‘Tis the Season to be SEPHORA Glammin’

The holidays are finally upon us, and I'm sure by this time you're set to attend Christmas party or two, may it be with a group of friends you haven't seen for a long time, or with people at the office. Imo, these parties are a great way to experiment and try out bolder, more done-up make-up looks versus the easy, everyday base-mascara-lip balm combo. 

I've finally started wearing my red lipsticks outside the house so I'm more than happy to share a look that I would actually wear out without feeling too self-conscious. It features a warm, golden eye and your signature festive red lip. You can never go wrong with this combination as its classy, elegant, but definitely do-able! 

This is actually very similar to the look I wore last Saturday when I saw my friends. We ate Korean BBQ to our hearts content - this is our only requirement to have fun, really (maybe Soju). 

Here's a complete collage of all the products I want for this look. More than a year ago this would have been impossible, but with Sephora PH its finally a possibility to get great quality makeup easily!

Base 

I wanted the base to be very skin-like but in a more perfected way. Its how I normally wear my base and I honestly like that it isn't overly perfect that it screams 'caked makeup!'. There is never a season for that!

This calls for primer with a certain amount of silicone to allow foundation to glide on better and to make the skin look smoother. I opted for the Benefit Porefessional mixed with a bit of my moisturizer, but for drier skins I'd recommend the Becca Backlight Primer.

I used one of my older favourites, the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation (Shade 123) to get a skin-like finish. It lasts well on my oily skin but its definitely luminous enough for anyone with slightly drier skin to mine. I find that it also doesn't give any flashback, making it great for photos which you'll surely have a lot of for your parties!

Pair with a high coverage concealer to cover any spots, an illuminating, light-reflective concealer for any darkness around the eyes and face, and finish with powder if needed to make the base last through the day or night! Feel free to also use a setting spray to make the base almost indelible.

Eyes

Eye primer is essential for this look to have your eye make-up last all day. Its also very humid here in the Philippines even during December, so primer cannot be skipped. I used my ever-reliable Too Faced Shadow Insurance (don't mind the older packaging of mine in the picture above!).

To the star of the show - the Zoeva Cocoa Blends Palette. Ever since I ordered this in June from Sephora PH, I've used this for 98% of my eye looks (2% trying to wean myself off the palette didn't work in the slightest). I did a gold eye with a hint of cranberry at the outer corners (featuring Pure Ganache, Substitute for Love, Freshly Toasted, Beans are White, and Warm Notes), which is still festive without looking too predictable. Don't forget to add an inner corner highlight!

Its insane how long my lashes look in this shot. Also, I really went skinny with this liner!

Go as minimal or as bold with the eyeliner as you please! I opted for a thin line as I find this more flattering on my eye shape. It also allows the eyeshadow to stand out more without forgetting to define the eyes. Good example for this would be the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner, which will let you modify the thinness or thickness of the line depending on your preference. Don't forget a waterproof mascara to keep your eyes fallout and smudge-free!

Cheeks and Lips

The eyes are on the warmer side so any warm neutral blush would do. A little peachy-ness wouldn't hurt, so a shade like the Too Faced Love Flush in Baby Love would do nicely, as the shade brings a lot of life to the face without competing with the eyes and lips, which are the main focal points of this look. 

Go overboard with the highlighter, I'm serious! Now and New Year's Eve might be the only time during the year that you can do so. I personally skip highlighter due to my oily skin producing its own sheen for me, but something the like famous Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector would be ideal.

If you're seeking a bit of definition, don't forget to contour! I personally just used a taupe matte eyeshadow, but I have been very curious about the Cover FX Contour Kit for a while now. Maybe you'll see it here in the future as a gift to myself? Teehee!

And finally for the lips, any red lipstick will do! You can go as orangey red, classic red, or dark red, whatever your heart desires. There are no set rules for the holidays! A great holiday red in my humble opinion would be the cult classic Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red. You can never go wrong with a shade like this!

Tools

Never forget that great make-up can also be achieved with good tools! I love using the BeautyBlender but you can use a buffing brush like the one from Real Techniques in their Core Collection as well. I also love my Zoeva Brushes (namely the Luxe Sheer Cheek and the Luxe Petit Crease brush) that I got in my Sephora PH haul as they are not only amazing quality, but apply product and blend quickly.

And that's it for me! I hope you enjoyed this post and the rare pictures of my face. Portrait shots are a lot of work for me, especially with the sudden onslaught of gloomy weather. Hope it (the weather, not my self-portraits, haha!) doesn't ruin your holiday parties!

What are you wearing to your holiday parties? I'd love to see pictures down in the comments section!

Shop more make-up products on Sephora PH here!