Steal the spotlight at any holiday party with these bold makeup ideas

The festive season is the perfect time to transition from heavy contours to natural glowing skin with playful accents, metallic shadow and smudgy bold lips. Here, makeup artist from The Institute of Makeup Artistry shares her top tips for creating a beauty look that will definitely impress this holiday season.

Fresh naturally looking dewy skin is in

It’s time to put down the contour kits, brushes, sticks and wands for a more natural look. Tinted moisturiser is a great place to start. It’s about applying the right amount of makeup, so your skin looks healthy. Use natural tones and ultra-fine touches to get the perfect bare face effect. Embrace your natural glow with lighter foundations and spot concealing where you get the most shine to leave your face looking radiant.

Bold is back

The festive season is the perfect time to experiment with bright eyeshadow palettes you never thought you’d try. Brightly hued, free-form eyes in pastel, metallic neon and tropic-inspired hues will sculpt your eyes and make them pop. Think cool 90’s chick, with full lids that are daring and fun. If that’s too adventurous for you, try a simple bright blue line across the lash line.

Bright, defined lips should be dominant

Paintbox bright lips will really elevate your holiday looks. Red, orange and fuchsia are always good options. Try mixing liquid lipsticks with intense colour and gloss to add moisture and make them look healthy and plump. Making sure your lips are lined precisely with sharp, defined edges will also help create a fuller pout.

Contour draping is the secret you need to know

Draping is essentially contouring with blush. While plums, hot pinks and peaches are nothing new, makeup artists are now taking it to a whole new level using blues, greens, oranges and yellows. Reviving the 70’s bold cheek trend, draping gives your face a sculpted glow on the cheekbones and around the temples and brow bones. The key to make draping look chic, is blending. Use the darker shade to chisel, then buff it out with the lighter colour. The result is a softer, fresher approach to definition.