Christmas Day is for coziness. It’s also for taking lots and lots of pictures in front of the tree. And—if you’re me, anyway—it’s a time for a little mimosa-inclusive celebrating. So today let’s talk about how to get comfortable, cute and festive for the holiday.
Makeup
Oh, your kids (or excitable pet) came bounding into your bed at 5 a.m.? That’s okay. There are a couple of easy makeup tricks you can use to appear bright-eyed and bushy-tailed despite the fact that you stayed up too late on Christmas Eve maybe watching It’s a Wonderful Life or wrapping those last-minute gifts.
My favorite look-fresh-quick tip: use a concealer to touch up the red areas around the base of your nose, at the outer corners of your eyes and at the edges of your lips. It’s amazing what a little concealer in just these few simple spots can do to make you look instantly awake. Try: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage.
Now use a light touch to apply makeup that’s pretty but still morning-appropriate. Sweep on a pale eye shadow with a little shimmer, like L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24HR Eye Shadow in Iced Latte, and apply three coats of a lengthening mascara. Try: Maybelline Define-a-Lash Lengthening Mascara, which elongates without clumping.
On your lips, go for a tinted balm, like Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, for a natural, pretty effect. Reapply post-mimosa!
Hair
Few things are more ridiculous than spending an hour hanging out with a curling iron on Christmas morning. I mean, excuse me, there are presents to open!
To appear pulled-together minus all that fuss, try a clean twist on a topknot. (This style works even better on next-day hair, so you can skip the shampoo and get right down to business, which is an added bonus.)
First pull your hair into a very high ponytail (higher than you think). Secure it with an elastic and tease it lightly. Then wrap your hair around the base of the ponytail to form a ballerina bun and hold it in place with a couple of bobby pins. If you have bangs, just apply a small amount of pomade and swipe them off to one side for a soft elegance.
Dress
This part is the easiest of all.
Reach for that ugly-but-cute Christmas sweater and cuffed boyfriend jeans. Maybe add some fuzzy reindeer socks.
Done.
Merry Christmas!
(Originally published on Makeup.com.)
