Top 5 Christmas Hair and Make-up Looks for 2020

2020 has been a tough year for us all, it has seen us have to make sacrifices and adapt to a new ‘normal’. With so many counties now in lockdown it seems a whole lot more sacrifices need to be made. However desperate the situation seems right now I’m determined to enjoy the Christmas festivities! And for me this is fully embracing a glamorous red lipstick and the smokiest of smokey eye make-ups! Now if it means being all glammed up at home with a glass of bubbles over a FaceTime call to my bestie, so be it! It is the party season and I am ready!

So with that, let’s get into my top 5 Christmas hair and make-up looks - yayy!

LOOK ONE - RACHEL

I started my Christmas look book off with a classic eyeshadow design, using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette. I absolutely love this palette because it is so versatile and the range of colours means I can create endless eyeshadow looks. For this particular look I opted for beautiful berry-red shades paired with a dark espresso brown to smoke the outer corner of the eye. I finished with a classic winged liner using the Guerlain Eyeliner in Noir Ebene. I also added Eylure individual eyelashes to the outer corner of my eye to further accentuate an almond shaped eye - which I find so flattering.

I kept the skin glowy and flawless using one of my all time favourite - YveSaintLaurent’s Touché Éclat Foundation. It is full coverage and creates an illuminating finish as it is infused with the light of their iconic touché éclat for a radiant complexion. I cannot rave about this foundation enough! I sculpted my face using Bobbi Brown’s Bronzing Powder in the shade ‘Medium’. What I love about Bobbi Brown skin products is that the tones are so natural. When choosing a bronzer shade you want to think about how you would naturally tan. What tones do you have within your skin? Do you have more golden tones or red? For my lips I kept with the berry tones and opted for a By Terry gloss in the shade ‘Bitten Splash’.

For my hair I added in a set of clip in hair extensions, parted my hair to the side and curled with my Babylis Pro curling wand - when curling the hair always make sure you curl away from the face. I then slicked down one side using a matte styling paste and clipped in my Astrid and Miyu hair clip - which I absolutely adore! My modern take on a classic old Hollywood wave.

And yes! This was me singing Mariah’s ‘All I want for Christmas’

LOOK TWO - KHLOE

Look two was completely inspired by a look I had seen Khloe Kardashian rocking! Wether you’re a fan of the Kardashians or not, they have such a strong beauty squad full of talented artists, I can’t help but admire their work! My favourite part of this look has to be the hair! I used two sets of clip extensions to get the much needed volume! I also spent 1.5hrs curling small sections of the hair with my GHD classic curl curling wand. By the time I was finished I felt like I could take on the world!

The make-up was all about the glow! I made sure my skin was prepped well with Neal’s Yard Remedies 24 hour Frankincense Hydrating Cream. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again - look after your skin and your skin will look after you! I can’t emphasise this point enough! Glowy, flawless skin always starts with your skincare. For the eyes I opted for neutral browns in the crease and smoked out the outer corner with an espresso brown. To deepen the eyes I used a black kohl liner in my water line. I tried a few nude lip shades before I settled on ‘Fleshpot’ lipstick and ‘spice’ liner both by Mac Cosmetics. I posted a picture on my instagram and I had so many messages asking what shade lipstick I was wearing - so here you are!

LOOK THREE - STEPHANIE

Cue Stephanie - my alter ego. She is fierce, she is strong and she is one confident woman! I absolutely loved EVERYTHING about creating this look! It encompasses what CLJ London represents - feeling confident in your own skin. This is a look I will definitely be recreating when the world opens back up and I can once again sip on an espresso martini cocktail at a roof top bar.

So what did I do and how did I create it? First, I created a beautiful flawless base with my trusted Touché Éclat foundation, I also contoured my face using Make-up Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer. If you haven’t tried this secret gem of a product yet, let me encourage you! They are an absolute steal at only £3.99!

The eyes for me were the most fun to do, as I created a cut crease. - A trend which I absolute love! However perfecting it has taken some time. In this job you never stop learning and I embrace pushing my abilities and challenging my skills by trying different techniques. Trends come and go and techniques are ever evolving, so to master this one felt super empowering and I loved ever minute! Not to mention finishing it off with Mac’s iconic ‘Ruby Woo’ red lipstick - what a combo!!

For the hair I opted for a low bun with a centre parting. - Which I think further added to the boldness of this look. I backcombed the crown of my hair to add volume and shape. Such a simple, quick hairstyle and yet so glamorous when paired with the red lip - this wouldn’t be a Christmas look book without a red lipstick now would it?!

LOOK FOUR - SAMANTHA

Now there are various ways you can create a smokey eye, for this look I decided to smoke black across the whole of the eyelid. For a really quick application, try using a kohl black eyeliner across the lid and a smudge brush to blend it out. To make the blend more seamless use a skin toned eyeshadow in the crease to transition - make sure you don’t go too high with the black! To avoid creasing and the kohl liner slipping as it warms on the skin set with a black eyeshadow.

Waves are my usual go-to when it comes to feeling ‘glam’. But let me tell you! Straight hair can feel just as glam - cue more hair extensions for volume and length! I also added backcomb to the crown of my hair for volume too.

LOOK FIVE - DARCY

My fifth and final look - Darcy! Another favourite of mine. I wanted to try something a little different here, so I actually tried coloured contact lenses. I was really keen to see how blue eyes would look - however the lenses I tried only intensified my own natural eye colour - which is hazel. Black is the most complimentary colour to make a hazel eye colour pop. So, true to form we have another smokey eye! Now in my thirties I have noticed the shape of my eyes have begun to change, so I love to create lift! I have found an almond shape is the best way to do that. I focused all of the ‘drama’ to the outer corners, keeping the inner corer of the lid quite light. Using a liquid liner I created a wing and lined the top and bottom water line with kohl black liner. I also added half lashes which I now prefer to a full lash.

So there you have it! My 2020 Christmas Look Book! I hope you enjoyed the looks as much as I have enjoyed creating them. I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all my amazing clients. It has been heartbreaking to see you needing to postpone your specials days and events. However, if 2020 has taught me anything, it’s to appreciate the here and now. I feel so grateful to have a job I truly adore and when the government restrictions allow, I’ll be right back with you, showing you just how beautiful you all are!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Much Love,

CLJ x