Playing with a bold makeup look is a fun and easy way to let your creativity shine, and there’s no better time to try a far-out look than during the holidays when the parties are aplenty. And although out-there techniques like super-glossy lips or red eye shadow may appear intimidating, these ideas are actually totally achievable with the right tools in your beauty arsenal. We asked three students who mastered selfies of the season’s biggest beauty trends to decode exactly how they did it, product by product and step by step.
Denim-Blue Liner
Why opt for basic black when you can make your eye pop in cobalt blue? To try the trend, Kate Terentieva, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill class of 2017, suggests to first “create a matte base for your face, no heavy contour, and go super light in the highlight.” And rather than using a pencil to line her lids, Kate achieves the deep pigment with eye shadow, opting for Lancôme Color Design Palette in Sky Demure, outlining the wing she wants to create and then filling it in to emphasize the opacity. To achieve the separated graphic look pictured, she noted to “line your bottom lash line, but leave a little space between your lid and the lash line.” Finally, top off the eyes with some CoverGirl So Lashy! BlastPro Mascara, as Kate explained that while she tries to avoid heavy lashes with bold looks like this, depending on where you’re going later, “some extra coats of mascara or fun faux lashes would look awesome.”
Celestial Glow Highlight
This super-sleek, natural look will help you “out-glow your competition,” Jordyn Wissert says. To achieve the same effect, start by creating a base with the basics; Wissert uses Glossier Stretch Concealer and Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream to smooth out her skin tone. Then, to create an allover glow, Jordyn mixes Lush Feeling Younger highlight tint with more BB cream and applies the mixture all over her face. According to Jordyn, “I just used a bit of sparkly eye shadow as an extra highlight on my cheekbones for a finishing touch.” Once you’re shining bright, complete the look with just a few simple finishing touches. Jordyn recommends filling in your eyebrows with Glossier Boy Brow to help define your facial features and adding a swipe of Clinique High Impact Lash Elevating Mascara to help your eyes pop.
Metallic Red Eye Shadow
While it red shadow sounds scary, Nimra Arif, University of South Florida class of 2017, proves that this trend is actually really wearable IRL, especially when paired with a nude lip to keep the focus on the eyes. To create this look, Nimra uses Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow in Fierce Fuschia, ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Drift, and a lip topcoat gloss. She first primes the eyes with concealer, then adds the red eye shadow all over the lids. Finally, she dabs on the ColourPop shadow using her fingers. “Make sure to tap it on instead of gliding it on so it doesn’t move the eye shadow,” Nimra said. Finish off the look with a slick gloss to really make this hue shine.
Chocolate-Brown Lipstick
Subtle lips not your thing? Follow Anna Hershey’s lead and go for bold matte lips in a deep brown hue. Anna noted she pairs vampy lips with simple eyes but says she’s “all for full dramatics” if you want to turn this look up a notch. The first and most important step to achieving this look is the least glamorous: exfoliating. Anna likes to just use a scrub or wet washcloth to get the job done. Next, she outlines her lips with Nyx Slim Lip Pencil in Brown and then glides on Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Berlin. To finish off the look, Anna says to fix any mistakes you may have around the edges of your lips with a small concealer brush.
High-Gloss Lips
A little bit nostalgic for the ’90s but totally cool, a super-glossy pout is easy to achieve with the right products. Jenné Slaw, University of Kentucky class of 2020, keeps the emphasis on her lips by leaving her makeup natural with a hint of bronze. “When it comes to makeup looks like this, I just try to keep everything simple and focus on using nude or neutral shades,” Jenné said. To make her lips look fuller, Jenné adds highlighter to her Cupid’s bow. Jenné first shades in her entire lip with ColourPop Rooch Liner. Next, she adds MAC Matte Lipstick in Taupe and then finishes with a satin gloss lip shine. This natural yet eye-catching look is super pretty and versatile enough to be worn every day.
What is your favorite next-level makeup trend right now? Share your bold beauty on Instagram and tag @cfashionista in your post so we can take a look!
