Holiday Beauty Tricks and Tips

Great ideas for hair, makeup and more

By Julyne Derrick, About.com Guide

Holiday parties are just around the corner and to get you ready to go from work to cocktail party, here is a holiday makeup tips interview I recently sat for.

What are the hottest makeup trends to watch this holiday season?

Two looks are classic and hot right now: The smokey, shimmery eye paired with light lips and the deep red lips balanced with a light eye. Shimmer is in this year, as it was last year, and it's the perfect festive look as long as you don't overload on the shimmer.

Can you recommend any specific lines or products that are very in for this season?

Primers are a must this season for both face and eye makeup. Primers go on before foundation or eye shadow and keep makeup in place for hours. They also fill in fine lines and skin imperfections so your tinted moisturizer goes on smoothly. Also this year, skip the foundation and try a tinted moisturizer which is much more light and gives a dewy finish, which is very sexy. Laura Mercier makes a near perfect primer and tinted moisturizer, though I've found the color tone I bought in summer is already too dark for winter!

Work makeup is, in general, pretty conservative. What can a woman do to punch up her look without taking it all off and starting over? (i.e. with lip makeup? Eye makeup? Blush?)

Transitioning from work to evening is actually pretty easy if you prep yourself. Apply tinted moisturizer (or foundation), mascara and gloss or lipstick before work. After work, cover any blemishes by patting in a concealer (never rub). Then follow these steps for either the smokey eye look or the deep red look:

For the Smokey Eye

1. Apply your eye makeup: Eyeliner on both top and bottom lashes (be sure to 'smudge it,' dark eyeliner will age you), a eye shadow primer (I like MAC Paints), and a shimmery shadow on the lid. Don't apply any more mascara unless your earlier application has rubbed completely off, otherwise you risk getting clumpy lashes.
2. Dab a shimmery blush to cheeks (I love Bobbi Brown's creamy blushes which also works as lipstick).
3. Powder your face lightly.
4. Apply a light lipstick or gloss.

For Deep Red Lips

1. Cover unsightly veins on eyelids with a matte eyeshadow in a color that's as close as your skin tone as possible (such as beige).
2. Apply a very light shimmery blush on cheeks.
3. Line lips and fill in with your favorite red color.
4. Powder face.

What different kinds of makeup should a woman wear to a chatty cocktail party, as opposed to a high-class late-night party?
For the high-class party: Apply more shimmer or go deeper with the red lipstick.

How can women wear these party looks without their makeup looking costume-ish?
The number 1 rule of thumb: Never play up BOTH the eyes and the mouth.

What can women to do make sure that the makeup they are wearing for a good 16 hours (8am-midnight) keeps looking fresh and clean?
Primer is key here. Women should prime their skin before applying foundation or tinted moisturizer (again, Laura Mercier has a great primer) and they should prime their eyes before applying shadow. Also, carry oil-blotting papers if you tend to get greasy, holiday food can be very rich. MAC has some great ones. It's better to blot the oil than to keep applying powder, which can give you a cake-y appearance.

Do you have knowledge of hair? What can women do to go from office professional hairstyles to party glam in a snap?

For hair, here are some suggestions:

1. For straight, medium-length hair, I suggest washing hair and blowing it 2/3rds dry in the morning, then twisting it into a low bun (a few unkept strands are very sexy). Undo hair before the party -- you'll have gorgeous waves. Spray with a purse-size hair spray. You could also do the opposite: Blow hair dry and wear it down during the day, then twist it into a sophisticated bun for the evening. A few ends popping out is very in right now.
2. For curly, long-ish hair, an 'unkept updo' is very sexy for parties. Let hair airdry in the morning, twisting ringlets in place with fingers. After work, pull hair up in a modern version of a French twist or messy bun. Another option is to pull hair on the sides back and clip in place with a fancy clip. This gives shows off your long curly locks, but accentuates the face as well.
3. For short hair, curl hair in the morning then freshen curls before the evening with a curling iron. Spray hair before you go out. You can do this in your office bathroom. Don't have access to a curling iron? Add body by back combing and hold it in place with a bit of hairspray. You can also accessorize with a headband.