It’s amazing how just a few tweaks and several additional products can transform our makeup from a daytime look to a more glamorous Holiday look. And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing today using only drugstore makeup.

Going from a Day to Holiday Look with Eye Makeup

One of the many fun things about the Holiday Season is the chance to add a touch of glamour to our normal makeup look. So, as you’ll see in the video, I’ll transform my daytime look into a special Holiday look using wonderfully affordable drugstore makeup.

Let’s start with the eyes. I’ve already filled in my eyebrows, applied eye primer and created a neutral, daytime eye look. I used my Juvia’s Place Warrior II eyeshadow palette to create my daytime look and I’m going to bump it up a bit by using an eyeshadow palette that may surprise you.

It’s a palette from Colourpop called Lush Life. This is a gorgeous palette both inside and outside. I’m going to start off with the color “Eco” in the crease area, then add a bit of the mid-tone green metallic called “Juicy” in the outer lid and crease area and then use the deepest green called “On The Prowl” in the same outer lid and crease area.

And then on the inner and middle part of the lid I’m going to take the lightest color (called “High Season”) from another Coloupop eyeshadow palette, the Cabana Club. I’ll also add a touch of the color called “Cha, Cha, Cha” from the Cabana Club palette to the middle of the crease and then blend it in well.

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For eyeliner, I’m combining the deep green “On the Prowl” with the gorgeous deep blue from the Cabana Club palette called “Pool Party.” For eyeliner below the eye, I’m going to combine a light touch of both of these colors just to the outer one third of my bottom lid. Then I’m going to go ahead and add another coat of mascara.

Correcting and Concealing with Concealer

Next, to camouflage the dark circles under my eyes, I’m going to apply Elf’s Hydrating Camo Concealer in “Light Peach” to color correct. Then I’ll gently pat the same concealer in the color “Fair Beige” over it to brighten the under eye area.

Adding Some Definition to the Face

I’ve already applied my No. 7 Lift and Luminate foundation which I combined with a little of my L’oreal Age Perfect Serum Foundation to get the right color. And I also used the Elf Hydrating Camo concealer in “Fair Beige” to cover age spots on my face.

Next I’ll add some definition to the face by doing some quick contouring with a deep contour stick color from Wet n Wild called “Where’s Walnut.”  I’ll bring it under the cheekbones, under my jawline and also add just a touch to the middle of my forehead and then I’ll thoroughly blend it into my skin.

To ensure there are no harsh edges, I’ll also use my foundation brush to go over all the edges of the contour I applied.

Adding Color to Give a Lovely Flush

The next step is blush application to create a lovely soft flush. I’m going to mix a tiny bit of the lipstick I’ll be using from Milani called “Violet Volt” (unfortunately, discontinued) with a bit of moisturizer.

I’ve run out of the drugstore moisturizer I’d normally use, which is Rich Moisture Cream from Versed, so I’m adding just a touch of Clinique’s 72 hr. Moisture Surge. The moisturizer not only lightens up the color but also makes the lipstick-used-as-blush far easier to apply.

Adding a Soft Glow

Since we definitely need to add a little glow to this Holiday look, I’ll be using Wet n Wild’s Megaglow Liquid Highlighter called “Hello, Halo.” I like to dot it on with my fingers and then blend it in by pouncing it in with my Real Techniques sponge. This application technique prevents the highlight from disturbing the makeup underneath.

Creating Lovely Lips

Now for the final addition to the look: lipstick. I’m going to apply my “Violet Volt” lipstick from Milani over the lighter lipstick I’m wearing. And to add a little extra holiday glow, I’ll apply a lip gloss from Sephora called Glossed in the shade “Regal” along with a small amount of another shade called “Wild” just in the center of my lips to create an ombre effect.

The Sephora gloss is drugstore priced at $10.00. Just for the fun of it – and to see how it looks—I’ll also add a small amount of the Wet n Wild highlighter I used earlier. I’ll put a small amount on the back of my hand, then I’ll use a lipstick brush to pick it up and apply it to the center of my lips. This creates a lovely glow which attracts light and makes the lips look bigger.

So, with a change of clothes and jewelry, and just a few additional makeup items and tweaks, we’ve gone from a subtle, neutral daytime look to a more glamorous evening look.

If you’re going to a holiday event, do you make any changes to your normal makeup routine? If so, what changes do you like to make? What product or technique do you feel makes the biggest difference in going from a daytime to a special Holiday look?