From Christmas sweaters and holiday party dresses to glitter eye shadow and perky red lips, there’s no better time to switch up your style than the end of the year. Whether you’re attending a company party or dragging your feet to an awkward family get-together to ring in New Year’s Eve, you’ll easily be the best dressed girl in the house with the wide array of ravishing looks you get to choose from this season. This style guide will show you how to wrap up the year with a bang in gorgeous gowns and a cheery complexion – and how to carry on your new look into the new year once all the holiday excitement settles down.

Fancy holiday fashion

“Hollywood glamorous” pretty well sums up the flavor of this season’s holiday wardrobe. You’ll be the belle of the ball in gowns with a high sheen in Christmas red, emerald green, plum and gold. Many dresses this year advertise less intricacy and focus more on a classic cut and floor-length skirts. If you sway more toward the daring side, then you’ll be stunning in a sleeveless dress with wide straps and a deep V-neck plunge. But if you’re looking for something a little less drafty, try a shimmering top with soft ruffles around the neckline, and pair it with a fitted, knee-length black skirt.

Revamping the holiday sweater

Wearing the sweater your aunt made for you 15 years ago to a family gathering may seem like a cliché that’s as worn out as the garment itself, but for some women, it’s a reality every Christmas if they neglect to hit the mall in search of a refreshing replacement. Put your more fashionable foot forward this winter in sweaters inspired by scenes from villages in the Swiss Alps. Skiing-style sweaters with short turtlenecks and a print extending from the shoulders to the bust line play up your feminine features, while wide-neck sweaters with depictions of Arctic animals are a welcome switch from that Christmas tree knit. These are appropriate to wear for work as well as to a casual holiday party.

Decorate your skin

Some women get so wrapped up with buying a new holiday outfit or winter wardrobe that they neglect to freshen up what goes on their faces. After all, you can’t change up your outfits without adding a little extra pizzazz to your makeup as well. Choose from two extremes when painting on your eyes, and keep a low profile with your cheeks to play up that “just in from the cold” look.

• Eye shadow: Need a new color for the office? Take a break from your ordinary neutral shades, and put some sparkle in your eyes with bronze or gold shadows, like those in the Cargo Essential Eye Shadow Palette. But if you need something with a little more contrast for your holiday get-together, brush on a dark navy or a sultry charcoal for smoky eyes using shades like the ones in the Philosophy Supernatural Eye Palettes in Smoke and Mirrors. If you’re in the mood for accessorizing, purchase an eye shadow with glitter in it, or add a stripe of glittery eye liner to your upper and lower lids with a product like Stila Glitter Eye Liner in Kitten.
• Lips: Lips as red as holly berries are back with a vengeance. But then, so is puckering up with a red-orange or magenta kisser. Have fun with bold lips this season by picking electric hues in rosy red, reddish-orange, hot pink or even deep purple. Try lipsticks with a high gloss, like the Philosophy Supernatural Superglossy in Smell the Roses.
• Cheeks: Leave rosy red cheeks to Jolly Old St. Nicholas, and stick to a neutral or flushed look. Baby pink or peachy-keen blush provides a smooth transition between flashy eyelids and flamboyant lips. Use a shade like Colorescience in Blushing Bride.

Frost your hair

Winter frizzies aren’t the only ones popping out of your hair this season. A trend called “streaking” is a big deal for many women and involves smearing oranges, reds, or pinks into the more visible sections of your hair. But if you’re not too keen on matching the light bulbs on a Christmas tree, there are more traditional options you can try.

• Streaked highlights: There’s no better way to turn heads at the New Year’s Eve party than to show up sporting a hairstyle ornamented in colorful highlights. If you part your hair to the side, ask your stylist to apply a small section of bright color to the top of the parted hair for the best visual effect. But if you’d rather have a few strands of color distributed evenly than a whole chunk in one place, position thin highlights in a set of side bangs or on one side of your hair with the color of your choosing.
• Subtler styles: If you’d rather keep your hair on the down-low while you play up your new outfit, you can carry on the Hollywood feel mentioned earlier by pairing platinum blonde hair and red lipstick. For brunettes, select a navy eye shadow and reddish-orange lipstick for an overall soft look that still has a little punch.

These style combinations will transition effortlessly from New Year’s Eve parties to your back-to-work week in January. If you need to tone down your look for work, leave off the glitter, exchange tinted lip gloss for lipstick and part your hair to the other side to disguise your streaks. You can still wear darker eye shadows, like navy and charcoal, as long as you apply a light shadow all over your lid and pat the color in the corners of your eyelids. Otherwise, stick to the bronze and gold shadows for work and leave your smoky shades for a dazzling night out. Your newly updated sweaters, bright makeup and frosty hair color will all prepare you to usher in the New Year in no time.

___

See also:

Winter’s Hottest Nail Fashions

The Holiday Gift Guide for Her

Holiday Giving on a Budget: Beauty Gifts for Under $50