5 Ultra-Glam Holiday Makeup Tips From Kendall Jenner’s Makeup Artist

When it comes to holiday makeup, in our opinion, the classic party look is in dire need of an update. You know what I’m talking about—overly shimmery, heavy eye makeup, ruby red lips, etc. While these looks may scream “holiday,” it can feel a little tired after a while.

In an attempt to give holiday makeup a modern, cool girl vibe, some opt for a more ethereal look, while others for something more mysterious and witchy. Still, many wish to channel that old-school holiday glamour with all that glimmer and sparkle, but with a modern twist. But how?

It was clear that this question was best left to a pro, and we just knew Aidan Keogh of Honey Artists would be the perfect artist to lend us some beauty expertise. A go-to for some of today’s runway icons—like Kendall Jenner, Lindsey Wixon, and Jasmine Sanders, to name a few—his work has been featured in some of today’s top fashion and beauty glossies. We asked him for five of his go-to beauty tips for an updated—yet ultra-glam—holiday beauty look, and believe us, they’re anything but subtle. Let the glitter, shimmer, and bronzing commence.

Click through the gallery below to read more about each look, and get ready to channel your inner supermodel whilst hopping from party to party.

The glam glitter lip

For the ultimate holiday party look, Keogh suggests going all out with a glittery pout. “We can thank the mother of makeup, Pat McGrath, for this,” he says. She first brought the glitter lip to light on couture runways and then made it accessible to all with her Lust 004 kit.

So, how does one apply the perfect glitter lip? “Apply a clear balm under wine or burgundy lipstick, then generously press on a loose glitter of your choice,” he says. Sounds easy enough to us.

Keogh also suggests dousing your lids with some sparkle if a glitter lip isn’t for you. We say, why not both? Either way, whether worn on the lips or the eyes, glamorous glitter is the beauty trend of the holiday season.

Unconventional glitter

If you’ve tried the last tip and are looking for something that’s even more statement-making, Keogh suggests trying out an unconventional glitter look. His favorite? A smudged glitter under-eye.

“Instead of opting for glitter lids, give it a twist,” he says. “First, smudge a black kohl liner, such as M.A.C. Technakohl Liner in ‘Graphblack,’ along the bottom lash line, then sweep on a balm over it with a Q-tip, and smudge even more. Lastly, with an angled brush, press on a glitter of your choice over the kohl.” This will give you the sultry, yet ethereal, under-eye glitter look you’ve always wanted.

The gilded goddess eye

Whenever we think of evening makeup, the classic smokey eye is something that always comes to mind. However, Keogh wants you to switch it up this holiday season and try out what he dubs the “gilded goddess eye,” a bronzy take on the typical smokey look he recently did for model Elsa Hosk.

“Opt for warmth,” he says. “I love playing around with rich brown kohls and cream shadows.” He suggests first rimming the eyes with a liner, such as Charlotte Tilbury’s Rock ‘N’ Kohl liner in 'Barbarella Brown,' and blending it out with your ring finger. Next, tap on a shimmering nude cream, such as Charlotte Tilbury’s Eyes To Mesmerise cream eyeshadow in 'Bette,' to complete this gilded look.

The updated smokey eye

If you still can’t let go of the smokey eye (we understand), Keogh wants you to give yours a fresh update. He’s all about adding a pop of color into the mix or giving it a more subtle effect with the use of gray—anything but your typical, ultra dark smokiness.

First, line the eyelid generously with a charcoal pencil, and then blend it upward with a fluffy brush. Next, buff your choice of shade (he suggests teal or blue for a serious burst of color or gray for a more sheer, ethereal effect) over the top with a firm brush to ensure a super-saturated pigment application.

This eye look should be kept the main focus of your beauty look. “The trick to keeping this look modern is to keep the skin hyper fresh—so no full base or foundatio—brush up brows, and opt for a lip balm or tint on the lips only,” he says.

High beam high points

Sure, at this point, we’re all familiar with highlighting, illuminating, and strobing. This holiday season, Keogh is all about an intensified strobing effect that steals the show.

“Don’t walk, run, and get RMS Beauty’s Magic Luminizer,” he says. “Because it’s a cream, its soft particles melt into the skin and add the most radiant high beam highlighting effect.”

How does one highlight like a pro? Keogh first taps the product on the high point of the cheekbone, followed by the Cupid’s bow and just a bit on the bridge of the nose.