From hair tinsel to tartan nails, here are eight festive beauty looks to try

It’s party time.

As much as I love to embrace festive dressing, when it comes to beauty, it can be hard to strike the right balance between tizzy and tacky.

I like to be armed at this time of year with three things: the first being a festive manicure that can take me from Christmas through to New Years. Next, a sparkly eyeshadow that makes me feel party-ready in seconds, and third, a hair accessory to disguise my salty, sand-ridden hair.

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More than anything, this time of year is about doing less but still having fun with your look. Goodbye office-ready makeup routines, hello putting on sunscreen and calling it a day. That’s why everything on this list is low-effort (for you, anyway). From plaid manicures to whimsical eye makeup, here are eight fun ideas to try these holidays.

Tartan nails

Plaid is everywhere in fashion at the moment, so why not try it on your fingertips? You could go classic red tartan for Christmas, or embrace the pattern in a colour palette that’s more your style. If you need local nail artist recommendations, we’ve got you covered here.

Image via @hannaguru

Red eyeshadow

You can absolutely pull this off. Grab your red lip liner (maybe not the long-wearing one) and smudge it all over your lid with your finger. Add some gloss and voilà, a beauty moment Lara Violetta would be proud of. If you’re not quite ready to embrace red, try dusting a hot pink powder blush over the lids.

Image via @laravioletta

Hair tinsel

Mikey Maddison’s tinsel-streaked hair in Anora brought this look into the zeitgiest earlier this year, but it couldn’t be more fitting for a NYE party. You can buy heat-resistant tinsel extensions online or, pinch some strands off the tree and secure it to an up-do with bobby pins.

Image via A24

Maximalist makeup

The internet is obsessed with Emily Wood‘s free-spirited makeup style, for good reason. The antithesis to clean-girl beauty, she makes a strong case for putting on your brightest eye shadow with reckless abandon, right up to your eyebrow – extra points if you do it outdoors!

Image via @emilywoodmakeup

Phoebe Philo nails

Your manicurist will hate you for this one but the chic, multicolour effect will be worth it. The trick is to pick the slightly ‘off’ colours – swampy greys, burnt tangerines, maybe throw a pop of metallic in there. Mix colours as well as textures for a truly playful look.

Image via @phoebephilo

Frosted lips

I might not have Isamaya Ffrench’s perfectly pillowy lips but that won’t stop me from applying her shimmery gloss and pretending I do. Unlike the drying, frosted lipsticks of the ’90s, her Metal Lip Balms are sheer and hydrating, priming your pout for a New Year’s kiss.

Image via @isamayabeauty

Glitter eyeliner

One of the best low-effort, high-impact makeup hacks is a glittery liquid eyeshadow. They’re perfect because you can use them as an eyeliner too, if you want something more subtle. My favourite is Violette FR’s Twinkling Yeux Paint, which comes in some gorgeous festive shades like this antique gold. Stila and Half Magic Beauty also have great colours. To make this even more extra, use tiny stick-on face gems over your eyeliner instead!

Image via @violette_fr

Chrome toes

Why stick to red on the tootsies when you could blind someone with shimmer? Metallic silver feels festive but still goes with everything, or if you’re a gold jewellery wearer, opt for a bronze or champagne.

Image via Pinterest

For more festive beauty ideas, try this.