This is the time of year when people pull out all the stops–the lips get bolder, the skin gets more luminous and the eyes range from seriously smoky to glitter encrusted. Yes, it’s the eyes that really become the focus of festive holiday dressing. But the holidays can get hectic and settling down in front the mirror with a collection of metallic shadows just may not be an option for you. We get it, but there’s no reason you have to holiday party hop in your standard workday makeup. You can enhance your eyes even as you’re dashing out the door with any one of these quick and easy techniques.

Make Your Waterline Pop

Lining your waterline is the quickest trick to take your look from day to night. During the holiday season though, why not get even more oomph out of your eyeliner? One festive option is to add a high pigment shade of blue, green or gold to just the lower waterline. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, em Michelle Phan Cosmetics Waterliners and Lime Crime Eyeliners will pop against the whites of your eyes (and last well past cocktail hour). If you just want the intensity, a good smudging of black will also make your eyes smolder.

Up Your Mascara Game

Basic black mascara is never going away, but an easy way to add interest to the eyes and complement the color of your pretty peepers is to swipe on colored mascara. Use Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof in Signature Violet or Majorelle Blue to coat just the tips of the top and bottom eyelashes. Or go all out with Sephora Collection Glitter Eyeliner and Mascara and your eyelashes will be twinkling in the twinkle lights all night long.

Get Frosty

When all else fails, never underestimate what highlighting the brow bone, inner corners of the eyes and the center of the eyelids can do to enhance your existing eye makeup. Champagne and pale peachy pinks are the obvious go-to’s, but use this time of year as an opportunity to take it a step further. Choose a frosty shade like Jouer Highlighter in Camellia or Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in White Punch and build up the shimmer until your eyes shine brighter than the fresh blanket of snow outside.

 

Will you use color or shimmer to enhance your eyes this season? Let us know in the comments.

 

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