How to Create a Showstopping NYE Look
As the clock ticks closer to 2024, the anticipation for the most dazzling night of the year, New Year's Eve, reaches its peak. This night of revelry and celebration calls for an equally captivating transformation, and what better way to embrace the occasion than with a showstopping makeup look to start the year with a bang?
Whether you’re welcoming the New Year with a sultry smoky eye, a bold and vibrant look, or a shimmering, glittery vibe, these makeup essentials are destined to captivate the night and help you welcome 2024 in style.
1. The Basics
To create a look that stays on all night long, you need to start with the right basics: always begin your makeup look with a high-quality face primer. Not only does it create a seamless base for foundation, but it also minimises pores, controls shine, and extends the wear of your makeup.
Then, choose a foundation that matches your skin type and desired coverage, providing the perfect canvas for a flawless complexion. Lock in the brilliance with a setting powder to ensure your makeup withstands the night's festivities while minimizing shine.
Sculpted by Aimee | Beauty Base in Rose Golden SPF 30
This radiance boosting primer by make-up artist Aimee Connolly is an all-in-one solution for luminous, hydrated and protected skin with a touch of a warm champagne gold glow.
Wear it solo for a natural, radiant base that's both protected and nourished or mix it effortlessly with your foundation for an on-the-go, dewy look that lasts.
Available at Sculpted by Aimee.
Lumene | Invisible Illumination Instant Glow UV Primer SPF 30
For oily complexions, Lumene’s Invisible Illumination Instant Glow UV Primer with SPF30 is a perfect lightweight, non-greasy primer.
This versatile primer serves as a radiant-boosting fluid, preparing the skin for prolonged makeup wear while offering protection against UVA and UVB rays with its SPF 30 content.
Available at LOOKFANTASTIC.
DCYPHER | My Custom Foundation
This personalized foundation is created using groundbreaking AI Skin Tone technology, making it uniquely tailored to match your skin tone, coverage preference, and desired finish like never before.
Match with DCYPHER’s My Custom Concealer for the perfect coverage that is sure to keep your skin looking perfect all night.
Available at DCYPHER.
Milk Makeup | Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder
Finish your make-up base with the Milk Makeup’s Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder. This powder offers a translucent, matte finish and is formulated with niacinamide, known for oil regulation and minimizing redness and pore visibility.
Its pore-blurring microspheres also help diminish imperfections and contribute to a soft-focus matte appearance.
Available at Space NK.
2. Eyes that Mesmerize
Elevate your New Year’s look by focusing on captivating eye makeup that steals the spotlight. Be it with an eyeshadow palette boasting shimmering shades, with a dazzling glitter eyeshadow or loose glitter particles that sparkle like stars, or even with a bold and bright eyeliner that commands attention.
You can also blend these elements—eyeshadow for depth, glitter for sparkle, and bold liner for definition—to create an eye-catching masterpiece that captures the essence of celebration and style.
Essence | Blend & Line Eyeshadow Stick in Feeling Leafy
This eyeshadow stick is your quick ticket to effortless eye elegance. The 2-in-1 eyeshadow and eyeliner delivers a stylish eye statement in moments. Its blendable formula effortlessly transitions from subtle to bold, offering both matte and metallic finishes. In a convenient pen format, it's the perfect on-the-go essential.
Available at Justmylook.
Huda Beauty | Naughty Nude Eyeshadow Palette
Prepare to ignite your inner rebel with Huda’s daring twist on the classic nude palette.
Unleash your fierce side with 18 tantalizing, warm shades spanning five ultra-wearable textures, including velvety-soft mattes, high-shine metallics, and much more. All crafted to help unleashing your naughty alter-ego.
Available at Huda Beauty.
Stila | Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in Diamond Dust
Stila’s stunning, long-lasting liquid sparkle eyeshadow is a harmonious blend of pearl and glitter that creates an unrivalled shimmer.
This formula ensures maximum sparkle, while its lightweight, water-infused composition effortlessly glides onto your skin and sets smoothly, locking in the dazzling sparkle with minimal fallout.
Available at Stila.
about-face | Matte Fluid Eye Paint in No Queen Blues
This game-changing liquid eye colour delivers intense pigmentation in a single swipe.
A powerhouse formula that offers bold, buildable colour that stays put, about-face’s liquid eye colour provides a smooth, non-budging, and smudge-proof finish.
Available at Selfridges and Beauty Bay.
Don’t forget: Frame your gaze with perfectly sculpted eyebrows, defining their shape to complement your chosen look, and enhance your lashes with volumizing mascara, adding depth and allure to your eyes.
Sensai | 38C Mascara Lash Volumiser
SENSAI's pioneering 38°C formulation offers resilience against sweat, water, and sebum while remaining easily removable with warm water around 38°C. Its deep, pure black pigment yields dramatic and captivating results that are almost hypnotic from root to tip.
Available at Sensai.
Brows by Sarah | Fluff it Up Gel
For an impeccable finish, whether with or without makeup, apply Fluff It Up at the end of your routine. With the precision brow wand, gently brush upwards from the bulb to the tail, following your natural growth pattern. Create a defined tail and a 'laminated' or 'fluffy' effect by continuing the upward brush strokes throughout.
Available at Brows by Sarah.
3. Statement Lips
Choose a shade that complements your skin tone. Whether it's a classic crimson, deep burgundy, or vibrant ruby, the bold red lip, paired with subtle eye makeup, becomes the centrepiece of your captivating look, evoking an air of timeless glamour. For those seeking something more modern, with an extra touch of festivity, delve into the allure of shimmery lips.
KIKO | Sparkling Lipstick in Brilliant Brown
KIKO’s standout lipstick offers a unique texture that seamlessly merges the radiance of metallic effects with the depth of intense pearlescence, resulting in a truly enchanting, fairy-tale finish.
Infused with a delightful gingerbread scent, this lipstick indulges the senses.
Available at KIKO.
Emolyne’s | Velvet Lip in Cote d’Ivoire
This velvety lipstick embodies staying power with its highly pigmented, hydrating blend that ensures comfortable wear throughout the day… and all of the night. Glide on smoothly and revel in the vibrant, long-lasting hue that lasts without compromise.
Available at Emolyne.
4. Radiant Cheeks
Embrace the natural flush of excitement of NYE with a blush that complements your skin tone. Opt for rosy pinks, peachy tones, or deeper berry hues to add a hint of color and warmth to your complexion. And don’t forget to unleash the power of highlighter to capture the light and add a luminous sheen to your skin. This glistening touch brings an ethereal radiance, enhancing your features and ensuring you shimmer with elegance throughout the evening.
MAC Cosmetics | Extra Dimension Skinfinish Bizzare Blizzard Bash in Gleamscape
MAC’s exclusive Christmas Highlighter is a radiant essential, boasting a high-shine metallic finish in a stunning new rose-gold hue. This limited-edition gem adds a touch of opulence to your complexion, crafted for sculpting and illuminating.
Available at MAC Cosmetics.
RMS | ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Mai Tai
RMS’s innovative formula delivers buildable, multi-dimensional colour doubling as a radiant highlighter.
Crafted using sugar-derived wet powder technology, its light, creamy texture blends seamlessly for a natural-looking flush.
Available at Space NK.
5. The Finishing Touches
As you put the finishing touches on your New Year's Eve ensemble, consider the subtle yet impactful details that elevate your look to new heights. Extend the radiance beyond your makeup with shimmering accents and glowing touches that amplify your style.
Skeyndor | Skincare Makeup Drops D'Or Instant Shimmering Concentrate
This luxurious formula enriched with golden micro pigments instantly illuminates and soften facial imperfections, leaving a natural, radiant pearly finish.
For an all-over shimmer, blend 2-3 drops with your daily cream or makeup base. To highlight specific areas like cheekbones, nose, Cupid's bow, and chin, apply a few drops and blend gently with fingertips.
Available at Skeyndor.
Palette London | Light & Lustre Glitter Nail Paint
These plastic-free, 100% biodegradable nail polishes are not just great for the planet, but for our NYE look. Enjoy the glossy, long-lasting gel-effect color that dries quickly and removes easily without harming your nails.
Palette London’s formulas are breathable, halal accredited, and designed to strengthen nails while being kind to the environment.
Available at Palette London.