Holiday Inspired Makeup Look: Sarah Claus

The holidays are here and what better way to celebrate them than with the perfect makeup? As Christmas approaches, so does the demand for only the best. When it comes creating any kind of makeup look, especially one that is holiday inspired, you want to produce something that is wearable. Whether the makeup look is subtle or dramatic, you want something that will look good during any occasion. You don't want something extreme, nor do you want something over the top.

Recently, I had the opportunity to create a holiday inspired look using neutral tones and some color. The Sarah Claus makeup look is inspired by a balance of neutral shades blended with minimal bright colors to create an intense excitement, catering to the holiday season. Let's get started!

FACE

Every makeup enthusiast knows that before you apply your foundation, you want to apply your foundation primer. Primer works as a wonderful base that not only works as a sealer, but allows foundation to last longer. You want to begin by applying your foundation primer. For the Sarah Claus makeup look, I am going to use "Dr. Feelgood" by "Benefit Cosmetics." The thing I love most about this product is the fact that it's a very lightweight, natural balm rather than a liquid or cream. You want to let it set for about a minute or so.

Using a foundation brush, you want begin applying your foundation. If you use concealer, you want to apply it as well. I tend to apply my concealer first followed by the foundation. Using a concealer blush, you want apply the concealer. For the concealer, I am going to use "MAC's Select Cover Concealer" in "NC42." Then, using a foundation brush, you want to apply your foundation. Today, I am going to use "Make Up For Ever's HD Invisible Cover Foundation" in "170 Caramel." Remember, you can use any foundation and concealer shade. This is just foundation and concealer that represents my particular skin tone. As you let it your foundation set, using a blending sponge, you want to blend it out. I like to use the Beauty Blender for blending both the concealer and foundation, but any sponge or brush will do.

Finally, you want to apply a finishing powder. For the Sarah Claus makeup look, I am going to use something translucent that has no color, no shimmer, etc. I am going to use "Urban Decay's De-Slick Mattifying Powder." Using a big fluff brush, you want to apply this all over your face.

Because this is a winter makeup look inspired by the holidays, I refrained from using any kind of bronzer or luminizing product. Instead, I went for a dramatic blush that is on a cool red wavelength. For this particular makeup look, you not only want the blush to be cool red, you want it to be matte. For the Sarah Claus makeup look, I decided to go with "Make Up For Ever's Powder Blush" in "Scarlett 99," which is a red matte. You don't need apply a lot, but you want to make sure it is visible.

EYES

The key to creating any makeup look and allowing it to last long is definitely primer. Let's begin the eye part of the Sarah Claus makeup look by priming your eyelid. Although I love using Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion (and I do tend to use this eyeshadow priming product relatively often), I am going to try one that I never tried before. It's called "Perfekt Perfection Gel" in "Awake." Let it set for about a minute or so.

When it comes to this holiday inspired makeup look, you want to choose your eyeshadows wisely. For the Sarah Claus makeup look, you want to use three basic shades. Although one may say it is best to use the darkest shade, the neutral shade (or the shade most used), and of course last, but not least the lightest shade or highlight. I decided I wanted to use a dark brown matte as the main shade (which is notorious for being the neutral shade), a red matte as the supporting shade, and of course a pale gold shimmer as the highlight.

The main shade is the most important. For the main shade, you want to use a dark brown matte. For the Sarah Claus look, I am going to use "Make Up For Ever's Eyeshadow" in "Chocolate Matte 29," which is a dark brown matte. It also has a warm undertone, which is what you want to use when creating this particular look. Using any eyeshadow brush, you want to apply it generously all over the lid, going up a little past the crease.

Although the red matte shade should be visible, it should not overpower the main eyeshadow shade. For the Sarah Claus makeup look, I am going to use "MAC Cosmetics Eyeshadow" in "Passionate". Using a slanted eyeshadow brush, you want to apply the red matte eyeshadow shade on the crease, slightly blending toward the outer corners. You want to stop once you slightly pass the crease. Keep in mind that any eyeshadow will do, as long as it's a red matte. I chose this one by MAC simply because I love the color itself and the color pay off it produces.

When it comes to using a highlighter, for the Sarah Claus makeup look, I went with something that was fairly pigmented, producing a color payoff that is magnificent. Something light, but also something that can be built into an intense, visible color. A pale gold shimmer is what we are aiming for. For the Sarah Claus makeup, I decided to use "MAC Cosmetics Eyeshadow" in "Nylon," which is not only one of my favorite eyeshadow shades, it is perfect for this particular holiday makeup look.

Eyeliner is a beauty essential and allows the makeup look to come together, as it is a necessity that brings any look together. For this particular holiday inspired look, I decided to apply the eyeliner after the eyeshadow simply because I want it to be visible. I decided to use "Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Pencil" in "Zero," which is an intense black. I applied it around my eye, starting at the top and then lining the bottom. Then I applied the eyeliner inside my eye, on the waterline. I also tightlined (which is optional) lining the upper water line. Using a small shader brush, you want to apply a little of the main shade you used, the dark brown matte.

Eyebrows are really important when you create any kind of makeup look, including this one. For the Sarah Claus makeup look, I decided to make the eyebrows somewhat dramatic. Although I love Benefit's Brow Zings, for this particular look, I am going to use a simple retractable eyebrow pencil. I have decided to use "Sephora's Retractable Brow Pencil" in "04 Midnight Brown." I like this pencil because it's waterproof, but also incredibly pigmented and long-lasting.

Mascara primer is completely optional. For this look, I didn't use it. Instead, I went straight to mascara. I decided to go with an intense black mascara shade that has a brush that was modestly big. Although I love using Diorshow and Benefit BadGAL Lash, I went with a different mascara for this look. For the Sarah Claus inspired makeup look, I went with "Illamasqua's Masquara" in "Raven." You want to apply it generously all over the lashes.

LIPS

What would the Sarah Claus inspired makeup look be without the famous red lips. First and foremost, you want begin by lining your lips with a lip liner that represents the color you intend to use on your lips. I decided to go with "Stila's Long Wear Lip Liner" in "Passionate." There are numerous bright red lip liners in the beauty market, so you don't have to use this one. However; for this holiday inspired makeup look, this is what I am using.

Not everyone is content with applying the lip liner first, but that is how I have always done things. Once you have applied the lip liner, you want to apply the lipstick. For the lipstick, you want to use a red that works for you, but also one that is more on a warm wavelength rather than cool wavelength. I decided to use "MAC Cosmetics Lipstick" in "Lady Danger" because it's exactly the shade I was looking for, when I created this holiday inspired makeup look.　

Congratulations, you just created the Sarah Claus makeup look. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday, as I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Happy Holidays!