By Rachel Joy Horn, eHow
Jingle bells, eggnog, frosty snowmen and festive packages adorned in ribbons and bows are just a few of the perks associated with the holiday season. Don't forget about the fashion- and beauty-related advantages that winter months promise! We're talking comfortable slouchy boots, flattering opaque tights, fur-lined hats, smoky eyes, ruby lips and shimmery lids. We know you're already used to turning heads wherever you walk, but if you embrace these holiday makeup trends, you'll earn enough compliments to keep you happy throughout the new year.
Actress Jessica Alba keeps her holiday look casual and carefree with a hint of dramatic flair. To recreate this look, use a tinted moisturizer to even out your complexion and apply an illuminator to cheekbones. Follow up with a dramatic, smoky eye that incorporates trendy holiday colors like mauve, earthy brown or gray. Top off the look with a lightly tinted lip gloss.
Put your lips front and center with a vampy red, matte lipstick like actress Jamie Chung does here. The red hue is on-trend for the season and fits seamlessly into myriad winter ensembles. Wear a light foundation and mascara and keep hair slicked back like Chung for that clean-faced look.
Model Petra Nemcova demonstrates that embracing color throughout the cooler months is a definite beauty do. Try a playful shade in hot pink, like Nemcova, or try a matte baby pink, feisty orange or even purple. To complete the look, wear hair in a dramatic updo and add a shimmery bronze to your lid.
Whitney Port, TV personality, designer and author, keeps her brows bold and defined. Unlike past seasons where eyebrows were bleached and non-existent, now's the time to embrace your brows. Head to the salon for an inexpensive wax and use an eyebrow brush and pencil to define the shape.
While spring and summer are perfect for colors such as powder blue and yellow, winter invites earthier hues such as plum, worn here by actress Zoe Saldana. She keeps her eyes the focus of attention by wearing a light plum to the brow bone and a darker plum on her lid. Such sultry makeup is ideal for holiday cocktail hours and seasonal dinner parties.
Actress Charlize Theron's pale complexion pulls off the nude lips trend with ease. If you have a similar complexion, opt for nude lips this season as well. To incorporate that bit of festive sensibility, Theron wears a dark, shimmery bronze in a cat-eye shape on her lids. Keep the rest of your face clean and hair relaxed to pull off the same casual-chic vibe.
Silver and gold are two seasonal favorites, so try your best to incorporate them into your ensemble and cosmetic routine this year, like singer/actress Jennifer Lopez does here. She wears a metallic, shimmery silver across her lids and pairs it with a soft pink lip and glowing blush. You can wear your silver shadow heavy like Lopez, or tone it down by keeping the eye shadow on your lids instead of to the brow bone.
Jingle bells, eggnog, frosty snowmen and festive packages adorned in ribbons and bows are just a few of the perks associated with the holiday season. Don't forget about the fashion- and beauty-related advantages that winter months promise! We're talking comfortable slouchy boots, flattering opaque tights, fur-lined hats, smoky eyes, ruby lips and shimmery lids. We know you're already used to turning heads wherever you walk, but if you embrace these holiday makeup trends, you'll earn enough compliments to keep you happy throughout the new year.
Fresh and Smoky
Clean Face, Bold Lips
Playful Lips
Bold, Defined Brow
Plum Eyes
Nude Lips and Bronze Eyes
Silver Eyes
Glow and Shine
Singer Taylor Swift looks like a light from within her is shining through her cheekbones and eyes. Though the singer has an enviable complexion naturally, she uses a highlighter to reach the maximum level of glow seen here. Use an all-over highlighter (also called an illuminator). To make eyes sparkly, use a white shimmer on the interior corners of each eye.
