18 Holiday Beauty Hacks Every Lazy Girl Needs

(Image credit: Pintrest)

published 16 December 2015

If you're reading this, you either (1) don't know how to wear makeup or (2) are too lazy to care, but either way, you still want to look extra special for your upcoming holiday party. These super-easy tips will have you looking sparkly, and feeling festive and holiday-ready in literally no time.

1. For a super-simple smoky eye that takes two seconds, close your eye and run a pointed shadow brush with shimmer shadow over both your top and bottom lash lines simultaneously. Open your eye and lightly blend the edges with the brush.

2. Use an illuminator as an eye shadow and as a highlighter for your cheekbones. Shimmery shadow can also work well as a highlighter if you don't own actual highlighter. It easily gives you a beautiful holiday glow.

3. Mess up your mascara on purpose. Quickly apply your mascara to smudge a little along your lash line. Instead of removing the excess formula, use it to your advantage by gently blending it in with your finger for a simple, subtle, smoky effect.

4. Add glitter liner on top of your normal eyeliner to make your everyday look a little more festive.

5. To make your eyes appear more open, swipe some blush across your eyelids and brow bones. (Apply the blush to the apples of your cheeks too.)

6. To create a speedy smoky eye, dip your finger in a cream eye shadow and wipe it across your eyelid and right under your bottom lashes. A creamy eye shadow, like this one from Wander Beauty, is the perfect solution for the girl who has no idea how to apply a smoky eye. Simply swipe it over your eyelid, blend it in with your finger, and you're set.

7. Tight-line your eyeliner to make your eyelashes appear fuller without looking like you're wearing a lot of makeup. Using your eyeliner of choice, look slightly upward and draw the liner in between your lashes rather than on top of your lash line. This will make the roots of your lashes appear naturally fuller.

8. Use the same eye shadow as brow powder, eye shadow, and eyeliner. No need to splurge on a bunch of eye products. Just use different brushes, like these from Royal & Langnickel, and different techniques to achieve the same effect. Use an angled brush and light strokes to define your brows, and then use the same shadow and a fluffy eye shadow brush to blend the shade into the crease and outside corner of your eye. Finish by dipping a damp liner brush in the shadow to line your top and bottom lash lines.

9. Use any kind of straight edge to easily create a cat-eye with liquid liner. A piece of Scotch tape, the side of a business card, or an eyeliner with a built-in stencil, like this one from Able, are genius tools for creating the perfect flick on the first try. Just angle the edge under your lower lash line and then trace the liner on top.

10. Use bronzer to warm your cheekbones, and put it on your eyelids for a terra-cotta look. You might not think to use bronzer in the winter, but the holidays are a great opportunity to get some extra use out of your matte bronze formula by using it as eye shadow too.

11. Skip eye makeup altogether and swipe on a bold lip color instead. You'll be amazed at how this simple trick will instantly make you look like you actually put makeup on the rest of your face (even though you didn't).

12. Apply a deep lip color on the outside corners of your lips and a lighter, brighter shade in the center to make your lips appear bigger. Blend the two shades together with your finger so the colors seamlessly fade into each other. It's the perfect holiday lip look.

13. Make your lipstick double as blush by swiping it along your cheekbones and blending it in with your fingertips.

14. Easily determine where exactly you should highlight and contour by holding a phone light right above your face.

15. Use a cotton swab as a tool for applying glitter nail polish. Glitter polish can be tricky to paint on with the given bottle brush, which oftentimes swipes the glitter specks away instead of keeping them in place. To load up on glitter, use a cotton swab to dab the exact amount of glitter right where you want it.

16. Instead of spending your money on hair accessories, decorate your braid or updo with jewelry you already have. Slide a holiday ring like this one that looks like reindeer antlers from Awoke Vintage on the end of your braid and secure it with a bobby pin to make your braid extra festive.

17. Wrap the ends of your ponytail around a curling wand to easily curl your hair in less than two minutes. Put your hair in a loose ponytail on top of your head and split the tail in half. Wrap each section around the wand and then remove the hair tie to reveal your curls.

18. Recreate the Kim Kardashian wedding hairstyle by tying your front section of hair in a hidden ponytail underneath the hair in the back of your head. To easily achieve this hairstyle, create a sleek, smooth middle part at the front of your head that goes back 3–4 inches, then tease the rest of your hair at the crown of your head. Pull back the hair on either side of the middle part and secure it at the nape of your neck with a small clear hair tie. Cover the ponytail with the rest of your hair. This will ensure your hair will stay tucked behind your ears all night long.