Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Decorations are everywhere. You've decked the halls, hung the lights, scattered tinsel, nestled fir and draped beads. You've brought out your festive finery (hey, even your wardrobe is in a holiday mood). Now just don't forget to decorate your face.
Yes, even your lips, cheeks and eyes deserve to enjoy the glittering fun of the season. "The holidays is a time when women want to feel and look glamorous," said Julie Red-fern, Sephora beauty editor. "It's mistletoe season. It's about sexy, gorgeous, voluptuous lips. It's about shimmer. Women want to walk into a holiday party and wow people. The best way to do that is with gorgeous lashes, shimmer and full, kissable lips."
Because women who wear makeup are growing increasingly sophisticated and confident in their cosmetic counter choices, the holiday season presents a perfect opportunity to get a little more daring, beauty experts said.
"We're always looking for something just a little more special during the holidays," said Beth Mumm, director of makeup product development for Clinique. "Whether it be a brighter, more festive color or a smoky dramatic color. The eyes are dramatic. Lips are moist and glossy. Add a little shimmering powder, dusted with a brush, in strategically placed areas for a look that says 'Wow!'"
One of the strongest makeup trends out there is the glamorous vixen look, said Collier Strong, L'Oreal consulting makeup artist. "I love the smoky, dramatic eye. I love the trend of strong eyeliner with a bold lip -- a berry stain or a red. Anything that's bold," said Strong, whose clients include Beyonce, Eva Longoria and Milla Jovovich. "The glamour is out there. It's both ladylike and bombshell."
Two fashion trends -- Russian luxe and the return to black (black is the new black, or haven't you heard?) -- require dramatic makeup for the face to pop. "When you're wearing black, you want a splash of color somewhere on the face," Strong said.
Although some beauty experts suggest to pick either a strong, dramatic eye or a full, colorful lip (one or the other, but not both), there is also a move that the entire face should light up.
"Work it all," said Clinique's Mumm. "The eyes tell the story and the lips should complement. Pay a little more attention to your eyes. Spend a little more time contouring and lining. Smoke them up a bit with color-rich pencil and smudge for a smokier, more expressive, sexy look. Use an all-over shimmering face powder to give the cheeks a little more glow. You can add a little shimmering powder on the upper eyelid, right under the brow bone to add dimension. Lips should look supple and glossy with a hint of sheer color and a dab of high shine."
Sephora's Redfern agrees: Make a statement, she said. She advocates glitter mascara and face shimmer. But she also cautions not to go overboard.
"Shimmer can be placed around the eyes, on the cheek and on the glossy lip. The one thing you don't want to do is have a glow overload," she said. "Don't stick your face in shimmer. Don't OD. You don't want to look like a light bulb."
The runway shows for winter 2005 (fashion looks and makeup trends go hand in hand) were all over the place, from '50s glamour, to '60s Cleopatra eyes, to '70s naturalism (a la Ali McGraw), Strong said: "All the trends are legit. but it adds to the confusion because there's not one trend."
This season, however, you can't go wrong with the shimmering, smoky eye, Strong said. "I love the dramatic eye. I love the metallic shadows. But it might be intimidating for most people," he said. "
The point is to notch it up a bit, Redfern said.
(C) 2005 The Cincinnati Post. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
