From festivals to birthdays, the coronavirus pandemic has robbed us of many enjoyable moments in 2020 — and now that includes New Year's Eve.
While we may not be able to party IRL, Zoom has our back. Choosing the perfect outfit might take a backseat, with pajama bottoms triumphing over sequins when catching up with friends and family, but it's the perfect opportunity to experiment with your makeup in a way you wouldn't usually.
Since makeup artists have been forced to use themselves as models this year, it's only right that they inspire our digital party vibes. Photographing everything via Zoom (because you can make an impact and stay safe), we challenged five of Instagram's most creative makeup artists and beauty experts to dream up one seriously impressive look that's guaranteed to earn you all the compliments during your virtual New Year's Eve party this year.
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Emily @emilywoodmakeup
"I'm multifaceted and messy, and I want to create looks that feel authentic and honest. I didn't overthink this look too much but I was feeling chaotic so I whipped up this sludgy, impulsive recipe and went for a balmy, semi-wet, gradient glittered eye. Adding balm or gloss to lids is unpredictable and that’s the best part. It's freeing. The control gets taken away; it's inevitably going to crease and transfer."
Tropic Skin Feast, available at Tropic; Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, available at Ulta Beauty; Glossier Stretch Concealer, available at Glossier; Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Petal Poppin', available at Sephora; Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Sublime Flush, available at Hourglass Cosmetics; Revlon ColorStay Lip Liner in Pink, available at Amazon.
Salwa @urgalsal_
"When you're at home and you do your makeup, it brings it down to the purest form and you can zone out to it; it's like art therapy. When I think of New Year's Eve, I think about fireworks and glitter — they are synonymous with starting the new year. I wanted to honor sparkle and shine with this look. I love color so I wanted to do something bright, and this graphic pink-glitter look is really showgirl."
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Claropsyche Sketch Paint in Pink, available at Claropsyche; Pat McGrath Labs Eyedols Eyeshadow in Purple Rain, available at Pat McGrath Labs; Lemonhead LA Glowjam Cosmic UV Glitter Balm in Hollyweird, available at Lemonhead LA; Bioglitz in Disco Chunk, available at Bioglitz; Sample Beauty Loose Eyeshadow Sparkle Pigment in CandyCane, available at BeautyBay; 3mm Stick On Self Adhesive Diamante Jewel Gems, available at Amazon; Code8 Day To Night Foundation, available at Code 8; NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, available at Nordstrom; Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Strawberry Drip, available at Sephora.
Vanese @vanesedoesmakeup
"At the start of the year, I was more focused on skin care, but now I'm really enjoying makeup. I've loved experimenting and playing around with it and I've learned so many new tips and tricks thanks to Instagram. Plus, it's something fun to do when there isn’t that much to do lately! You have to have some sort of sparkle for a New Year's Eve look. The eyeshadow is a glitter stick, which I'm obsessed with as it's so easy to use. For the eyeliner, I wanted to go for something different and funky, and I was unintentionally inspired by Harley Quinn."
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Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in 145 Warm Olive, available at Ulta Beauty; Glossier Boy Brow in Brown, available at Glossier; WUNDER2 Super-Stay Stick Eyeshadow in Sandstorm available at Amazon; Suva Beauty UV Brights Eyeshadow Palette in Smoosh and Thunder Wear, available at Suva Beauty; The Body Shop Star Stamp Liner, similar item available at Dolls Kill; Maybelline Falsies Lash Lift Mascara, available at Ulta Beauty; L.A. Girl Lipliner Pencil in Maroon, available at L.A. Girl; Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Revolution Lipstick in Medium, available at Charlotte Tilbury; Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer in Toasted, available at Sephora; Makeup Revolution Blusher Reloaded in Baked Peach, available at BeautyBay.
Linasha @linnygd
"I've gone all out with my makeup this year, as the pandemic has been a good opportunity for me to explore and be creative. Even if you're just wearing your look at home or on Zoom, who cares? Rock that! The inspiration is red. It's such a vibrant color; the color of love. But it's the color I'm feeling right now. I'm ready to head into the new year, and I want to be out there. I want to be bold."
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Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, available at Milk Makeup; Deep Red Rhinestones, available at eBay; Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, available at Sephora; Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Concealer, available at Sephora; Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick in Mocha, available at Sephora; Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Daiquiri Dip, available at Sephora; Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Cream in Fruit Snackz, available at Sephora; Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder, available at Sephora.
Natasha @njlooks
"Rainbow colors are my favorite shades to blend. On New Year's Eve, there isn’t a color scheme and you can just do what you want, so I thought I'd dream up something vibrant and top it off with lots of blush. I thought about color theory and which colors would go best together, so my top tip would be to start with the lightest color and make your way to the darkest."
BPerfect X Stacey Marie Carnival XL Pro Palette, available at BPerfect Cosmetics; Morphe X Lisa Frank 35B Artistry Palette, available at Morphe; Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V Eyeshadow Palette: Bronze Seduction, available at Pat McGrath Labs; ColourPop Glitter Gel in Glamrock, available at ColourPop; ColourPop Lippie Pencil in Minute Man, available at ColourPop; WeMakeup Ever Liquid Lipstick in 28 Amiata Aubergine, available at WeMakeup.
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