How Makeup Artists Do Their Own Holiday Makeup

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Perhaps you’re here because you want to try something different and special with your look this season. Or maybe you're panic-googling makeup tips while standing in front of the mirror before a party. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve asked four of the coolest and most talented makeup artists we know to show us their party face—and then tell us how it’s done. Inspiration awaits.

Bobbi Brown's Platinum Pink Glow

Sometimes all it takes is amping up your day-to-day look, Brown says: “I still want to feel like myself at a party.” Try her color swaps and grown-up sparkle.

Step 1: Brown replaces her usual brown eyeliner for a black one, applying it along her upper lashline and the waterline, which “looks more defined and a little sexier,” she says.

Step 2: Think pink. “You may not gravitate to this color for holiday, but the bold pop makes it special and blends into a pretty stain that works on everyone,” says Brown, who swipes her Lip and Cheek Stick in Bright Pink on lips and the apples of her cheeks.

Step 3: Make cheekbones and eyelids gleam. Brown uses a finger to break the seal of her coconut-oil-based Platinum Pink Mini Miracle Balm and taps it along her cheekbones. Then she applies Sparkle Wash in Barely Pink—a transparent shimmer—to her eyelids and the inner corners of her eyes. The Pink Platinum Kit, $72

The Platinum Pink Kit

Gita Bass’s Plum Smoky Eyes

This smudgy shadow—and insta smoky eye—looks good on every eye shape, size, and color, says Bass.

Step 1: Line the eyes with Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Fig, a dark purple waterproof pencil. “I have hooded eyes, so I stare straight into the mirror while I apply to see how it’s going to look. I line the inner corner and outer corner of my upper lashline and then draw a very thin line along my lower lashes.” Use a fluffy brush or the back of the pencil to smudge thoroughly.

Step 2: Swipe Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick in Galaxy, a creamy metallic plum, just above the crease of the lid—“I want to be able to see it when my eyes are open,” Bass says—and along the lower lashline, too.

Step 3: The finishing touch: one drop of Sisley-Paris Ombre Éclat Liquide Eyeshadow 3, a shimmery pink gold, on the center of each lid. Bass says: “I blend it toward the inner corners of the eyes to brighten them up. Then I add a few coats of mascara.”

Satin Kajal Liner in Fig

Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick in Galaxy

Ombre Éclat Liquide Eyeshadow in 3

Tasha Reiko Brown’s Satin Red Lip

“I adore a holiday classic, and there’s nothing more timeless than a strong red lip,” says Reiko Brown, Chanel’s makeup artist and groomer. To make it feel 2023, she replaces the traditional matte with a creamy, shiny finish.

Step 1: Create a natural glow. Reiko Brown sweeps Chanel Les Symboles de Chanel Oversize Illuminating Powder in Warm Gold on cheekbones, eyelids, the bridge of the nose, and the Cupid’s bow.

Step 2: “I prefer a sharp lip line here, so I outline and fill in the lips with Chanel Le Crayon Lèvres Longwear Lip Pencil in Rouge Intense and then swipe on Chanel Rouge Allure L’Extrait in 857, a radiant metallic crimson,” Reiko Brown says. She blots once, and then repeats the process, layering the same lip liner and lipstick for extra intensity.

Step 3: A classic winged eye complements red lips. “I put a dot where I want the wing to end and then draw my line to it,” says Reiko Brown, who uses a pencil eyeliner—Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense—for a slightly diffused flick.

LES SYMBOLES DE CHANEL LES PERLES Oversize Illuminating Powder

Longwear Lip Pencil in Rouge Intense

Longwear Lip Pencil in Rouge Intense

Rouge Allure L'Extrait in 857

Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense

Rouge Allure L'Extrait in 857

Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense

Carolina Gonzalez’s Glam Latte Makeup

An earthy monochromatic look—with the same color on eyes, lips, and cheeks—is polished enough for evening and not too much for daytime. “To elevate it for the holiday, I reach for luminous formulas,” Gonzalez says.

Step 1: You want your skin to look especially smooth and luminous. “I suffer from under-eye bags, so I always start with a BioEffect Imprinting Eye Mask and then Retrouvé Intensive Replenishing Facial Moisturizer, rubbing it in with a roller,” says Gonzalez, who then swipes a creamy concealer wherever she needs it. “The result is healthy, not sparkly skin,” she says.

Step 2: The Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Dark Brown helps to fill in brows, yes, but Gonzalez says it makes a great eyeliner and lip liner, too. “The color helps to define and contour eyes and lips,” she shares. Then, she swipes on Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara: “I’ve been using this since the ’90s. It’s the best nontransferable formula out there.”

Step 3: Apply Armani Beauty Lip Power Longwear Satin Lipstick in Mystery to your eyelids, lips, and cheeks straight from the tube. Then blend with your fingers. “You can do this because the formula is so creamy, and the color is the perfect warm berry brown,” Gonzalez says.

Imprinting Eye Mask

Intensive Replenishing Facial Moisturizer

Perfect Brow Pencil in Dark Brown

High Impact Waterproof Mascara

Lip Power Longwear Satin Lipstick in Mystery

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