What's in my Makeup Bag - Holiday Edition

One of the best parts of the holiday season is being able to get all dolled up for parties and gatherings. I swear the best thing about a party is the getting ready part. At least for me. That being said, I wanted to share my favorite holiday look for this season. These are the things making their way into my makeup bag for festive outings. It comes together as a holiday classic. Shimmering golds and taupes with beautiful red lips. Eye catching in the most perfect way.

Loving this look - Dark Eyes for Fall

Just between yesterday and today I finally feel like Fall is somewhere in sight here in LA. I love makeup in the colder months. I feel like with all the layers we wear and more buttoned up we are, we can get away with bolder makeup looks. Summer is really all about quick and easy with pops of color. Fall, on the other hand, is about the bold and sultry makeup. I personally love doing a messy dark smokey eye. I think to keep it modern and edgy, the less perfect you do it, the better. And not using false lashes, winged liner or going overboard on the face keeps it focused and not fussy. I started out here with Burberry's Midnight Brown all over the eyelid blended up into the crease of the eye and they smudged down underneath the eye from the outer corner all the way into the tear duct area. Midnight Brown is one of my all time favorite eyeshadows. It's the perfect cool toned brown with really subtle fine silver shimmer running through. You can get a soft sheer wash by using a fluffy blending brush (like the MAC 217) or a more intense application with a flat shader brush. I like to use the flat shader and then blend the edges with the 217 to get rid of the harsh edges. I then went in with Midnight Black eyeshadow and applied it to the outer corner of the eye and a little on the inner corner leaving the center of the lids untouched. I did the same pattern underneath the eye and then blended the black and brown just a bit so that there are no harsh lines. Next I took M.A.C's Coffee eye pencil and applied that into my waterline and smudged it into my top lash line. And to finish off the eyes, I applied Diorshow Blackout mascara which is perfect because it's volumizing and really really black!

To keep the face effortless and light, I used Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua foundation and then applied the Clarins Graphic Expression Face & Blush Powder to my cheeks and slightly up into the temples just to warm up the face. And last, but never least, I used Tom Ford's Pink Dusk lipstick which is the perfect subtle nude pink color.

This is a really bold look, but easy. The less you try to perfect the eye, the more modern (I think) it will look. Great for a night out!

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Summer Night Out Look

My favorite part of going out is getting ready to go out. I swear that's half the fun! I put together a look for a summer night with shimmery gold eyes, peach flushed cheeks and a fun bold coral lip. I've walked through everything step by step below if anyone wants to recreate it.

Face

I started out with applying the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. A primer is really helpful when going out so that your foundation with last longer (through walking, dancing or whatever else you get yourself into!). Second, I applied NARS Sheer Glow Foundation using clean fingertips. I find this foundation gives excellent medium to full coverage, but has a very thin, light consistency so it doesn't look or feel heavy. It has a beautiful satin finish to keep you looking glowing and gorgeous. If you need any concealer, now is the time to apply whichever one works best for you. And lastly, I dusted on a small amount of the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent. I think this is essential for oily/combination skin, but also helpful to powder at least the T-zone for anyone when you're going to be out. It'll make your skin appear velvety in photographs!