Addicted to...Shimmery Makeup

Easy steps to look beautifully candlelit, rather than like an ornament

By Courtney Dunlop
Published: Dec 29, 2007

How many times have you been in this scenario? It’s one hour until a holiday party and you’re staring into the mirror wondering how you can look fancy without having to resort to loads of black eyeliner. So you panic and opt for the same makeup you wear everyday. Tinted moisturizer and black mascara. Woo hoo. Troy Surratt, makeup artist extraordinaire, has some ideas to end this nonsense. His solution for instant festiveness: shimmer.

Skin First

First things first. “No woman in her 30s, 40s, or 50s should wear glitter,” says Troy. “You want a subtle glow.” Look for products that refract and diffuse light to make your skin radiant and dreamy—not ones with chunky shimmer that showcase fine lines. Start with a natural, light reflective foundation and use translucent powder where you want to eliminate shine, like on your forehead and chin. “You’ll want to highlight the high points of the face,” Troy advises. So use a subtle highlighter down the bridge of the nose, and on the highest point of the cheekbone under your eye area.

Buy them at: www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com; Bergdorf Goodman

Then a Metallic Eye
Shimmer on your eyes makes you instantly look energized. That is if you follow Troy’s advice to “stick to natural colors like gold, copper, and pewter. They have a brightening effect.” In other words, stay away from bright colors like blues and purples, okay? If you wear neutral eye makeup already, just substitute a gleaming version—it’s an easy way to update your look.

Buy it at: www.clinique.com

Keep Lips and Cheeks Subdued
With all of the twinkling going on, pass on sparkly cheeks and lips. “I love to use a powder blush on the apples of the cheeks,” says Troy. “It lends an aura of health and happiness to the face.” For lips, deep crimson is, “one of the easiest ways to glamorize and look polished.” But if you’re a rebel and want glimmery lips anyway, look for moist formulas—like gloss—because shimmer might draw attention to any rough texture around the mouth.

Buy it at: www.beauty.com/kevynaucoin

Oh, and by the by…
This darling Tarte palette has everything you need to do all of the above, and then some.
It has a bazillion eyeshadows and lip colors, and will pretty much last you ‘til next holiday season.