Top Holiday Trends in Makeup

As the days get shorter and our schedules fill up with end-of-the-year festivities, many party-goers are looking for fun and flattering alternatives to their current makeup routine. The past year has been an exciting one in makeup, with more emphasis on playful, feminine looks and fun accents. We compiled a list of the top holiday trends in makeup, including looks that you can recreate at home for all of your seasonal get-togethers. These trends incorporate festive elements such as gloss, glitter and bright, eye-catching colors, ensuring that your holiday party look is one to remember.

Glitter Lids

For a simple, pretty holiday look, try a streak of glitter across the eyelids paired with a bare or minimal face. From the Delpozo runway to the creative makeup of HBO’s Euphoria to one of Margot Robbie’s most notable red carpet looks, glitter has been making a comeback in 2019. By opting for a simple silver or gold accent below the eyebrow, you’ll draw attention to your eyes and add a festive flourish to your holiday look.

Colorful Eyeliner

Another fun trend that’s gained popularity this year is colorful eyeliner. Rather than sticking with a traditional black or brown shade, shake up your holiday look by choosing a party-appropriate liner to match your outfit. Emmy Rossum’s striking red eyeliner is easy to recreate,  but you can try a blue, green, or gold eyeliner look based on your outfit and your natural eye color. The pop of red on Rossum’s face enhances her striking brown eyes, while a streak of silver or blue can draw attention to blue eyes.

The Cat Eye

The classic cat eye is a great option for anyone looking for a flattering, ladylike makeup look. Holly Golightly’s signature is more dramatic than other winged eyeliner looks, with a strong stripe across the upper lid and a triangular tip. The cat eye requires a steady hand and a dependable liquid or ink eyeliner. The Every Girl blog has a helpful post with step-by-step instructions for creating the makeup look. If you want to rock a colorful eyeliner, or accent your cat eye with a flattering eyeshadow, check out Us Weekly’s best celebrity cat eye looks of 2019 for inspiration.

Jewel-Toned Eyeshadow

One of the biggest party-friendly makeup trends of 2019 is jewel-toned eyes. While jewel tones are a holiday staple, moving the emerald greens, sapphires, and ruby reds from your cocktail dress to your eyelids is a great way to keep your party look up-to-date. Choose a rich plum shade like Rowan Blanchard’s gorgeous iridescent eyeshadow, apply a silvery-blue shadow to the upper and lower lids for a striking sapphire look, or play around with an emerald smokey eye.

White Eyeliner

Refinery29 named white eyeliner its top makeup trend of 2019, and the simple, dramatic look has made its way from a few hip Instagram accounts all the way to the red carpet and the small screen. Janelle Monae, Lady Gaga and Sophie Turner of Game of Thrones are just a few celebrities rocking white eyeliner this season. Don’t be intimidated, though — the flattering look is easy to replicate at home. According to the Cosmopolitan guide to white eyeliner, there are two popular ways to get the look: either use white eyeliner the same way you’d use black or brown liner, on the lash line of your upper lid, or fake a fresh-faced, wide awake look by lining your waterline and the “inner V” of your eyes.

Retro Cut Crease Eyes

One staple of 60s glam that’s made its way back into vogue is the retro cut crease eye. Popularized by the British supermodel Twiggy, cut crease eyes are similar to a cat eye, but they feature a second line of makeup just below the brow bone that also follows the shape of your lash line. At the outer edges of the eyes, these two lines are connected by a wing of liner, and the negative space is sometimes filled in with eyeshadow. Sharon Tate was famous for her cut crease eye makeup in the 1967 hit Valley of the Dolls, and model Lily-Rose Depp paid homage to the star by rocking the style earlier this year.

Cut crease eyes are a striking party look, especially when paired with a mod or 60s-inspired outfit. For directions on how to draw a cut crease at home, check out this YouTube video.

Glossy Lips

The 1960s isn’t the only era that makeup artists and trendsetters are borrowing from this winter. Embrace your 90s and early aughts nostalgia with a pop of gloss to draw attention to the lips. Whether you go with a clear gloss, giving natural lips a dewy finish, or opt for a neon pout, glossy lips are an easy way to take your holiday party look up a notch. Glossier offers three different glosses in clear and ruby shades, and Teen Vogue published a guide for achieving a lasting lip gloss look. And to make your lips party-appropriate, layer the gloss over a festive, flattering lipstick.

“No-Makeup Makeup”

For party-goers who are used to wearing minimal or no makeup, layering the gloss and glitter can feel a little intimidating. What’s more, if your holiday party outfit is eye-catching already, you may not want to get too sophisticated with your makeup. That’s when the “no-makeup makeup” trend becomes your best friend, according to Allure. The look is all about glowing skin, a hint of color on the cheeks or eyes, and maybe a dash of gloss. By keeping your makeup simple, you let your natural beauty take center stage and make a striking cocktail dress or an unforgettable coat the main event.