vita, $32. A whisper-soft dusty rose shade warms the cheeks, and blurs imperfections.

4. Let Mistletoe-Ready Reds Rule.

Do you only have seconds to spare before the work shindig or the holiday Zoom send-off? Go for a red lip to brighten your look. Sheriff suggests exfoliating lips and applying a hydrating balm to achieve a long-lasting, perfect rouge pout. Use a lip brush for precision, outlining your lips and filling them in with the matte crème for an ultra-polished finish. Add a dab of gloss in the center if you want a touch of shine.

Best Buys:

Ashunta Sheriff Beauty Vegan Multi-Use Matte Crème in Drama, $20. A vibrant red with orange undertones.

The Lip Bar Non-Stop Liquid Matte Lipstick in Rich Auntie, $ 15. A deep berry. It goes on like a gloss and dries to a velvety finish.

Tom Ford Beauty Runway Lip Color in 16 Scarlet Rouge, $62, is a true red infused with a hydrating complex.

5. Ring in the New Year With Brights.

Hey! What fun is the holiday if you don’t treat yourself? Gift yourself or your girls with sets that provide all you need for a festive finish.

Best Buys:

The Black Radiance Brilliant Effects Blazin Bright Bundle, $10, contains the Brilliant Effects eye shadow palette, which includes 12 shimmery shadows, along with two drop-dead red lipsticks: Perfect Tone Reggae Red and Eldorado Red.