With the busy holidays ahead full of parties and functions, here are some of my favourite looks for whenever I want to elevate beyond my every day. The best part is, they’re quick and easy and I’ve popped a little list of the essentials you’ll need to recreate them.
FANCY
For that more formal occasion, such as a work Christmas dinner you can't go wrong with a classic red lip elevated by a subtle shimmery lid.
You'll need:
- A long wear foundation.
- Your fave red lipstick and matching liner.
- Gold eyeshadow.
- Neutral blush and bronzer.
What to do:
Make sure you apply a nourishing lip balm as part of your skin prep - this will help condition your lips and prevent that creasing effet when you apply the bold colour.
Start with your foundation and go for a simple but well-blended base. I then go in with my blush bronzer to bring some life and depth back to my face, which helps your red lip pop without washing you out.
Go into your eyeshadow with a light fluffy brush and just sweep it across the eyes for a subtle shimmer.
Line your lips first to help define the shape and then use your lipstick formulas as a sort of 'colour in the lines'.
FUN
A quirky liner look is my go-to for when you want to experiment with colour, such as for Christmas Day lunch!
You'll need:
- Two different eyeliner shades (or eyeshadows).
- Liquid illuminator.
- Neutral lip liner and shimmer lip gloss.
What to do:
Use darker liner shade to create the wing shape and bring it in halfway across the eyelid, tight to the water line. Then use the lighter liner shade to highlight the inner corner and the line out to meet the other half. If you don't have shades you want to use in actual liners, you can use a liner brush and spray it with setting spray to the eyeshadow shade of choice into liner.
Do the rest of your base and don't be afraid to be a little heavy handed with the illuminator to really highlight those high points. When it comes to a holiday look, don't be afraid to go hard with the sparkle!
Use your neutral liner first and then follow with the lip gloss to complete the look!
FRESH
Australian Christmas means Australian summer and sometimes the idea of makeup that you'll just sweat off doesn't sound appealing. In that case, I'm a big advocate of a fresh and glowy skin tint look!
You'll need:
- Your favourite gel or brightening moisturiser.
- Luminous finish SPF.
- A lightweight tinted serum or moisturiser.
- Brow soap.
What to do:
Finish your skin prep with a lightweight gel or brightening moisturiser, to help hydrate the skin and give your skin that extra boost before the rest of your makeup. Your luminous SPF goes over the top, providing a super glowy base.
Use a light layer of your skin tint rubbed in with your fingers to gain some coverage and even out the skin tone. If you feel you need more coverage, you can add more as need.
Give your brows that pushed up, laminated look with brow soap. Use the setting spray to get the spoolie damp and work it into the soap to get the product moving. Use it to push the brows up and give them a bit of structure - I like to leave the ends a little fluffy.
Finish off the look with some dewy blush, a little bronzer and lip oil! Sticking to cream and liquid products keeps that glow going, as well as making it easy to blend for a natural looking finish.
Remember that whatever look you do, GunkOff Cleansing Balm will be ready and waiting to help you remove it once you're all done! One of the best things you can do to help your skin survive the party season is properly cleansing it to remove all the gorgeous looks you've created (along with the sweat, thank you Australia).
