New Year’s Eve is a great opportunity to try out all of the gorgeous gifts that Santa has brought you. The problem is that it can be so tempting to get carried away and put everything on your face at once. This can end up detracting from your overall look and making you wish you’d just stuck to what you knew, so here’s my advice for putting on a brave face in the wake of the New Year.
Glitter and New Year’s Eve go together like chocolate and Easter. Unlike chocolate though, with sparkle it doesn’t necessarily follow that more is better. To side-step the danger of looking like an overzealous Christmas decoration try targeting one specific area such as the eyes, the lips or the cheeks as this can really enhance your features. [pullquote]Highlighting your cheeks is an obvious choice for getting that glow, but the eyes shouldn’t be forgotten about.[/pullquote] Highlighting your cheeks is an obvious choice for getting that glow, but the eyes shouldn’t be forgotten about. To pop like a firework regal colours such as violet and emerald look fabulous and silver and gold are great colours to heighten the impact of any smoky eye. A gold shadow blended between chocolate brown into the very centre of the lid creates a beautiful starry-eyed look. Whilst silver splashes at the inner corner of the eye can make you look fresher and more awake. The best way to apply your glitter is by using a primer or Vaseline first on the area you want to cover and then dabbing a flat brush in your glitter pot and applying.
New Year’s Eve is also an opportunity to try new things so why not go against the glitter grain and opt for an all matte look instead. It’s a bit more challenging in winter when your skin is a bit dryer but with enough primer and moisturiser there’s no reason not to be able to pull this off. Start with your matte base, but instead of highlighter opt for a sharp glitter free contour- Kat von D’s shade and light palette has all the tones you need for a pigmented contour. Or if you’re after a more natural look then try a cream blusher such as B. Lip and Cheek tint available from Superdrug. This creates a subtler looking glow and the cream formula should help disguise any dry skin. If you’re looking for a bit of lip inspiration, then the NikkieTutorials Extreme Cat Eye and Chocolate Lip video from last December is just as relevant as it was last year. Skip straight to 7 mins in for the lip tutorial. For a more seasonal treat try the Too Faced Melted Matte Gingerbread Girl, it’s a bit more on the pricey side but contains moisturising oils so isn’t as drying as some of its cheaper counterparts.
Sometimes it’s easy to get drawn in to the make-up side of your New Year’s Eve look and leave your hair to the last minute. This isn’t the end of the world but making an effort with your hair can have a massive impact on your overall aesthetic. This doesn’t necessarily have to involve straightening or curling, ending the year with a coconut oil hair mask and a meticulous blow-dry is all it takes. Leave the mask in through the morning and then wash out before you get ready. Use a t-shirt instead of a towel to start drying your hair as this will cause less breakage and don’t forget to use a heat protection spray before the hair-dryer comes out.
One final word of advice would be to leave yourself plenty of time to do your hair and make-up but don’t miss out on all the festivities. Try and get ready with other people so that in the act of preparing yourself for the New Year you don’t forget the things that are really important.