Steal the spotlight this season with expert beauty tips on getting gorgeous with these holiday looks.

Holiday beauty tip #1: Apply false lashes
“First of all, set aside about 10 minutes if this is the first time you are applying false lashes,” says Caitlin Callahan, a M·A·C Sr. Artist based in Toronto. She recommends doing all of your eye makeup, including applying a dark eyeliner before putting on your lashes. “That liner will give you a guideline of where to apply the lashes.”

If the lashes you’ve purchased are in a solid band, you’ll likely have to shorten them a bit, says Callahan, as they tend to be made quite wide. Cut from the outside end of the lash —“you want to keep the shorter lashes that are on the inside end of the lash for comfort,” she says.

Apply a small amount of adhesive (a toothpick works wonders) cleanly along its band. Remember to keep your eyes open! (“If you apply with your eyes closed, this is how you can glue your eyelids together,” Says Callahan). Start a half-centimeter from the inner corner of your eye and gently dab the middle until the end of your lash line. Once you’re happy with how the falsies are positioned, pinch together your real and fake lashes to seal.

Holiday beauty tip #2: Pull off a glittery eyeshadow
General rule of thumb when it comes to shimmer? Use a soft, shimmery dust rather than big sparkles. “A soft look is more up to date and modern-looking,” says Kendra Lovick, a Vancouver-based senior makeup artist with Beautymark. Then, apply a cream-based eye shadow in the same shade as the shimmer you are going to apply. Lovick’s current personal favourite is Stila Smudgepot in Kitten. “This gives the shimmer something to stick to,” she says.

Next, wet a brush and dip it into the shimmer. You’ll want to tap it into the cream eye shadow base you’ve applied so that it stays where you’ve applied it. Use the brush to blend and soften out harsh lines. As for where to apply it? “Shimmer looks good all over the lid,” says Lovick. “A fine shimmer is pretty on the browbone, too, or near the tear duct as a highlight. Even some subtle shimmer on the cheekbones works well — it give a healthy glow-y look.”

Want to know how to glam up a holiday beauty look? Keep reading for nail and other beauty tips on the next page…

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Holiday beauty tip #3: Show off a dramatic colour on your nails
Bold shades require a flawless execution. Gina Tome, assistant manager and esthetician at Lux Spa in Toronto, says that the best thing you can do to make your manicure last is to make sure you have no oils on your nails. Begin by using nail polish remover to completely clean your nail. “This will help the polish adhere,” says Tome. Next steps are standard: apply a thin base coat to prevent your nails from yellowing, two thin coats of polish and a thin layer of topcoat to seal the polish in. Keeping your manicure chip-free and looking fresh, though, requires you be diligent about applying topcoat every two days after your initial nail job. “This will make your manicure last about seven days,” says Tome.

Holiday beauty tip #4:
Wear one of the season’s hot jewel accessories in your hair
If you think only ladies who like to put their hair up can rock a jewelled hair accessory, think again. “There are some women that just feel they don’t look good with their hair up, but you can still do something different for a party,” says Justin German, co-owner of Toronto’s Shagg Salon. “You can add some sort of movement to make your hair fuller, perhaps by add waves and pinning back one side of your hair with a jewelled clip,” he says. If you do feel comfortable with your hair off your face, this season trends include lots of volume, say German, and you can have volume at front of head or at crown like a traditional French roll, a la Brigette Bardot. “Pick where you want to have volume, at crown, for example, and put the jewel accessory in front of that volume to accentuate it.” Or, if your look has volume at front of your, “take the jewel accessory and put at side of your head or at the back so it’s like an afterthought,” says German. “Or if you’re really adventurous, use a couple of accessories, one at front, and another one wrapping around side of your head.”

Check out our favourite jewelled hair bands here. 

Our expert tips for getting the perfect red lip on the next page…

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Holiday beauty tip #5: Play up your pout in a red lipstick

Begin by choosing the right red for you. “There are lots of different reds — from orange reds, to blue reds and different intensities, from light to dark,” says L’Oréal Paris makeup artist Eddie Maleterre. He says the easiest way to figure out your perfect red is to look at your wardrobe. “If you normally wear lots of warm colours, wear an orange-red lipstick. If there are lots of blues and cold colours in your closet, go for a blue-red.”

Your perfect red lipstick now in hand, Maleterre shares how to make your red pout the focal point of your look (Your eyes or your lips should be the focal point — never both):

Using a lip liner in the same colour as the lipstick line the contour of your lips and then using a brush or your finger, blend the line inwards toward the centre of your mouth. Using the lip liner, fill in the contour. “This will help your lipstick stay put.” Apply the lipstick. Using a brush or a tissue, blot on a some powder from a pressed powder compact to your lips. “This creates a dry base to give your lipstick a more lasting effect.” Apply another layer of lipstick, et voilà, you have a perfect red pout.

Read more:
Holiday beauty: Must-have blush
Beauty shop: Metallic eye essentials

5 red lipstick trends