Thank you Essence for sending me products for this post and giveaway. All opinions and words are mine alone. Thanks for supporting brands that make Macarons & Mascara possible!
One of my favorite things about the holiday season is looking at all the pretty holiday makeup looks that surface Instagram, YouTube, and makeup blogs. They’re always so pretty and so holiday-ready! I know sometimes people get intimidated to try the looks they see from their favorite makeup gurus because they think that the looks are too hard to achieve, or they “can never do that.” I’m no genius with makeup (though, I like to think my eyeliner wings speak for themselves) but I do have a look I’d like to share that’s so perfect for holiday gatherings, ringing in the new year, and celebrating with friends. And the best part is you can kick it up a notch or keep it toned down depending on the event or what you’re feeling that day!
To start off, I did my usual foundation routine, which consists of my Revlon Photoready foundation in the shade “Medium Beige,” my Colorstay concealer (also from Revlon) in “Medium,” and my Colorstay pressed powder in “Medium.” I like a full coverage because my breakouts just ~love~ leaving me little scars and marks to remember them by. Sheesh, so clingy!
Once I finished my face, I got started on the eyes. I know some people like to do their eye makeup before doing their foundation because it’ll prevent any eyeshadow dust from ruining the foundation, but I just prefer moving on to the eyes afterward. You can do whatever you’re most comfortable with. If you’re wearing this look out to a party or event, prime your lids so everything stays put. I use $1 eyelid primer from Elf and it works great. I used white eyeshadow from my L.A. Colors Matte palette as sort of a “base” for the rest of the eyeshadow. I’ve come to love doing this because I find that it helps the other shades I put on top stand out more. For my transition shade, which I used in my crease, I used a warm, brownish shade from the same palette. I know the holidays are meant for going a little wild, but I like to play it safe by using a soft shade in my crease rather than a more dramatic one. This way, if I screw up the look it won’t be too noticeable!
I wanted to give my brow bone a little highlight, so I used the shade “Coral Me Maybe…” from Essence’s The Velvets line. It’s a gorgeous soft pink shade that feels super smooth. This shade is also super perfect for the inner corners of your eyes if you want to add an extra brightness. Even if you party all night, you’ll still look wide awake!
For my lids, I used the Essence Metal Glam eyeshadow in “Chocolate Jewelry” (yummy!). This is a GORGEOUS shade that must make an appearance at every holiday event. I love that the tone is very warm and earthy, but it’s also really jazzed up with a metallic texture — definitely gives new meaning to the term sparkly-eyed. You can add as little or as much of this as you want to really glam things up, either way, it’ll be show-stopping!
Ah, I love these two shades together!
Next, I just did my usual, everyday winged eyeliner. I know lots of people use liquid eyeliner for a winged look, but liquid eyeliner just doesn’t seem to get along with me very well, so I use cream/gel eyeliner instead. The one I use is from Elf and I’ve been using it for nearly two years now. I always get questions about what it’s like using gel eyeliner and, honestly, it takes some getting used to because you have to play around with the brush, find a technique that works for you, make sure you don’t have too much or too little product on the brush, and whatnot. But practice does make perfect (or at least selfie-worthy) — I’ve been practicing with gel eyeliner since I was a sophomore in high school and I’m now a junior in college!
After that, I applied my mascara for a really flared out look for extra ~glam~. I use Urban Decay’s Perversion mascara. Then it was time for me to do my lips. Since I really wanted to look Christmas-y, I opted for a bright, red lip. I lined my lips using Essence Longlasting Lipliner in “Ready For Red.” I don’t use lipliners, like, ever but this one seriously has me questioning that choice — it’s SO great! The tip allows you to make really precise strokes, and it literally GLIDES on. The formula is so smooth and so non-drying. I couldn’t stop at just using this product to line my lips, so I decided to fill them in with the lipliner, too and it was so pretty!
If you want a glossier pout, add some lip gloss over your lipliner. I used the Essence Beauty Balm lip gloss in “Heartbreaker” — really great name because I felt so ~badass~ wearing it! This gloss is the definition of red hot. It contains shea butter, so it nourishes your lips and keeps them hydrated even while you mingle with the friends you haven’t seen for six months, or eat too much holiday chicken. I also really love that it’s not heavy on the lips and not sticky, either.
If bright, red lips aren’t your thing, opt for a softer lip. The Essence Liquid Lipstick in “Make A Statement” is a perfect subtle pinky rose. It definitely goes so great with this look, too. The liquid lipstick is really pigmented and gives non-sticky shine so you can look dazzling without feeling like your lips are doused in cooking oil. This is definitely one of the prettiest liquid lipsticks I’ve ever tried.
Another great lippie for this look would be the Essence Longlasting Lipstick in “Coral Calling.” This really is a gorgeous coral color that has some pretty pink hues in it. Just like the other lip products, this one is super pigmented and goes on so smoothly. I kept it on for about six hours and it still looked great, so that’s a definite plus! Here are swatches of each of the lip products I just talked about.
Voila! An easy-to-do makeup look for the holidays! Now, let’s get to the giveaway…
Macarons & Mascara is turning one in FIVE DAYS, and I’m pretty darn excited about it! So to celebrate the blog reaching its big milestone, I’ve partnered with Essence for this fabulous holiday giveaway. You can win ALL of the Essence makeup products used in this holiday look as well as the liquid lipstick and longlasting lipstick! Entering is super easy.
- Head over to Instagram and “like” this photo.
- Make sure you’re following me (@xoitzjazz) and Essence (@essencemakeup) on Instagram.
- Last, tag a friend in the comments section of the photo.
The giveaway will close on Thursday (12/22) at 11:59pm. I will randomly pick a winner and announce then name on Instagram the following morning. Good luck!
Which of these products is your favorite?