How To Achieve That Perfect, Smoldering Holiday Party Makeup Look Without Aging Yourself 15 Years
We got this.
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by The Candidly Team
The older we get, the more makeup can age us, which is the opposite of what we want and the reason we typically aim for more of a “no-makeup makeup” look. But we still love the idea of twinkling a little brighter round the holidays. A glowier complexion. A rosier cheek. A smokier eye. A more bitten lip.
We fantasize about holiday makeup that looks like this:
Image: Paramount Pictures
And this:
Image: Columbia Pictures
And this, this, and this:
Image: Universal Pictures
Image: HBO
Image: NBC
But we’re scared we’ll come out looking more like this:
Image: NBC
Well my friends, we come with answers. We found the exact combination of products that anyone can use for a full face of smoldering holiday makeup and look absolutely flawless. No caking, no heaviness, just that starlit look that makes you want to descend a dramatic staircase into a twinkle-lit soirée, leave a cranberry lip stain on a glass or two, and carry home your heels.
Or you know, something like that.
1. The silky foundation that doesn’t sink into lines
WHAT: Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer*
Powder can us looking like our own grandmother. But a thick foundation can also cake into lines and pores and have a sort of sloppy, clay-like effect. This tint has been our favorite foundation for over-35 skin pretty much since we turned 35 (and we’ve tried dozens and dozens). The formula is so thin, natural, and luminescent but it absolutely makes our skin look its smoothest and most even. All the good stuff, none of the bad. Always, always start with this.
Price: $39
* Gifted
2. The only concealer for mature skin
WHAT: Tower 28 Swipe Serum Concealer*
And for all the blemishes and dark spots, we use this. It is hands down the best concealer for mature skin … or any skin with a smidge of texture.
Price: $24
* Gifted
3. The natural bronzer that isn’t a hint orange
WHAT: Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer®*
This is the kind of bronzer, perhaps the only one, you can’t make a mess of. You can either pat it onto all the points on your face that typically get the most sun using THIS* or literally just brush it all over your face to look like you’ve just spent the day soaking in vit D on the sunny slopes of Aspen. The results are healthful and gorgeous.
Price: $34
4. The rosy blush that won’t dry you out
WHAT: Soshe Blurring Pillow Blush in Speakeasy*
We haven’t experienced a blush as blurring and silky as this, especially as our skin has developed more lines and less tautness. It’s especially life-changing if powder blush leaves you looking dry and older but you tend to feel greasy or spotty after using cream blush. Use it with THIS* Soshe brush for a glass-skin finish. And if you’re not sure of your color, choose Speakeasy* for a flushed, aprés ski hue.
Price: $28
* Gifted
5. The smokey liner that will never drag
WHAT: Victoria Beckham Stain Kajal Liner In Cinnamon*
We wrote a whole article about this liner, because you can achieve an entire, idyllic smokey eye using just the liner in the color Cinnamon. Truly. It’s very creamy and never creases or drags, so it’s a real gift to those of us who have hooded eyes or any folds or creases (all of us?).
Price: $34
* Gifted
6. The creamy shadow that doesn’t crease
WHAT: Merit Solo Shadow*
We so often avoid eye shadow because (and you’re sick of hearing us say it), it can age us. But Merit’s cream formulas and stunning colors are uniquely soft and blurring. We love the new sheen shades for the holidays - Sartorial* is the sultry bronze that looks perfect on every eye color, but they also have the loveliest mattes around … case in point:
Price: $26
7.The dramatic mascara that replaces false lashes
WHAT: Vieve Icon Mascara*
We also wrote a dedicated piece about this mascara because while there are A LOT of very natural, lovely mascaras out there, this one creates the fullest, most dramatic looking lashes. It’s as close as we get to false lashes from a mascara alone, which makes it ideal for festive occasions. See photos of before and afters HERE.
Price: $29
* Gifted
8.The lip duo for the most romantic lip of your life
WHAT: Soshe The Kismet Lip Set*
We’ve written before about Soshe’s liner/ lipstick duo in the color Speakeasy*, because it is faultless. We’ve yet to meet a lip that doesn’t look more alluring, plumped, hydrated, and bitten from this color. HOWEVER, Soshe’s just come out with a slightly deeper, buildable plum shade called Kismet that feels like that elusive, romantic color that’s made for dry winter lips. Honestly, get either color, and you can’t go wrong.
Price: $52 for the set
* Gifted
….And If You’ll Only Ever Be Comfortable In A nude Lip
WHAT: Merit Signature Lip Liner in Bespoke* and The Outset Lip Oasis™ Glossy Treatment in Dune*
Why we love it: The Outset gloss in the color Dune paired with Merit lip liner in Bespoke was a discovery of ours that has gone wildly viral on our site, namely due to this before and after:
It is a bit of sorcery how it always gives you the perfect, pouty nude lip. And if you want to make it just a touch more festive, choose the berry shade Mirage instead of Dune. We promise it will still look very natural.
Price: $28 for the gloss, $24 for the liner
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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