It’s the season of giving, the season of joy and, let us not forget, the season of endless celebration. The holidays are coming at us in full force which means there will be holiday work parties, family gatherings and lots of delicious food. With all that celebrating, your hair and makeup needs to stay picture perfect. Here are some tips to help you look and feel your best.
Makeup plays a big role when getting ready for holiday parties. Not only are we looking to make sure we’re ready for those candid snapshots, but we’re also hoping that it stays looking good all day.
Before you start applying your makeup, you need to start with a good, moisturized face to really hold your foundation in place. Aveda carries a complete skincare line that has moisturizers for all skin types. Follow your normal skin routine and exfoliate the night before so your skin looks its freshest. Then, use a primer that’s specifically for your skin type. There’s a primer for everything from large pores to rosacea, and a primer is important to help with even coverage. Then, apply your foundation. Stay away from mineral-based products since they tend to give off a strange shadow or glow in pictures. It’s also important to apply your foundation using a brush or a damp beauty sponge to avoid any streaking and to help get even coverage. Then, set it all with a matte powder to get rid of access to shine and move on to your eyes and lips.
The eyes are pretty simple when it comes to being photo-ready. All you have to do is stay away from shimmery shadows. Matte shadow won’t catch the light and are perfect for pictures. Once your face is complete, set with a spray and move onto your lips. Make sure that you exfoliate and moisturize your lips before applying any lipstick. Lip scrubs are simple to create, using olive or coconut oil with some sugar will do. Apply with your finger in a circular motion and rub off any extra sugar from the surface of your lips. Then, apply a lip balm (Like Aveda’s Lip Saver Lip Balm) generously to your lips. Allow the balm to sink in then pat your lips gently so that you remove any excess moisturizer. Next, prime your lips with a lip primer and grab your lipstick and matching liner. Line and fill in your lips to create an even base for your lipstick. Apply, blot and apply some more to help seal everything in place. Setting your lipstick with a translucent powder will give you, even more, staying power, but you’ll be fine without this step as well. Be careful when you’re eating (avoid soup and grease if you can), drink through a straw and don’t lick your lips to ensure a lasting all-day wear.
Curly, elegant styles are always popular for holiday parties. Sometimes, curls don’t last that long though, especially those of us with stick straight or super fine hair. Here’s some tips to help hold your curl.
It’s important to keep in mind that the best way to hold a curl is with unwashed hair. Your natural oils help lock in the texture of a curl. If your hair is freshly washed, you can always spray a little Aveda Air Control hairspray and MoroccanOil’s dry shampoo on your head to help with the texture and hold. Next, section off your hair and remember: the smaller the section, the more likely your curl will hold. You should always keep your iron at 300 degrees (or 350 if your hair is thicker) to have an ample amount of heat to set the shape. Then, curl and pin-up to allow your hair to cool in that shape. Once your hair is cool, let down your waves and loosely shake them out. Don’t shake them out too much, though, since curls tend to fall as the day progresses. Spritz with some Aveda Air Control, Control Force or Be Curly Hairspray and you’re ready for your holiday party!
Still not sure what to do with your hair? No problem! XEX is here to help. Come in and book a blowout or an updo appointment today to get ready for the holidays and New Year!
