When Christmas rolls around, as does the desire to elevate your makeup from mundane to something truly festive. These eye looks promise to do just that, with minimal effort (or stress)…
While bold red lips and reflective glitter often come to mind when you think of “Christmas makeup,” there are other ways to transform your everyday look that aren’t as obvious or low-maintenance. As far as our team is concerned, you only need one best eyeliners — or perhaps a subtle shimmering eyeshadow palette — in your arsenal, to create a chic and party-ready look.
If you’re running out of inspiration, these are the four simple eye makeup options our beauty team relies on for an elevated and perfectly festive look.
The 4 party-ready eye looks we swear by for instant chic
On paper, a festive eyeliner or eyeshadow moment may seem like it takes a lot of time, effort and skill, but our team has turned simple yet sophisticated eye makeup into an art.
So whether you want to debut a glossy smokey eye or add a burgundy eyeliner (with the rich, winey hue being both fashion and nail go-to this season), here’s how our team goes about injecting a festive touch to their beauty regimes…
1. Pure shine
(Image credit: Future)
Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett has two words for you: pure shine.
“I’m not very adventurous with my eyeshadow, instead I prefer to stick to very minimalist looks. That said, I like to opt for a sparkly look during the holidays. I normally just swipe an eyeshadow with a matte taupe shade , like the one in the Huda Beauty Empowered palette, through the eye crease with a soft brush, to add dimension and warmth. Then I apply a sheer and subtle shimmer eyeshadow, like Makeup By Mario’s Master Crystal Reflector in the shadow ‘Quartz’, across my lids with my fingertip. I’ve also found that it works nicely when simply pointed into the inner corners of the eye, for an even more subdued look.”
For an even simpler option, you can forgo the base eyeshadow altogether and simply use your ring finger to sweep the gloss across your lid before adding mascara as a finishing touch.
SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful eyeshadow matte effect
Recommended retail price: £7.99
For her base eyeshadow color, Sennen uses the shade Mocha from Sephora’s collection and blends it with a soft brush before adding her favorite gloss on top.
Make-up from Mario Master Crystal Reflector in the color Quartz
Recommended retail price: £30
This multi-purpose highlighter is perfect for adding a reflective glow to the high points of your cheeks, as well as a sheer glow on your eyelids – and that’s exactly how Sennen uses it.
Huda Beauty Empowered Eyeshadow Palette
Recommended retail price: £62
If you’re looking for a basic eyeshadow palette with both matte base shades and shimmers, Sennen also recommends this 18-shade option from Huda Beauty — for the perfect festive eye. Use more than one of the best eyeshadow primers for a long lasting finish.
2. Colorful eyeliner
(Image credit: Future/Fiona McKim)
Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim happily trades her brown pencil for a touch of color.
“Eye makeup starts and ends with a liner in my book – kohl for work, a smoky crayon for dinner or a precise liquid swipe if I have time for 3-4 failed attempts. For festive parties (and only festive parties ) I will expand my shadow to over 50 shades of brown to reflect plums and warm coppers that magically make my dishwater gray eyes look green and blue respectively with a creamy pencil-like Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal in orchid. I apply a neutral eyeshadow base underneath to help it stick, sweep from the inner corner to the outer corner and extend the line halfway up my forehead for a full ‘siren eyes’ effect.
With very little time investment, this creates quite a striking effect that looks nice for a while, but as the evening progresses it gets a bit grimier and smokier.”
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Shade Orchid
Recommended retail price: £32
With their easy-to-blend and waterproof formula, Victoria Beckham’s Kajal liners are perfect for an easy and long-lasting eye look. Fiona recommends the shade Orchid, a purple shimmer shade that will add a pop of festive color to your makeup, while still remaining very wearable and chic.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Copper Tone
Recommended retail price: £32
A copper-colored liner is also a great choice for a quick and easy party look – whether you opt for a precise wing or a more smoked line.
Victoria Beckham Beauty satin Kajal lining in Bordeaux
Recommended retail price: £32
If you want a wintery eye look, but without the glitter, choose the burgundy shade ‘Bordeaux’. Beauty Writer, Sennen loves a slight lift on a classic brown eyeliner.
3. Glossy smoky eye
(Image credit: Future)
If you prefer eyeshadow over eyeliner and are looking for a sultry look for a festive dinner or ‘do, Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson has cracked the code for an easy smoky eye.
“My everyday eye look usually consists of curls and applying mascara to my lashes, but when the holidays roll around, I like to switch things up with a glossy smoky eye. I know what you’re thinking, a smoky eye is far from simple – but I’m cheating with the help of Victoria Beckham’s Eyewear crayon. I start by applying a cool, taupe brown shadow all over my lid with a soft brush before taking Eyewear in ‘Pecan’ (dark brown) and adding a swipe towards my outer corners in a sideways ‘V’ shape, across the outer edge from the upper lash line and then upwards, towards my crease.
Then I blend it out, pushing it up and along my crease, to create shadow and definition. I also blend under my lash line before adding a sheer gloss – specifically Urban Decay’s Space Cowboy – over my blended eyeshadow, just in the center of the lid or the inner corner of my eye and finish with mascara.”
MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mattes Palette
Recommended retail price: £55
A matte, neutral eyeshadow is like the equivalent of a white T-shirt in your wardrobe. You can wear the shades individually or mix them in a gradient of complementary colors, to create a smokey eye. Naomi chooses to only apply a light brown shade over her entire eyelid, but the possibilities are endless with these types of palettes.
Victoria Beckham Beauty EyeWear Longwear eyeshadow stick in the color Pecan
Recommended retail price: £32
This eyeshadow stick is so easy to apply and blend, but once dried it doesn’t budge. Naomi uses a brush, but you can also buff the color with your finger. Available in ten matte and shimmer shades, it feels so light on the skin – and won’t crease or separate.
Urban Decay 24/7 Mono Moondust Eyeshadow in Shade Space Cowboy
Recommended retail price: £20
Our beauty team can’t get enough of it The Space Cowboy from Urban Decay eye shadow. It gives a beautiful, almost wet shine to the eyelid, which shimmers and catches the light in the most enchanting way – and which in our experience is best applied with your finger. A dab of this in the inner corner of your eye or over your lids is truly one of the easiest ways to transform your makeup from day to night.
4. Brown eyeliner and a touch of gold shadow
(Image credit: Future)
Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar had another option for our eyeliner fans: “I’m not really an eye shadow person, so for the holidays I like to go simple with a hint of glitter. I always touch a soft gel pencil in a dark brown shade to the edge of my waterline and then with a sharp liquid line along the top. And for a touch of festiveness, a touch of gold glitter eyeshadow in the inner corner brings out my favorite classic red lip.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Shade Cocoa
Recommended retail price: £32
Aleesha’s brown liner is Victoria Beckham’s Kajal liner in Cocoa and for good reason. The creamy and waterproof formula glides on like a dream and even comes with a built-in smudger, to blend out the line for a smokier effect.
Gucci Stylo Definition L’Obscur in Shade 01 Eve Black
Recommended retail price: £31
For the perfect cat-eye or winged liner, a nib option — like Gucci’s Stylo eyeliner — is a must-have. It ensures both precision and convenience, especially if you are a beginner in makeup.
Hourglass diffused light glitter eyeshadow in shadow foil
Recommended retail price: £29
For a touch of gold shimmer, choose a formula like Hourglass’ Scattered Light eyeshadow, which contains a high concentration of crushed pearls and light-reflecting glitter for powerful sparkle. The cream-to-powder formula also makes it so easy to apply.
