‘Tis the Season to Try Something New: Makeup colors and techniques for the holidays

For most of us, the holiday season means at least one party. You want to look and feel your best during the holidays – and it’s a fun time to try a makeup color or technique you wouldn’t wear any other time of the year.

Across the board for eye shadow, lip color, and nail polish, color trends include metallic shades (silver, gold, bronze, and copper), blues and greens (teal, sapphire, royal blue, and emerald), and reds (in the same family as berry and purple shades).

Along with deep colors, the smoky eye is huge right now. Wardrobe stylist and fashion writer Kristen Kaleal suggests: “If you never do a smoky eye, how about trying one for a holiday party? And if you are a smoky eye fan already, why not experiment with some new colors? I’m a huge fan of jewel tones for the holidays. Switch out your darkest smoky shade for navy, forest green, or deep plum. And try colorful pencil or liquid eyeliners like sapphire, amethyst, or emerald. Pair a dramatic eye with a lighter lip color and you’re good to go.”

Kaleal, who shares more fun fashion and makeup tips at her site “Kristen Shops” (http://www.kristenshops.com), adds, “Or if you’re not in the mood to experiment, how about trying iridescent versions of the eye shadows you normally wear?” For a variety of eye shadow colors to play with, try L’Oreal Paris HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duos, which can be found at L’Oreal’s website (bit.ly/s5bfkI).

Whichever eye shadow color and technique you choose, well-groomed brows are a must. Lauren Ward, owner of Zelio NOTO, a boutique based in Ohio and online at http://www.zelionoto.com, said “maintenanced full brows” were among her favorite tips for this holiday season.

Another of Ward’s favorite holiday makeup tips is “a bright lip stain that adds a pop of color.” She added, “Lip stain stays put all evening long, ideal for parties.” A natural, affordable option is Tarte LipSurgence lip tint. The shades range from “Peaceful,” a “nude peach,” to “Moody,” a “deep berry.” Lip stains not only last longer, but are a great way to finish off your look in a natural way if you’ve chosen a smoky eye.

For holiday nails, Kaleal said, “Glittery shades are big this year ,and usually need to be paired with an opaque shade to work. Try red with a red sparkle shade on top, or gold with a gold sparkle. Also big since summer are blue shades. I like navy and royal for the holidays. How fun to try something new!”

Another nail option is to look for a nail polish with glitter already added. Try O.P.I.’s “Glitzerland,” a subtle gold with sparkle.

Ward agrees with keeping the glitter low key. “When it comes to getting ready for the holidays, I always say less is more. Just a touch of sparkle or a dab of shimmer. Never go overboard on sparkles, looking overdone is the ultimate faux pas.”

Alanna Klapp is a freelance writer who blogs about writing at The Chipper Writer (www.alannaklapp.blogspot.com) and contributes to the only Cleveland Browns blog written by women, Bitter Orange & Brown (www.bitterorangeandbrown.com). She has contributed for AOL/Patch, guest hosted for The Writing Show, and spoken at a writers conference on how to “Jumpstart Your Writing Life.”