From tinsel and glitter to sequins and shimmer, the holidays are a flashy time of year. For many of us that includes adding some pizzazz to our usual makeup routine. The good news is you can have fun, look glamorous and use natural makeup. Read on and I’ll show you how I achieve a simple but classic party-perfect look using natural skin care and cosmetics from our Whole Body department.SkinI start by swiping a toner soaked cotton pad across my face. Using a toner is optional, but I find it gently exfoliates skin and helps close pores. For combination to oily skin, I like Burt’s Bees Garden Tomato Toner. If your skin is dry you can skip the toner. Next, apply a light moisturizer like Earth Science Almond-Aloe Moisturizer. The fragrance-free version is non-greasy and a great option for almost any skin type. Finally, apply Mineral Fusion face primer all over your face including on your eyelids and under your brows.After prepping your skin, start your makeup application with your eyes. Doing this before the rest of your makeup allows you to clean up any loose eyeshadow or smudges without messing up your foundation and concealer. I swear by a good set of makeup brushes for the best coverage, but you can follow these techniques with any applicator you have at home.Eyes: Step 1
For this holiday look use a shimmery white or champagne color on the inner part of your eyelid. I’m using Zuzu eyeshadow in Platinum. Pat the eyeshadow all over your eyelid up to the crease. Patting on the shadow rather than sweeping it on gives a denser amount of pigment.Eyes: Step 2
Using a medium dome brush with fairly stiff bristles, sweep a deep burgundy or purple shadow like Aubergene by Gabriel Cosmetics into the crease and along the outside edge of your upper lash line. My trick is to look straight ahead rather than closing my eye, which keeps the brush in the area directly under the brow bone. Make a shape that resembles a sideways “V” on the outside of your lid.Eyes: Step 3
Next, if you have one, use a slightly larger domed brush with softer bristles. Apply a color that is just a bit lighter than the shade you just used. I’m using the purple from the Mineral Fusion eyeshadow trio called Symmetry. Sweep the color above and slightly on top of the last shadow, to soften the edges and blend. You can also apply a little on the lid, directly below the crease to blend the color downward and add more definition.Eyes: Step 4
Next, line the outer two-thirds of your upper lash line with a black eyeliner. Gabriel Cosmetics has an easy-to-blend liner in Coal that’s great for this. Don’t worry too much about getting a perfect line because in the next step you’ll smudge it out. Using a stiffer-bristled dome brush, add a little of the Mineral Fusion purple shadow along your lash line, to soften and smudge the eyeliner and blend it into the crease shadow you’ve already put down.Eyes: Step 5Now you’re ready for eyelashes! They truly are the icing on the cake when it comes to beautiful eye makeup. Curl them with an eyelash curler to open up your eyes and brighten your whole face. Follow this with two coats of a dark mascara. I like the one from Gabriel Cosmetics.EyebrowsIf you have sparse or over-plucked eyebrows, fill them in to give you a polished appearance. You can use an eyeshadow in a shade slightly lighter than the natural shade of your brows. Be careful not to go very dark since this may cause your brows to look too harsh.Cheeks
Now that the eyes are finished, it’s time to apply foundation and concealer, if you need it. I use a pressed mineral foundation with the Bamboo Bronzer Brush from EcoTools. Both Gabriel Cosmetics and Mineral Fusion have great powder foundations, but if your skin is on the dry side you can use a liquid foundation like Dr. Hauschka’s Translucent Makeup for a dewy glow. Follow the foundation with a bronzer or a peachy pink blush to add warmth to your face. Because the rest of the look is dramatic you don’t want to overdo it with blush. Apply just enough to define the part of your cheeks that sticks out the furthest. You can also very lightly sweep the extra powder on the brush along your hairline to give the front of your face a soft glow.Lips
The final step is to add a bright, festive lip color. For this look I chose Gabriel Cosmetics lipstick in Pomegranate.When you’re done you can spritz on Mineral Fusion Hydration Mist, especially if you used a powder foundation. The mist helps blend the powder and seal in your makeup.That’s all there is to it! It’s a festive holiday look that shines with natural cosmetics.
Do you have a holiday makeup tip? I’d love to hear it!
