I don’t know about you, but my calendar is currently packed to the gills with holiday invites. I’m talking parties, dinners, the occasional gala (flex), all while simultaneously trying to, you know, do my job and maintain an apartment that doesn’t look like a tornado just flew through it, Wicked-style. That means I need my holiday makeup looks to feel high-impact but not take me an hour of painstaking application. Don’t get me wrong, I love carefully crafting a smokey eye with all the brushes in my toolkit, but by the time we reach mid-November (aka, right now) my glam routine gets majorly streamlined thanks to the best glitter eyeliners in my collection.
You may hear “glitter” and instantly feel like the vibe is a bit too much, but trust me on this—a creamy, shimmery eye pencil that you can just swipe over your eyelid is going to become your new best beauty friend. I love to use two colors, one for the lash line and one for the inner corners, to light up my eyes and keep the look feeling elevated and like I didn’t just apply my products five minutes before running out the door. So, if you’re in a similar boat and want your holiday makeup to work harder for you so you don’t have to, keep scrolling for my favorite glitter eyeliner combos to wear during the most festive time of year.
Pretty in Purple
This one is for my hazel eye girlies. A soft purplish mauve is the ideal shade to help that green tone pop. It’s also a refreshing take on the classic soft glam smokey eye.
No matter how much dancing, sweating, or glass upon glass of champagne you enjoy wearing this shadow stick, it will not budge, and the gorgeous soft mauve tone is just incredible.
I add a pop of this rich champagne color to my inner eyes and in the center of my lid to catch the light and tie the whole look together.
Green with Envy
Now is the ideal time to play with emerald green tones in your makeup, and a shimmery liner is the perfect place to start. It’s moody, ridiculously cool, and complements any eye color or skin tone.
This tiny pencil offers insane color payoff, and the double-ended smudger helps you achieve that rock ‘n roll, grungy, lived-in effect for your next holiday party.
Green and gold are a flawless color combo. I like to add a subtle flick around my upper and lower inner eye corners to finish out the look.
Slay Me Silver
‘Tis the season to bring the sparkle in full force. Why not embrace a dash of silver glitter along your lash line to celebrate the holidays in style?
Truthfully, I go all out with this formula by swiping it across my entire lid, rather than just along my lashes. The holographic effect is truly so pretty, as long as you have the right primer to hold it in place all night. Go big or go home, right?
To finish off the mega-watt look, I’ll add a wing of lighter silver sparkle to lift and highlight the eyes even further.
Gilded Gold
My darlings, you deserve a touch of gold in your life, especially when it comes to your eye makeup. A glittering gilded pencil is just what you need to create a gorgeous glam moment in a flash.
I am ridiculously obsessed with these new dual-ended color sticks from Danessa Myricks. They’re heavily pigmented, glide on like butter, and they come in 10 different color combos. My favorite of the bunch is this dark chocolate (the color of 2025) and gold foil duo.
This dazzling formula has been a staple in my beauty bag for years because it does not budge and the subtle sparkle feels so luxe. It never fails to bring in the compliments.
Cool Girl Copper
Metallic tones are always a good idea when it comes to eye makeup but they’re particularly pretty during the holiday season. Don’t be afraid to lean into the reddish undertones here—it’s a statement look that is shockingly wearable, I promise.
This duo of russet red and metallic copper is absolutely stunning on any eye color. I like to smudge the reddish shade over the lid and then add the copper in the middle to really catch the light.
Makeup artist Violette knows a thing or two about creating a dramatic eye look. Case in point? Her long-lasting liquid eyeliners. This twinkling copper shade is heavenly.
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