Jewel Tones and Metallics: Holiday Glamour Make-up Look

Since I always complain how boring my everyday looks are, why not have some fun at least for the Holidays? I haven't done a true smokey eyes in so long that I thought it fitting to return to this true make-up classic and put a glamorous Holiday spin on it with rich jewel shades and sparkling metallics. It's a good look to try if you prefer to play up your eyes rather than your lips, or have a long night of eating and drinking and would rather not risk a Christmassy red lip. Here's how I did it:

I'm not sure how much you can tell from the photos but the eyes are very heavy in this look; in fact, I don't remember the last time I wore this much make-up on my eyeballs. Because the eyes are so dramatic, I've kept my cheeks and lips more on the neutral mauvey side, but made sure to carefully define and fill in my brows to balance and frame the bold eyes.

And yes, this is a pretty literal interpretation of the Holiday color theme: a burgundy matte in the crease and a shimmery emerald green along the lower lashline, with a an antique gold metallic taupe on the mobile lid and in the inner corners. I've also used a matte midtone neutral brown to transition the burgundy in the crease, and a matte cream shade under the browbone to help tie the whole look together. I lined my upper lashline with a black eyeliner pen, extending it out only a little bit at the outer corner, tightlined with a black pencil liner, and applied a dark teal in the bottom waterline.

This bold eye look wouldn't be complete without a pair of false lashes, and I chose a pair of Esqido Mink Lashes in the 'Oh So Sweet' style*. This is my second pair of Esqido's beautiful, fluttery falsies and I have to say that Oh So Sweets blend in with my natural lashes even better than the Unforgettable pair, reviewed here. I still struggle a bit with properly applying these in the inner corners of my eyes, but I think we're getting there. The Esqido Oh So Sweet give just the right amount of drama and definition to the look without overwhelming my eyes - and you can now get them for 20% off, AND there's a 12-days giveaway going on until December 12th too! If you're not sure which style would suit you, Esqido just came out with an interactive Holiday Lash Guide to help you choose the perfect pair to suit your look and eye shape. It's a lot of fun to try out and actually, the Oh So Sweet pair turned out to be my match!

Here's the product breakdown with reviews linked where possible, in case you're curious:
Base: Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Porcelain, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque under the eyes, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly on spots and scars, MUFE HD loose powder to set
Cheeks: Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil bronzer for a very light contour, NARS blush in Sin on the apples and blended back into the hairline, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light to highlight
Brows: Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 eyebrow pencil in Seal Brown, Benefit Gimme Brow fiber gel in Light/Medium
Eyes: NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, antique taupe from the L'Oreal HiP Duo in Electrified on the lid and inner corner, theBalm 'Sexy' matte burgundy shade from the Nude'Tude palette, a matte light brown from the Physicians Formula Canyon Classics quad to blend out, Too Faced Heaven matte cream eyeshadow on the browbone (from the Natural Eye palette), Inglot no. 414 Pearl emerald green eyeshadow along the lower lashline;
Physicians Formula Eye Booster thick eyeliner pen in Black, Pixi Endless Silky Eyeliner in Black Noir to tightline, Sephora Contour Waterproof Liner in Surfer Babe on the lower waterline, YSL Faux Cils mascara, Esqido 'Oh So Sweet' Mink Lashes*
Lips: TATCHA Gold Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm*, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up, patted in along the lip lines

I hope this gives you some inspiration for the upcoming season of parties and family gatherings; I'm defnitely going to do something similar for our Christmas Eve dinner or maybe Christmas Day! Do you plan your Holiday party looks in advance? What are you intending to wear this year?

Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brands for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!