KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Luminous, lit-from-within skin with a natural satin finish
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Champagne-kissed eyes—Shimmery lids that catch every light
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Statement berry lips—Bold color that won't budge through toasts and kisses
Pop the champagne—2026 is almost here! Whether you're dancing the night away at a glamorous soirée or toasting with your besties at an intimate gathering, your makeup needs to work as hard as you party. This year, we're going all-in on a look that's equal parts sophisticated and show-stopping: think luminous skin, eyes that catch every light, and lips that mean business. We've crafted a step-by-step guide that'll have you looking absolutely chef's kiss from the countdown to the afterparty. Ready to glow into the new year? Let's get gorgeous!
Prep Work: Start Your Makeup Look with the Right Skincare
Here's the tea: great makeup starts with great skin! Think of your skincare routine as the foundation of your foundation (see what we did there?). We're creating the perfect canvas, so don't skip these crucial prep steps—even if you're running fashionably late.
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Cleanse: Start with a gentle facial cleanser to remove any daytime makeup, oil, or impurities. Pat dry with a clean towel—no rubbing!
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Tone: Swipe on a hydrating face toner with a cotton pad or pat it in with your hands. This helps preps your skin for the next steps.
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Moisturize: Apply a lightweight, fast-absorbing hydrating moisturizer. If you're oily, go for a gel moisturizer. Dry skin? Opt for something creamier. Wait 2-3 minutes for full absorption.
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Eye cream: Gently tap eye cream around your orbital bone using your ring finger (it's the gentlest!). This helps prevent concealer from settling into fine lines.
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Lip balm: Slick on a nourishing lip balm now so your lips are perfectly prepped when it's time for lipstick later.
Pro Tip: Do your skincare 10-15 minutes before starting makeup. This gives everything time to sink in and prevents pilling when you apply foundation.
Prime Time: Apply Face Primer
Pump a pea-sized amount of mattifying face primer onto the back of your hand. Using your fingertips, apply it to your entire face, focusing extra attention on your T-zone, around your nose, and anywhere you tend to get oily. Use gentle pressing motions rather than rubbing—this helps the primer grip your skin better. Don't forget to bring it down your neck for a seamless finish!
Wait 60 seconds before moving to foundation to let your facial primer dry down—patience is a virtue, and your makeup will thank you.
Why it matters: Face primer helps create a smooth, even-looking base that helps foundation glide on beautifully and stay put through all your party festivities. Think of it as double-sided tape for your makeup!
Conceal and Correct: Apply Color Corrector and Concealer
Time to brighten and perfect! Apply concealer in an inverted triangle shape under your eyes—the base of the triangle sits right under your eye, and the point extends down toward your cheek. This technique helps lift and brighten the appearance of under-eyes like magic. For blemishes or redness, dab a small amount of green color corrector directly on the spot and tap the edges to blend seamlessly.
Gently blend with a damp makeup sponge using tiny tapping motions. Never drag or swipe! Set your under-eye area with a light dusting of translucent powder using a fluffy brush. This can help prevent creasing throughout the night.
Flawless Base: Apply Foundation
Using a damp beauty sponge or dense foundation brush, apply a hydrating skin tint to the center of your face first—forehead, nose, chin, and cheeks. Then blend outward toward your hairline and jawline using bouncing or stippling motions.
Build coverage gradually! Start with a thin layer and add more where needed rather than applying too much at once. Blend, blend, blend into your hairline and jawline so there are no visible lines. A common mistake? Over-applying foundation everywhere when you really only need extra coverage in specific spots.
Application Tip: For extra dewiness, mix a drop of a dewy complexion booster into your foundation before applying. Your skin will look like you're lit from within!
Sculpt and Define: Apply Contour and Bronzer
Let's give your face some gorgeous dimension! Using a contour makeup brush, apply liquid contour in the hollows of your cheeks (suck in your cheeks to find them), along your hairline, down the sides of your nose, and along your jawline.
Blend everything seamlessly using circular motions—there should be no harsh lines, just subtle definition. Build the intensity gradually.
Sweep powder bronzer across areas where the sun naturally hits: the high points of your cheeks, across your nose bridge, and on your forehead near your hairline. This helps add warmth to your complexion.
Add Color and Glow: Apply Blush and Highlight
Smile at yourself in the mirror (you're about to look amazing!) and apply a cheek stain to the apples of your cheeks, blending back toward your temples with a blush tint blending brush. Use a light hand and build up the color—it's easier to add more than to take away.
Now for the fun part: highlighter! Use a highlight wand and apply to the high points of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, on your cupid's bow, and in your inner corners. You can also add a touch to your brow bone. For New Year's Eve, don't be shy—a little extra glow never hurt anyone! Use a fan brush or your fingertip for the most natural application.
Layer your highlighter for extra impact: applying a layer of cream highlighter over liquid products creates a seriously stunning, multi-dimensional glow.