Secrets to make you sparkle
Focus on your skin first and show some confidence, says a makeup artist to the stars
It’s no secret the holidays are often all about sparkle. Especially when it comes to beauty.
Whether you opt for a glistening eye, cheek, lip — or a combination of the three — this holiday season, there’s one element of your seasonal celebration makeup look that’s essential. And it has nothing to do with the products, tools or techniques.
“Having fun and confidence is key,” says Pati Dubroff, a celebrated professional makeup artist who works on many famous faces including those of Hollywood actresses Laura Dern and Margot Robbie.
According to Dubroff, the most important technical consideration when creating a glam holiday look — or really any beauty look — is to focus on the skin before anything else.
“The important part is keeping skin looking healthy and real and then playing up features,” Dubroff says.
That attention to perfecting skin is why Dubroff points to three skin care savers as the top tools in her kit. Rollers, gua sha stones, and face masks are her favourite items.
“I spend a lot of time prepping the skin before a drop of makeup goes on, and it makes a huge difference in the vitality of the skin.
“When the skin looks healthy and alive, any makeup you do will look even better. And it feels so good!”
Speaking from Toronto during a media event in collaboration with Winners, Dubroff moved away from the topic of skin to talk glam makeup trends.
“The Euphoria effect is definitely having a moment,” she says. “Why not try some glitter? Or a bold two-tone eye? Tonal looks are also really pretty, keeping everything in the same colour family with variations of depth and texture.”
For an effortless holiday glam look, Dubroff recommends creating a “natural base” on the eye, and then adding a “dash of sparkle” to the centre of the lid.
“An example is to amp up your everyday smoky eye by adding some glitz. Try a golden fleck on top of your deep brown shadow. Or a silver on top of your basic black smoky eye,” Dubroff says.
“I especially like creamy formulas to keep the glitter in place and add extra glow.”
When discussing holiday glam, the topic regularly turns to the question of adopting a bold lip versus a bold eye. Both are equal opportunity for Dubroff.
“I definitely love a bold eye or a bold lip. I recently gave Laura
Dern a deep rich velvety lipstick for the Venice Film Festival and it just looked so lush,” she explains. “Going strong for eyes can involve bold hues that stand next to each other.”
But, when in doubt — or, when in a rush, as is typically the case during the pre-holiday and holiday seasons — Dubroff says to focus on lipstick.
“You can never go wrong with a bold lip,” she says.
“There are so many variations: true blue-red, deep mahogany, rich bordeaux, or even a velvety russet. It’s great to experiment and explore options.”