CREDIT: KORABKOVA/THINKSTOCK
A smoky eye and swipe of red lipstick will complete your perfect holiday look.

The holidays are the best time of the year to experiment with your makeup looks because the trends tend to be more glamorous. By adding a bit of glitter, a red lip or a fierce smoky eye, these looks are sure to attract some attention at either your holiday cocktail party or the dreaded in-law holiday visit.

To easily achieve these looks, holiday collections come out every year from almost all cosmetic companies.

If you don’t like focusing your makeup so much around your eyes, a bold red lip can instantly transform your daily look into festive makeup.

Start by applying a red lip liner to your entire lip; this will help prevent your lipstick from bleeding or smudging. Then apply your favourite shade of red lipstick – Dior and Lancôme always come out with a beautiful holiday red.

Since red lips can be a bit tricky to wear due to noticeable smudging, you can create a really low maintenance look by following the lip liner with a either a lip stain – brands such as Revlon and Benefit make excellent stains – or a true matte lipstick – NARS or MAC.

Another way to create a beautiful holiday look is by adding a bit of glitter. Lise Watier makes a very convenient duo glitter product – glitter and cream shadow – that is easy to apply. Start by applying a small amount of cream eye shadow to your eyelid and then pat on finely milled glitter. Don’t try and blend the glitter or you will end up with it all over your face.

To finalize the look, add a bit of black eyeliner and mascara. This look truly is a showstopper.

Another classic holiday look is the sultry smoky eye with a nude lip. Make sure the eye is prepped and primed and then start by applying a matter black eye shadow to the entire eyelid. Then taking a ponytail brush, start to blend a dark brown shadow through the crease and onto the black shadow. This is what creates the smoke effect. Then on the lower last line, apply black eye shadow – same intensity as the top – and blend the same brown shadow on top of it.

Apply a black liner to the upper lash line and lower waterline to give the look some definition. If you want to add a bit of shimmer to the look, pat on some shimmering silver or gold to the center of the eyelid. Next add a more matte white or vanilla highlighter to the brown bone. To finish off the eye makeup, add mascara or false lashes to really bring the glamour.

The holiday season is a perfect way to be experimental with your makeup and will allow you to brand out from your usual routine. Try wearing a bold lip or glitter and you will definitely see some heads turn.