35 Timeless Holiday Makeup Looks to Try This Year

Keep it merry and bright.

and

Updated on Nov 29, 2021

woman wearing sparkly holiday makeup — @Kaleteter/Design by Cristina Cianci

The holiday season is our favorite time of year for one particular reason—it gives us ample reason to wear sophisticated makeup looks any day of the week. And while classic holiday makeup looks like red lips and winged eyeliner are always a staple for family gatherings or cocktails by the fireplace, there's nothing wrong with adding some extra sparkle by playing with glitter products and more. Ahead, we've rounded up the 35 best holiday makeup looks that will give you all the inspiration you need from now until the new year.

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Bright and Bold

Holiday Makeup Looks Bold Lip Joyjah Estrada — @joyjah

Keep your makeup bold by wearing a bright red lip paired with dewy, glowing skin. Since the lips are the focus here, you can keep the rest of your look fairly minimal, adding just a touch of highlight and shaping up your eyebrows.

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Shimmery Goodness

Holiday Makeup Looks Shimmer — @elizabethrsawatzky

Shimmer and shine with lots of highlight on the skin this holiday season. Lips and eyes are soft, keeping all the focus on your shimmering cheekbones and dreamy contour.

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Sparkle to Shine

Holiday Makeup Looks Sparkle Gold — @ioannalexandrra

Let your makeup bring the drama to your holiday family gathering this year with lots of gold, glittery sparkles on the eyes, paired with a bold graphic liner. To recreate this look, apply Lemonhead LA's Spacepaste Glitter in Gildebeest ($22).

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Fresh Fir

Holiday Makeup Looks Green — @andreeacomaneci

The smell of fir pine trees instantly transports us to the holidays, and this green inspiration on the eyes is everything and more. To replicate this look with some beautiful green shades, try Fenty Beauty's Snap Shadows Palette in Money ($25).

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Wing it This Year

Holiday Makeup Looks Winged Liner — @jessthe_mess

Not sure what makeup look to tout this holiday season? Wing it with dramatic liquid eyeliner and soft earth tones on the eyes. The highlight, contour, and lips are ever so glam paired with this eye makeup.

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Bleached Out

Holiday Makeup Looks Bleached Brows Maisie Williams — @maisie_williams

Bleached brows and bright red lips give a modern take to holiday makeup. The softest lashes and a touch of neutral eyeshadow tie this makeup look together quite nicely.

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Jewel Toned and Ready

Holiday Makeup Looks Jewel. Toned Eyeshadow Lupita Nyong'o — @lupitanyongo

Jewel-toned eyeshadow looks so exquisite during the holidays. The boldness of the shadow shades is ideal for when you really want to make a statement.

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Subtle Smoke

Holiday Makeup Looks Subtle Smoky Eye — @akiima

A soft, subtly smoky eye is ideal when creating holiday makeup and can be worn anywhere, any time. A pop of blush and highlight on the skin along with natural lips pair well with this whole color palette.

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Neon Holiday Lights

Holiday Makeup Looks Neon Eyeliner Isabela Merced — @isabelamerced

Neon winged eyeliner sets the tone for a seriously festive occasion. You can opt for any color you like, then pair it with more subtle lips and cheeks to make sure your eyes really pop.

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Natural Glam

Glam it up this holiday season with natural makeup tones, bold liner, and big voluminous lashes. The smoked out liner underneath the eye gives an added touch of drama to an already stunning makeup look.

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Glossy and Gorgeous

Holiday Makeup Looks Glossy — @patricktabeauty

Glossy lids, skin, and lips radiate holiday makeup vibes without even having to try. The smoky liner on the top and bottom of the eyes bring in nice dimension, while cheeks are contoured and highlighted to perfection.

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All About Lashes

Holiday Makeup Looks Lashes Gia Gunn — @gia_gunn

Adding false lashes to your holiday makeup look will absolutely take it to the next level. We love how stunning these falsies look paired with shimmer rose golden eyeshadow. If you're on the hunt for false lashes, check out Moxielash's Classy Lash Eyelashes ($25).

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Happy Holiday Vibes

Holiday Makeup Looks Red Eyeliner Avani — Getty Images

Red eyeliner along the top and bottom lash lines gives way for fun color play and inspiration for holiday makeup. We love the contrast between the bold liner and natural, glossy lips.

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Red and Green Dream

Holiday Makeup Looks Red and Green Kylie Jenner — @kyliejenner

Popular colorways of green and red can be incorporated into your holiday makeup easily, like this metallic green eyeshadow look paired with warm liner, blush, and lips. Add false lashes or skip them—it's up to you how festive you want to be.

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Metal Smoke

Smoky metallic eyeshadow steals the spotlight for this makeup look, as these colors paired with radiant skin and glossy lips are seriously inspiring. Want to mix your metals? Try using some silver and deep blues for a chic contrast. For metallic shadow options, check out the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Gemstone ($27).

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Luminous and Light

Holiday Makeup Looks Luminous Skin Red Lip Hoyeon Jung — @hoooooyeony

Luminous skin offsets a bold, perfectly shaped red lip for this holiday makeup look. Skin is glowing while most of the makeup is beautiful, enhancing your natural features while ensuring your statement lip takes center stage.

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Deepest Smoke

Holiday Makeup Looks Smoky Eye Tiffany Guo — @itstiffyg

Wherever you land when creating a smoky eye for the holidays is up to you. Some prefer subtle smoky looks, while others gravitate towards more intense shadow. Keeping skin and lips light when rocking a bold smoky eye look is ideal to keep the focus exactly where you want.

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Diamond Days

Holiday Makeup Looks Face Jewels Amanda Gorman — Getty Images

Soft makeup with a touch of diamonds helps bring the holiday cheer instantly—the delicate details really take this look to the next level. Create a natural makeup look using colors you prefer and finish with some sparkle at the end to take things up a notch.

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Double Liner

Change up your eyeliner by applying it on the top and bottom lash line in small strokes—any color(s) you want to use will work for this trend. If you're feeling extra festive, feel free to add some sparkly glitter on top as well.

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Iridescent Gleam

Holiday Makeup Looks Iridescent Sara Grace Wallerstedt — @walldamort

Metallic shadow applied in varying shades to the lid creates an effect that gleams at every angle. The icy blue in this look is exactly what we love about creating festive holiday makeup.

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Berry Pout

Holiday Makeup Looks Berry Lips Alycia Debnam-Carey — @alyciajasmin

A reddish berry washes the lips to give a fresh layer of color, while a hint of mascara defines the eyes for a natural holiday makeup look you can wear anywhere, any time.

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Raspberry Rouge

Holiday Makeup Looks Raspberry Shioli Kutsuna — Getty Images

Raspberry lipstick is a lovely choice for the holiday season, as it's a refreshing option for those who might want to try something different than blue-red lipstick colors. Pops of blush on the cheeks echo in the same color sentiment of the lips, and eyeliner defines the eyes to make this holiday look a staple in our inspiration archives.

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60's Glam

Holiday Makeup Looks '60s — @lemonhead.la

If the holidays have you feeling creative, bring a little '60s glam to the party with this Twiggy-esque makeup look full of glitter, winged abstract liner, and spidery lashes.

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Stunning Sugarplum

Holiday Makeup Looks Sugarplum Monochromatic Ayobami Okekunle — @ayobamiokekunle

A plum smoky eye paired with a bold lipstick creates a colorful spin on the standard deep neutral shadow and red lip. Blend shadow on the lids and under the bottom lash line for a full-on holiday makeup look that will most certainly turn heads.

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Rainbow Lids

Holiday Makeup Looks Rainbow Eyeshadow Jojo Siwa — Getty Images

An array of rainbow shades on the eyelids, complete with a bit of sparkle, is festive and fun in one. Go all out with every classic rainbow color, or tailor the palette to your holiday party outfit.

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Naked Shimmer

Holiday Makeup Looks Subtle Shimmer Martha Hunt — Getty Images

A naked, shimmery eye and a crimson lip balance each other out for a glam holiday look that you can wear any time of the year. Bold brows and lots of mascara tie everything together so well, you might find yourself wearing this makeup look on repeat.

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Bold Red Lip

The holidays call for a festive red lipstick along with more subtle, neutral eyes. Go brighter and bolder with a super-pigmented red like the Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick ($40) in Elson 2. With so much focus on your lips, dust your favorite soft tones across your lid, then add some simple liner to complete the look.

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Champagne Shimmer

People cannot get over how gorgeous this sparkly eye look is on Instagram—and neither can we. The ever-so-talented Katie Jane Hughes (a Team Byrdie favorite) creates the dreamiest makeup looks, and this shimmery champagne eye makeup idea (as shown on Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) is equally as aesthetically astounding as her glam skills. To copy the look, layer your lids with an ultra-fine glitter shadow, like the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow ($29) in Rose Gold.

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Pale Pink Pop

Holiday Makeup Looks Pale Pink Ashley Graham — @katiejanehughes

Want to veer away from the classic red that's so often seen during the holidays? This pale pink shimmer will give your lids a lovely pop of color that manages to look festive but not overly themed. To craft a similar look, choose a single shade from the Kat Von D Lolita Eyeshadow Palette ($39) or mix a few for your own custom color.

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Bright Fuchsia Lip

Holiday Makeup Looks Fuchsia Lip Elsa Hosk — @hoskelsa

This year, makeup lovers seem to be into a minimalist makeup approach for the season. Take a modern French approach and don a fresh face paired with a bright fuchsia lip. Make the look your own with Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick ($22) in Fiore.

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Berry Pout

Holiday Makeup Looks Berry Lip Ayesha Marr — @ayeshamarr

Here’s major proof that a classic berry lip never gets old. Don't feel pressure to go glossy—a stain or matte works just as well. Pair your pout with a smokey eyeliner and wispy lashes to serve up ultimate glam.

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Emerald Eyes

Craving a fiercer look? This show-stealing emerald-tinted moment will suit any holiday party. As shown here on Deepika Padukone, smoke it out past your crease for extra drama, making the shadow perform double duty with a wing effect. Nail the glam using similar shades from the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette ($27) in Emerald.

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Va-Va Voom Lashes

Holiday Makeup Looks Lashes — @bybexcxmpbell

Going for soft glamour during the holidays is only to be expected, and best of all, it doesn't take much to do so. Simply apply your regular base makeup and pair your favorite lip gloss with a set of fluttery lashes, and you're good to go.

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Ultra Highlighted

Holiday Makeup Looks Highlighted Amrezy — @amrezy

When talking about holiday makeup, it’s not right if a little glow isn’t involved. This screenshot-worthy glam is the epitome of festive light. Thankfully, beauty guru Amrezy shared the lashes responsible for her flirty flutter—Lilly Lashes "So Extra" Miami ($30).

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Graphic Wing Tips

Holiday Makeup Looks Graphic Winged Liner Enam Asiama — @enamasiama

While a dark eye makeup look may seem like the opposite of festive chic, this graphic black winged liner will make you think twice. It keeps the moody hue confined to a sleek triangle on each lid while leaving the rest of the complexion dewy and radiant. The trick is to find a liquid eyeliner that won't smudge throughout the festivities, like KVD Beauty's Tattoo Liner ($20) in Trooper.