9 Effortless Party Looks Loved By Hollywood’s Hair And Makeup Experts
What beauty trends do the pros swear by when heading out for a soirée? From chic smoky eyes and OTT lashes to oversized hair bows and a velvet red lip, these are the go-to, statement-making styles to take inspiration from this festive season
Gucci Westman, makeup artist
“I start with my Westman Atelier Skin Activator to prep, then I follow with Liquid Super Loaded in Peau de Rose under my eyes to brighten this area and Peau de Soleil along my cheekbones to warm up my skin. For eyes, I rim my tear line with a dark brown kohl pencil – my Eye Love You Eye Pencil in Brun is great for this – followed by mascara for the most perfectly defined lashes. I then use Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick as my concealer wherever needed. Finally, I finish with our Vital Skincare Pressed Powder in Pink Bubble so that my makeup lasts throughout the night. I might also use the shade Brick mixed with Dusty Rose from our Lip Suede in Les Rouges to add some color to this look. Equally, I love our new Baby Cheeks Powder Blush in Petal, Lit Up Highlight Stick in Biscuit – a gorgeous champagne hue – and Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm in Nectar from our Les Étoiles Edition holiday set. It offers the perfect combination of shades to wear to a fun holiday party.”
Pati Dubroff, makeup artist
“For my go-to party look, I’m kind of boring – I’ll take a black kohl eyeliner pencil and smudge it around my upper and lower lash line. For me, as long as I’ve got a good lash, that’s enough. Recently, my friend did my eyebrows and he concealed them out and we paired it with a heavy eye. It was so good; I went out the next night and I concealed my brow and did a heavier eye and I got so many compliments, so maybe a pale brow is the way to go.”
Lacy Redway, hairstylist
“For a holiday party, I prepare my skin before I think about what style of makeup to wear, and I normally start by cleansing with Joanna Vargas’ Vitamin C Face Wash. Growing up, I was not educated on the importance of using sunscreen on melanated skin and the long-term effects of not protecting it. So, a recent addition to my routine has been Supergoop!’s Glowscreen SPF40, which also doubles as a primer underneath any makeup. I’m all about a dramatic accessory at the moment, such as an oversized hair bow paired with a dramatic lash. One of my favorite mascaras is MAC Cosmetics’ Macstack Mascara, which helps me to achieve a really dark, sultry eye where I can see the individual hairs on my lashes without clumping. I usually pair this eye with a more subdued lip – I love Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb in Hot Chocolit Heat, layered on top of a lip liner. Finally, I finish my look with a mist of setting spray to hydrate my skin while the makeup settles in.”
Melanie Grant, facialist
“My go-to event look always starts with fresh, dewy, radiant skin coupled with a brown or taupe smudgy eye and a natural nude lip. For my base, I either use Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint and apply it with a brush for a super-light veil of coverage, or, if I have a more formal event, I opt for a moisturizing foundation with more coverage. I rarely wear concealer, but if I feel my undereye circles are a little too dark, I’ll apply the tiniest amount. For subtle contouring, I use Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Contour Stylus in Marble to define my jaw line, accentuate my cheekbones, and narrow my nose a little. On my cheeks, I love a natural flush of color, so I use a water-based or gel cheek tint, like Westman Atelier’s. On my eyes, I always smudge a warm caramel or light brown crayon eyeshadow along the contour and underneath my eye, blending it in with my finger. I’ll then smudge a dark brown pencil eyeliner into the corners of my eyes and just underneath my tear line. Next, it’s lashings of black mascara before I fill in my brows with an ash blonde-colored ultra-fine pencil. Finally, I always use a nude lipliner on my lips and a slick of gloss, such as Augustinus Bader’s The Lip Balm.”
Lisa Eldridge, makeup artist
“Party season is your time to have fun with makeup, and I always relish the opportunity to play with different colors and textures. I’m a firm believer that a red lip will never go out of style, so I team a luscious, velvety red pout with fresh, glowing skin and a neutral, subtly sparkling eye.”
Michelle Lee, beauty journalist and influencer
“For my party look, I’ll typically blow out my hair and do a glossy, soft wave using a 1¼-inch curling iron. Then, when it comes to my face, I typically do a winged liner, but it really depends on what I’m wearing. When it comes to makeup, I subscribe to the idea that if you’re doing a bold eye, don’t do a bold lip. I usually lean towards a bold eye and typically do a black winged eyeliner. I also love super-high heels, such as chunky Gucci platforms. There’s just something about wearing a very high heel that makes me feel powerful – it’s the greatest party mood-booster.”
Mary Phillips, makeup artist
“I love to do a brown smoky eye, visibly blushed cheeks and a natural pouty lip as my go-to party look. Whatever you’re wearing, this style of makeup is really flattering and complements everyone’s features.”
Shani Darden, facialist
“My party look is always based around skin first. I don’t wear a ton of makeup, so I like to use my Shani Darden Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum to start with for a glowing base, then follow up with a deeply hydrating moisturizer, such as my Hydration Peptide Cream for plump, bouncy skin. From there, I’ll apply a lightweight CC cream for overall coverage, a little blush, mascara, and a red lip. Glowing skin and red lips is such a classic party look.”