37 Cool Holiday Makeup Looks for 2023

There is much to consider during the holiday season, but figuring out those holiday makeup looks has to be our fave. Sure, gifting your loved ones is great, but there is something about planning a beat that truly brings us joy.

It can, however, be a challenge to figure out. Do you go all-out with a super creative look to flex your major makeup skills? Is it best to be low-key and stick to no-makeup-makeup for that sit-down dinner. Or is the answer somewhere in between?

Whatever you intend to create, we’ve got you. We found 37 makeup looks to inspire you, whether you’re headed to an office holiday party or a gift swap at home with family and friends. No matter what your skin tone, skill level, or vibe, there’s something here to get you feeling festive, all made using some of our favorite Milk Makeup products.

1. Smoky Purple Shadow

Bring the good kind of drama to the next holiday party with a purple eyeshadow moment like this one by@sweet_savagemua88. The dimensional, smoky under-eye liner—finished with a touch of Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Limitless—dials up the glamour even more. With a look this bold and memorable, you’ll want to be sure it stays place all night. Use ourPore Eclipse Matte Setting Sprayto lock in your makeup for up to 16 hours with a soft matte finish.

Model wears colorful eye makeup with colorful eyelashes for holiday makeup inspiration

2. Smoky Eye Remix

Editorial Manager Jihan Forbes is here with a reminder that a simplesmoky eyeis a classic for a reason. Hers comes with a twist—instead of the standard black, she went with a navy blue hue, buffing and blending a matte cream shadow on her lids and into her crease. She finished her eyes with Infinity in Outer space and a few coats of KUSH Mascara, taking her eye look to the next level.

Her soft matte complexion comes courtesy of Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer, which locks makeup in place and helps you stay matte—whether you’re heading out for a night of dancing or a fancy holiday dinner.

For a look like this, you want to make sure those under eyes are on point. Conceal the area with Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer, which leaves a natural, crease-proof finish to set off the sultry, smoky vibe. Finish with Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray to blur pores and keep shine to a minimum.

Model wears navy blue smoky eye makeup and glossy lips for holiday makeup inspiration.

3. Sugar Plum Fairy

@themakeuparchivesreminds you that a soft and dreamy holiday glam is always a slay. This look is equal parts romantic and festive, evoking the Sugar Plum Fairy makeup look that’s trending all over social media right now.

Complement your a shimmery, multi-dimensional eyeshadow with a dusty rose color on your lips and cheeks with our Lip + Cheek in Werk. Seal in the look with ourHydro Grip Set + Refresh Sprayto keep your makeup locked with a dewy finish up to 12 hours.

Model wears dusty rose and purple eye makeup for holiday makeup inspiration

4. Purple + Green Shimmer

By now it should be clear—we love colorful makeup for the holidays. Here,@eyesbybriteams a soft, shimmery green eyeshadow with a sparkly purple shadow run over the lower lash line for a combo that’ll make you do a double take.

But it’s also the dimensional complexion for us! Work your contouring magic with ourSculpt StickandHighlighterfor to add definition and glow to your cheekbones, as Bri did here. Finish your look with Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray to keep your masterpiece locked in for up to 12 hours.

Model wears green and purple shimmery eyeshadow for holiday makeup inspiration

5. Turquoise Liner + Neon Lashes

What’s better than a cat-eye? One that comes in color.@miakamauused a turquoise hue to create a dramatic wing. If you want to play with color, but don’t necessarily want a blue this bright, grab Infinity Eyeliner in Time. Its deep blue shade has just a touch of a metallic finish that will further elevate the look. Add even more drama with a contrasting colored mascara to really set it off.

Don’t forget to add a little warmth—Mia used Bionic Bronzer in Shapeshift to bring a dewy, sunkissed quality to the look.

6. Multi-Tonal Purple Sparkle

This makeup from@malsoariescombines several elements we love in a holiday look: glossy lips, shimmering, smoked-out shadow, and beautifully bronzed skin. Once you’ve buffed and blended your matte and shimmer purple shadows to your liking, don’t even think about skipping eyeliner. Malcolm used Infinity in Outer Space for this look.

As for the rest of his face, Matte Bronzer works with the blush, concealer, and powder to create a warm, even base. Tie it all together with a few swipes of Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss in Voyage for a look that says your presence is a present.

Model wears jewel-toned purple duochrome eye makeup for holiday makeup inspiration

7. Neutral + Lit From Within

Elevated, neutral makeup goes with everything and this look from@jessicagrantmakeuphas a lit-from-within quality that lets you glow brighter than a string of holiday lights. Make sure you’re starting off with a primer that’ll really make your skin shine—Hydro Grip Primer gives skin a hydrated, dewy base whilekeeping that makeup from melting off. Once your complexion and eye makeup are done, be sure to bring a radiant glow to your face with our Highlighter in Flash, a golden bronze. Line your lips with a mid-tone brown and fill them in with a pinky nude to finish.

Stunning brown-skinned model wears neutral soft glam makeup for holiday makeup inspiration

8. Soft Glam Cut Crease

If soft glam is more your speed, allow us to introduce you to@makeupvoidd’s breathtaking holiday makeup. We love the cut-crease, done in a warm brown tone that brings out those gorgeously deep-set eyes.

Make sure your base has depth for this one—Jacques used ourSculpt Stick in Sizzleto create that knife-sharp contour to complement the dewy skin, cut-crease eyeshadow, and glossy lip. Our favorite part? The brows. UseKUSH Brow Shadow Stickto get a full, fluffy look like this with staying powder. The waterproof formula stays put up to 12 hours.

Model wears graphic smoky eye makeup for holiday makeup inspiration

9. Neutral Beige Eyeshadow + Eyeliner

Again—neutral makeup? A serve every time, especially when it’s elevated like this. @jadeywadey180 used pale beiges on her lids and a cool light brown in the crease to define her eyes. Our favorite part is the blended out wing, which is both soft and sharp at the same time. A light pink shimmer blush like our Lip + Cheek in Dash perfectly complements the eyeshadow here.

Model wears neutral smoky cat-eye makeup for holiday makeup inspiration

10. Neutral Glam

If you want to go a little glam, but don’t want to be too on-the-nose for holiday, get inspired by this neutral look from @beautyalyssarose. It works for a number of occasions, and can be modified to suit your skin tone. A look like this is bound to stay on all night if you use our fan-favorite Hydro Grip Primer, which locks in makeup for up to 12 hours. We love the matte eyeshadow here, but if you’re in the mood for something shimmery, modify this look with our Color Chalk in Freeze, a silver hue that’s just perfect for the season.

Portrait of a blonde woman wearing a neutral glam holiday makeup look

11. Golden lids + red all over

@bfx_nic delivers a super festive beat with shades of glimmering gold, red blush, and a red lip to match. Sub in our Bionic Blush in Fly or Lip + Cheek in Flip to create that draped blush moment he’s working here. Don’t forget to set your face with our Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray.

Portrait of a bearded man wearing gold and red holiday makeup

12. Winter Blues

Beauty, fashion, and lifestyle creator @mirandablake41 created this wintry look on a client with minty blue matte shadow bordered by a dusting of white. “I wanted it to look like a snowflake burst on her eyes,” she says. Mission: accomplished. A black wing, smudged out but still sharp, ties the entire look together. She anchored this makeup with our Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer and sealed it all in with our Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray

Portrait of a woman wearing blue and white eyeshadow as part of a holiday makeup look

13. Candy Lips

@alexianemakeup let the lips do the (figurative) talking in this look. She applied a wash of shimmery color to her model’s lids, lined her lips in a pinky-plummy hue, then filled them in with some of our Electric Glossy Lip Plumper. She swiped on a little bit of our Lip + Cheek in Werk onto her cheeks to add a subtle flush, tying it all together.

Photo by @lucile_leber

Portrait of a woman with glossy pink lips part of a holiday makeup look

14. Matte + Shimmer

@Flairnacier demonstrates how you can still shine with a matte base. Using our Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer, he uses touches of highlighter and a glossy lip to bring some dimension to this overall look. Our favorite part? The classic dark brown liner and clear glossy lip, which can be achieved with our Electric Glossy Lip Plumper.

Portrait of a person with neutral matte makeup and long black hair as part of a holiday makeup look

15. Thin White Liner

@bribri.tx drew inspiration from Ariana Grande in “Rain on Me” for this look, which during the holidays, has us feeling a bit more like “Snow on Me.” Our Vegan Milk Moisturizer, KUSH Mascara, and Highlighter in Lit helped her complete the beat.

Portrait of a woman with white graphic eyeliner as part of a holiday makeup look

16. Jewel Tone Shadow

Rich jewel tones for the holidays? Yes please. @baresimplicity created this ultra glam eye moment with hues of shimmering teal and purple, intensified by a sharp, black, dramatic wing. Speaking of drama—to blend her lashes in with her falsies, she used our KUSH Mascara, which adds volume to give you lashes that look thicker and fuller.

Portrait of a woman with jewel toned teal and purple makeup as part of a holiday makeup look.

17. Pink Shadow

Who says pink isn’t for the holidays? @sarahelizabethface combined our Color Chalks in Bounce and Skip It to her lids to create this deliciously shimmery look that’s party-ready.

Portrait of a woman with pink eye shadow against a white background as part of a holiday makeup look inspiration

18. Red Wings

The only Red Wings we’re thinking about this holiday season come from this look, done by @makeupby4our. One of her musts? “A great eyeshadow base like the Hydro Grip Eye Primer,” she says. With this in her corner, she knows she’s getting a “long lasting and bulletproof finish on the eyes.” Bionic Glow in Virtual gives her clients’ skin a natural, dewy finish.

Portrait of a person a woman with red winged eye shadow to use as holiday makeup inspiration

19. Neutral Matte

@itskaijasmine serves another neutral matte look that works for any holiday event. Dinner with the family? Yes. Office holiday party? That too. Holiday homie meetup? You know it. Though the base looks matte, she was sure to use moisturizing products—our Vegan Milk Moisturizer and Hydro Grip Primer particularly—to prep first. “I focus on hydration to achieve a flawless base,” she says. “The key to a perfect holiday look is perfecting your base routine.”

Portrait of a woman with an Afro wearing neutral matte makeup holiday makeup inspiration

20. Graphic Eyeliner

The easiest way to pull off a super cool holiday look is to grab our Infinity Liner and get to drawing. Here, Milk’s Retail Admin Coordinator Stephanie Vitello started with our Hydro Grip Eye Primer, then drew a simple black wing. Next, she followed the upper contour of her eyes to draw another line. Then voilà—with just a few flicks of the wrist, she created an eye look that’s elevated and modern. Vitello finished by applying some of our KUSH Lash Primer and RISE Mascara.

Portrait of a woman wearing graphic eyeliner to use for holiday makeup inspiration

21. Soft Glam

This soft glam look goes hard for the holidays. Makeup artist @manelmua created this look on a model, focusing on warm, glowing skin, well-groomed brows, and a set of lashes that look so fluttery, they might take flight.

To achieve this look, blush and bronzer will be your BFFs. Mix them both, to create what Manel calls a “magnificent result.” Here, she used our Matte Bronzer in Blaze and Lip + Cheek in Quirk together. “The stick format is super practical for small areas,” she says.

Portrait of a woman wearing soft glam makeup to use for holiday makeup inspiration

22. Bold Blue Shadow

We love some monochromatic makeup and this all-blue look from Grace of @pointless.makeup checks all the boxes. It’s bold, it makes a statement, and it gives a festive vibe without reading too holiday. After laying down a base of matte blue shadow, Grace added a touch of shimmer by swiping on some of our Color Chalk in Yo-Yo at the center of her lid. Her tip for nailing this look? “Use a liner darker than the shadow so it stands out more,” she says. Grab our Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in Time, a deep shimmery navy blue. Since the eyes are the focus here, finish the look off with a neutral lip color that suits your skin tone.

Portrait of a woman with bold blue makeup to use for holiday makeup inspiration

23. Rhinestone Eyes

The power of a little bling: It can transform an otherwise neutral look into something more festive. Case in point: this beat by @danielacorona. Over the blended-out matte shadow, she added a dusting of rhinestones to her lids, instantly making this look fit for a fete.

Portrait of a woman with brown eyeshadow and rhinestones to use for holiday makeup inspiration

24. Gold + Berry Brown

Also going for gold? @Carebycarolyn, whose golden lids are beautifully complemented by a berry-brown lip. For part of the base, Carolyn used our Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 2C to brighten those under eyes. “You’re losing sleep during the holidays and this concealer is the best way to look bright and well rested,” Carolyn says.

Portrait of a person wearing Gold eyeshadow with brown lipstick for holiday makeup inspiration

25. Clean + Minimal

You don’t have to do the most to make an impact. If your holidays are shaping up to be more low key, your makeup is bound to match. Here, Milk Makeup intern Umi lets her skin take center stage, punctuated by sheer washes of color where it counts. To get a similar look, conceal where you want to with our Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer and brings life to her face with some blush and lip color. Reach for our Lip + Cheek in whichever hue you want, though we suggest our widely-loved Werk or Quirk. Brush up your brows with our KUSH Fiber Brow Gel and you’re ready for an evening in.

Portrait of a woman with no-makeup makeup to use as holiday makeup inspiration

26. Very Cold Girl Makeup

If you really like to be on theme, put a snowflake on it, as @glambycarly did here. This is her take on “I’m Cold” makeup: a gorgeous pink confection that looks almost airbrushed. The ombré pink shadow is combined with a light pink cut crease. Look closely, and you’ll see Carly painted an ombré heart in the corner of her eye. The snowflake painted on her brow has a rhinestone center for some extra bling. Her rosy cheeks come courtesy of our Bionic Blush in Infinity. Our Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 9N is what she used to conceal, while our Bionic Bronzer in Shapeshift brought a little bit of warmth back into her face. To blend her natural lashes in with her falsies, Carly reached for our KUSH Mascara.

Portrait of a woman wearing pink snowflake eye makeup to use as holiday makeup inspiration

27. Ultra Glowing Skin

The glow of holiday lights have nothing on this look by @makeupbyjosephrobertson. This soft glam moment is all about otherworldly radiance. To anchor this brilliant complexion, he started with our Hydro Grip Primer to lock in the makeup and leave a supremely dewy finish.

Portrait of a woman with glowing skin makeup to use as holiday makeup inspiration

28. Blue + Purple Cut Crease

Did we mention we love blue and purple holiday makeup? It’s a little unexpected but the richness of the hues, as you see on @mrkitschy aka Roger, here, put us in the mood for a celebration. Of course, before he put any makeup on, Roger started with our Hydro Grip Primer. “Every face needs a good base,” he says. “I used Hydro Grip to help even out my skin so my foundation and cream/liquid products have a perfect canvas to sit on.” With colors this rich, you definitely want them to stand out, but you want to make sure the overall effect doesn’t overpower your whole face. Roger’s tip? “Don’t be afraid to go back over your face products with leftover foundation or concealer to help tone down too much pigmentation and create a more natural blend,” he says. “The finished result will leave you with a beautiful skin-like finish—the only ‘cake’ we deserve this holiday is some fruit cake!”

Portrait of a person with blue and purple cut crease eye makeup to use as holiday makeup inspiration

29. Dewy Skin

@qorifaces lets her skin shine—quite literally—with this low-key, high-glow moment. This is the ultimate “chillin at home for the holidays” look, because it requires the bare minimum of makeup. Here, she used our Vegan Milk Moisturizer and our Electric Glossy Lip Plumper to give her bare face a little polish. “I personally love looks that only require my fingers, so keeping things soft and minimal is my go-to,” she says.

Portrait of a person with dewy skin and short locs to use as holiday makeup inspiration

30. Little Wing

You can’t go wrong with a classic wing, especially if you want a low-effort makeup look that still feels pulled together. It works for any occasion, and when you do it with our Infinity Liner, you can be sure it won’t budge for up to 12 hours.

Here, Milk Makeup Editorial Intern Brooke Hannel zuzh’s up her simple wing with a wash of our Color Chalk in Dodge Ball on her lids (anchored by our Hydro Grip Eye Primer, naturally). She brought some color to her face with our Bionic Bronzer in Time Travel and some radiance with our Bionic Glow in Virtual.

Portrait of a woman with black winged eyeliner to use as holiday makeup inspiration

31. Green + Brown Shadow

Workplace Experience Manager Joacris Ortiz applied a halo of green around her eyes and we can’t stop thinking about it. This look is easy to achieve with our Color Chalks. Apply Green Light to the inner two thirds of your lids and inner corner, then run it under the inner half of your lower lash line, extending it down just a little bit further than you usually would. On the outer third of your upper lid, buff and blend out a little bit of Double Dutch to smoke out the look.

Portrait of a woman with green and brown eyeshadow to use as holiday makeup inspiration

32. Sleazy Silver Shadow

Indie sleaze is here to stay and if it’s your vibe, bring it to any event this holiday season. Associate Copywriter Robert Quick started with our Hydro Grip Primer and Hydro Grip Eye Primer to set a base for this silvery creation. He blended our Color Chalk in Freeze on the inner third of his upper lid, into the corners, and down into his under eyes. KUSH Mascara, Kush Clear Brow Gel, and a spritz of our Hydro Grip Setting Spray finish up the look.

Portrait of a man with silver eye makeup to use as holiday makeup inspiration

33. Waterline Color

Just a little touch of color in the waterline is all you need to spice up an otherwise neutral holiday makeup look. Just be sure you take a cue from @heyyyitsmimi, who started with our Hydro Grip Primer, to keep your makeup in place and looking radiant for up to 12 hours. Look closely and you can see the festive bit of green liner placed at her waterline. It’s a subtle way to celebrate the season.

Portrait of a woman with neutral eyeshadow and green liner in her waterline as part of holiday makeup inspiration

34. Natural Glow

No-makeup makeup works for pretty much any situation, and this look from @__blue.roses is proof. It’s also easy and low-maintenance AF. She used ourFuture Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 160 to even out her complexion. Finish the look by grooming your brows with our KUSH Clear Brow Gel and our Lip + Cheek.

Portrait of a woman with no makeup makeup and glowing skin as part of holiday makeup inspiration

35. Simple Green Shimmer

Like we said, we love a low-effort holiday makeup look and this one, done by our intern Sylvie, is pretty straightforward. When you’re done perfecting your base to your liking, swipe a little bit of our Color Chalk in Green Light on the inner third of your lids. You can be as subtle or bold with the color as you like. Finish the eyes with some brow gel, Infinity liner, and RISE Mascara.

Portrait of a woman with shimmer green eyeshadow as part of holiday makeup inspiration

36. Green Winged Liner

Did we mention that our Color Chalk is super versatile? Here, Milk Makeup Creative Director Stefani Rey uses Green Light to create a simple wing. She ran just a little bit just at her lower lash line, too. She finished with a bit of our Infinity Liner at her waterline.

Portrait of a woman with green winged eyeliner as part of holiday makeup inspiration

37. Subtle Smoky Eyes

Editorial Creative Director Lindsay Schallon created the most subtle smoky eye ever. On her lids, she buffed a bit of our Color Chalk in Trampoline, then went into her waterline with a little bit of bronze liner before treating her lashes to some KUSH Mascara. To conceal, she used our Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer in 8C. A few spritzes of Hydro Grip Set + Refresh spray locked in the look.