40 Timeless Holiday Makeup Looks to Try This Year

written by

Ashley Rebecca & Maya Allen

updated Dec 25, 2020

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 30 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

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

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

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 Spacepaste Glitter in shade Gildebeest ($22).

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Fresh Fir

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 Snap Shadows Palette in Money ($25).

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Wing it This Year

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

Bleached brows, bright red lips, and a cat-eye give a modern take to holiday makeup, the softest silvery shimmer eyeshadow on the lids ties this makeup look together quite nicely, don't you think?

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Jewel Toned and Ready

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

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Ruby Red Sparkle

Add some sparkle to your holiday makeup look by adding glitter as a finishing touch to red lips. A creative way to shine at any holiday gathering all while looking gorgeous as ever.

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Subtle Smoke

A soft, subtly smoky eye is ideal when creating holiday makeup and can be worn anywhere, anytime. 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

Neon winged eyeliner sets the tone for a seriously festive occasion. You can opt for any color you like yet this pink is chic as ever. Glossy lips pair well and create a nice texture balance with the matte liner. To add a nice gloss to the lips, try Deborah Lippmann's Hydra-Cushion Balmy Lipgloss ($20).

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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

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 a nice dimension while cheeks are contoured and highlighted to perfection.

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All About Lashes

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

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Happy Holiday Vibes

Red eyeshadow blended in the inner corners of the eyes gives way for fun color play and inspiration for holiday makeup. We love the contrast between the shadow and bold, smoky liner.

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Red and Green Dream

Popular colorways of green and red can be incorporated into your holiday makeup easily, like this metallic green eyeshadow look paired with a bold red lip. 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, 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. Looking for some metallic shadow options? Check out Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Gemstone ($27).

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Luminous and Light

Luminous skin offsets clean eyeliner and a perfectly shaped red lip for this holiday makeup. Skin is glowing while the liner isn't a full winged eyeliner, instead, it enhances the shape of the center of the eyes and works well with brushed up eyebrows.

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Deepest Smoke

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 looks such as this one here. Keeping skin and lips light when rocking an intense smoky eye look is ideal to keep the focus exactly where you want.

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Diamond Days

Soft makeup with a touch of diamonds on the lids helps bring the holiday cheer instantly, the delicate details on the inner corners of the eyes 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 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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Icy Blue Snow

Bring some chill to your holiday festivities with an icy blue shadow look blended with shimmery notes of silver. Plump, glossy lips are a necessary detail to create a shine that is seriously photo-worthy.

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Iridescent Gleam

Foil like shadow applied in varying shades to the lid creates a rainbow effect that gleams at every angle. The gold, green, and soft purple in this look is exactly what we love about creating festive holiday makeup.

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Gold Stamp of Approval

Golden yellow eyeshadow washed all over the eyelids is an absolute yes when it comes to creating holiday makeup. Since gold comes in so many varying shades, it's one color that suits any skin tone incredibly well.

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Berry Pout

Sheer berry washes the lips to give a fresh layer of color while precise eyeliner defines the eyes for a natural holiday makeup inspired look you can wear anywhere, anytime.

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Raspberry Rouge

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

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

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Stunning Sapphire

Royal and navy blue as a smoky eye paired with a bold lipstick create a colorful spin on the standard black, deep greys, and browns. 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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Follow the Brick Red Lipstick

Brick red lips with a touch of crimson immediately brighten the skin, worn with soft neutral eyeshadow, and brushed up brows bring together a holiday makeup look suitable for anyone.

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Rainbow Lids

Sparkly glitter in an array of rainbow shades on the eyelids as the liner is festive and fun in one. If you are timid about wearing glitter makeup, this look is an ideal way to start as it's chic and minimal versus dramatic.

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Naked Shimmer

A naked shimmery eye and crimson lip balance each other out for a glam holiday look that you can also 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 light and neutral eyes. Go brighter and bolder with a super-pigmented red like Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick ($40) in Elson 2. With so much focus on your lips, dust your favorite soft tones across your lid 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

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 Fuschia Lip

This year, makeup lovers seem to be into a minimalist makeup approach for the season. Do as a French woman would 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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Sparkling Blue Lids

Blue lids have proven to be a go-to makeup look in recent years. Luckily for us, the pale cool color works perfectly for the holidays—just say it's your take on the white Christmas-happy Hannukkah-let it snow vibe. To create this exact look, use KJH's product recs: Stila Suede Shade Liquid Eyeshadow ($24) in Something Blue lined with Shiseido Kajal InkArtist Shadow, Liner, Brow ($25) in Gunjo Blue.

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Berry Pout

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 #MOTN will suit any holiday party. Like Alatorre, smoke it out past your crease for extra drama. There’s no better time to go all out with your glam than the holidays. While Alatorre used the sold-out Anastasia Beverly Hills Prism Palette to create her look, you can nail the glam using similar shades from the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette ($27) in Emerald.

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Va-Va Voom Lashes

Going full glam during the holidays is only to be expected. Best of all, it doesn't take much to do so. Simply apply your regular base makeup and pair your favorite bright red lipstick (UK-based MUA Bex Campbell used Fenty Beauty's Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color ($24) in Uncensored here) with a set of fluttery lashes, and you're good to go.

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Ultra Highlighted

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

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Graphic Wing Tips

While a dark eye makeup look may seem like the opposite of holiday-chic, this graphic black wingtip makeup idea 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. Our favorite is Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner ($20) in Trooper.