This Party Season's Makeup? Full of Sparkle

Just like the fashion trend of sequins that I blogged about the other day and so very much love (in case you didn't get that the first time round) glitter's big in makeup this Christmas too!

So how do you achieve those sparkly peepers without looking too much like a Christmas tree? Here are a few tips and pointers if you want to go glittery while you partay...

1. Keep foundation fresh and lips toned down

Your eyes will obviously be the main spectacle for the evening/event so you want them to do the talking rather than anything else as well. Bright red lips added to the mix for instance will make you look far too overdone so keep lips on the subtle, sultry side. You don't necessarily have to go nude, you could choose a beautiful sheer berry shade that adds a pop of colour but isn't overpowering. Whatever the shade, make sure it's light or sheer.

What with the eyes being very heavily adorned in glitter you also want to keep your foundation, or your canvas looking as fresh and fuss-free as possible. Go as light as possible when applying your base as it will prevent your overall makeup from looking too 'perfected'. If you can get away with tinted moisturiser then go for that, if not try to keep the coverage as minimal as possible.

2. Use a base for the glitter to stick to

It can be a gel, a liquid eyeliner or if you have a safe and natural lip balm, use this on your eyelids to allow the glitter to stick to the areas you want it to stick to without falling over your face. Apply the glitter with your fingers to get maximum control of where and how much you put on. If you use a brush you might get too much fallout and it could go everywhere.

3. Pick one colour to focus on

Popular colours for this season are purples, blues and golds. Choose a colour to compliment your hair or eyes - if you have brown eyes purple will look gorgeous on you. If you have blue eyes then golds will really make them pop! Or simply just experiment and find what takes your fancy. By all means go multi-coloured with your glitter if you like but the really fresh, modern take right now is one shade all over the lids.

4. Do your eye makeup before anything else

This is a messy look so it's best that you apply your eye makeup and work on the glitter first, then apply your foundation, blush, etc. afterwards. This means that if you do get glitter down your face you can wipe it all off without worrying about ruining your base makeup and having to start all over again or reapplying in areas and creating an uneven base.

5. You don't have to go glitter-mad!

If you don't want to put glitter all over your eyelids for fear of it being too much for your features or you're not feeling quite that full-on then keep eyes neutral but simply add a lovely line of glitter eyeliner on your upper lash line. Choose neutral skintone shades and brown eyeshadows for your lids and then why not add a pop of colour with a lovely electric blue glitter eyeliner for example? You can create equally amazing impact even with a smaller amount of sparkle!

Now that you have the how-to here's a run-down on what you'll need for your look to help get you started...

For All-Over Glitter

For full sparkle, you'll need the following:

• Choose a base that will compliment your choice of colour of glitter:
  - Going blue, purple or green? Opt for a smoky base like a grey or black. MAC Carbon, Typographic, Print or their Paint Pot shade in Blackground will all work well. Or try one of the smoky shades in the Sleek makeup palette if you're on a tighter budget.
  - Going gold, yellow or pink? Choose to wear browns beneath the glitter - a lovely wash of a light browns will be just right.
  
  
• MAC's Clear Gloss, safe natural lip balm or even liquid eyeliner in a similar shade to your base will make a great ingredient for your glitter to adhere to.
  
  
• For the glitter MAC make a fantastic selection of colours to choose from and whilst the price of a pot is a little on the expensive side (£15.00 a pot) you'll get heaps that will last you forever. If you really don't think you'll get through that much, try Helen E in selected Debenhams stores or online as these pots are smaller and much more purse-friendly.

Just the Eyeliner, please!

• Pick two or three varying shades of brown to create a defined but natural eye. One highlight shade and one midtone will be perfect. Colours like MAC's Brule, Wedge, Shroom or Benefit's Birthday Suit will do the job nicely.
  
  
• You can find wonderful, long-lasting glitter eyeliners from GOSH and Urban Decay at prices that won't break the bank. My favourites are Urban Decay's Catfight, Stagedive and Metal Head. I can't get enough of these brands' eyeliners as the colour impact is to die for and they really don't budge!

Image from Vogue.co.uk