My attitude this holiday season? It’s tiiiiime! I’m pulling out all my glitter eyeshadows, metallic lipsticks, and high-shine highlighters to turn my face into a human disco ball as I ring in 2024. But don’t get it twisted: New Year’s makeup doesn’t have to go full throttle; a shimmery eyeshadow or smudged-out black eyeliner can also feel festive, whether you’re just spending the evening on the couch or hitting the bars with friends.
So to help you inspire a stunning look for New Year’s, I compiled a list of 23 New Year’s Eve makeup ideas to test out on December 31. Check out the smokey eyes, jewel-tone shadows, bright-colored eyeliner, and iridescent gemstones, below. No matter your New Year’s Eve plans, there’s a makeup idea on this list for you.
23 best New Year’s Eve makeup ideas to copy for 2024
Frosty Shimmer Eyes for NYE 2024
Hailey Bieber recently donned this winter-inspired shimmery eye look that would be perfect for any New Year’s Eve celebration. Just coat your entire eyelid in a sheer, glitzy white eyeshadow using a fluffy brush to get a fanned-out, all-over shimmer effect. And feel free to bring the shimmer out to your temples for an even frostier feel.
Smokey Eyes with Gems
If you’re not getting a lil sparkly on New Year’s, WYED?!? I love how M.J. Rodrigeuz‘s simple, smudged-out smokey eye got a major upgrade, courtesy of a smattering of face gems in different sizes. The secrets to super-easy application are using self-adhesive gems (I personally swear by the ones from Half Magic or Bakeup Beauty) and sticking ’em on with a gem applicator.
New Year’s Eye Makeup Idea: Metallic Lips
Looking to ring in the New Year with major cool-girl status? Swipe on a metallic lipstick, which feels unique and special in a sea of glittery eye looks. An easy way to try the look is by applying a lipstick in your favorite bold shade (like the gorgeous purple here) and then tapping a metallic eyeshadow on top. Or you can layer on a sheer metallic lipstick or gloss for a sparkly finish.
Black Lipstick for New Year’s Eve
In mourning over all of the 2023 goals you never finished? Relatable! Show it off with a “gothcore” inspired look, featuring a stunning matte-black lip. Just make sure to first line your lips with a black eyeliner pencil (yup, it’s safe to use on your lips—makeup artists swear by it for longevity), then swipe on a black liquid lipstick. Feel free to clean up around your mouth with a lil concealer to even out any lines. Boom, you’re in your Reputation era now.
Disco Ball Eyes for New Year’s Eve
Or try a more literal New Year’s makeup look by covering your eyelids in disco balls—but actually!! Makeup artist Danielle Marcan actually took itsy bitsy pieces of a disco ball and glued them to her lids with eyelash glue. The key, though, is to draw out the shape with white eyeliner first, then fill it in with your disco ball strips. And don’t forgot to load up on some lower-lash mascara for a mod vibe.
Jewel-Tone Shimmer Eyes
An all-over shimmer eye look will literally always look chic—mark my words. But if you want to make it a bit more festive for New Year’s Eve, opt for a jewel-tone color (like the emerald green on Normani) or a royal purple or yellow gold. Make sure to lay down an eye primer first though to get full color opacity without any risk of creasing or fading.
New Year’s Makeup Look: Reverse Eyeliner
If you’ve inhabited the world of beauty TikTok—and like me, shamelessly splurged on any or all of the best TikTok beauty products—during the past year, you’ve seen the reverse eyeliner trend (as seen above on Emily Ratajkowski). If you’re out here like, “Um, I finally nailed regular winged eyeliner, WTF is this?!” Trust me, I get it, but I’m here to tell you that it can certainly be done. Follow our guide on how to do winged eyeliner—but focus the liner on the bottom lash line instead of the top—and finish the look off with your fave shiny nude lipstick.
Bold Blush for NYE
Presenting you with another beauty TikTok trend: Barbie blush. Sure, this may have been alllll the rage during the summer, but IMHO, no makeup look should be exclusive to one season. (Just like no “NYE look” should be reserved for one night.) With any blush for your skin tone, just as you would contour (DW, we have the ultimate guide on how to contour for your face shape), apply the blush along your cheeks and temples. For extra glam: dust a highlighter in a similar undertone over your cheekbones to give it some glow.
Green Eyeliner for New Year’s
Experimenting with color is always a good way to take your makeup look up a notch. The beautiful Ashley Graham shows that you can wing out any color pencil eyeliner for an elevated twist on the classic cat eye. Although, I may have a bit of an affinity for the emerald green wing she’s rockin’ in this pic.
New Year’s Eye Makeup: Colorful Waterline
Not only are Becky G’s eyes mesmerizing, but pairing her red liner with pinky-red cheeks adds the finishing touch that takes this makeup from a look to a LEWK. Smoke out your shadow, throw on an elongated cat eye, and add a colorful liner of choice to the waterline. (Obviously, make sure it’s waterproof eyeliner.) Optional: Coordinate your earrings to your liner to bring it allll together.
Glossy Lids for New Year’s
If your initial reaction to this look went a little something like, “it’s totally gorge, but I’m going to end up a sticky mess,” don’t fret—I’m about to change your mind. The key to a long-lasting glossy lid lies in the preparation and the products you use. (1) Add an eye primer, (2) diffuse out your favorite nude shadow, (3) pack on the pigment, and (4), most importantly, top it off with an eye gloss pigment specifically made for shadows.
Bright and Colorful Eyes for NYE
Since we’re on that whole color trend, may as well go all out if you’re still lookin’ for a little extra glam. Again, eyeshadow primer is key here. Pack on the pigmented shade, and diffuse it out into a wing in the outer corner of the eye. Apply a darker shade of the same color to that outer corner, and finish it off with some glitter shadow in the inner corners and on the lids.
Glittery Eyes for New Year’s
Wow, glitter for the holidays?! Shocking. Inspiring. Amazing. Listen, I know glitter isn’t a ~new~ trend, but it sticks around season after season for a good reason: It’s really f*cking pretty and fun to play with. Cover your lids with a layer of glitter primer, then dab on loose eye glitter, packing it on or keeping it sheer.
New Year’s Eye Makeup Inspo: Halo Eyeshadow
Also known as “spotlight” eyes, halo eyeshadow gives your eyes a super-large, super-round effect by strategically blending darker eyeshadow on the inner and outer edges of your eyelid, then dabbing a light, shimmery eyeshadow on the center of your eyelid and crease. It’s hella pretty and ~glamorous~, yet surprisingly easy to copy.
This Classic Red Lip Look
Behold: The ultimate OG party look of red lipstick with thick, fluttery false eyelashes. We <3 a classic. To keep the look feeling modern, look for a red lipstick with a semi-matte finish (instead of a high-shine finish), then load on a pair of lengthening lashes for max impact.
New Year’s Eye Look: Copper Cat Eyes
These brushed-out curls are worth of a party on their own, but when paired with smokey, hazy copper eyes and a little hint of floating eyeliner? You’ve got yourself a v cool New Year’s Eve look. Just blend an iridescent orange eyeshadow over your lids, then draw a thin wing with gold liquid eyeliner on the outer corners of your eyes, and dab a dot on the inner corners. Trust me—it’ll look stellar in the end.
Softly Smoked Wings for New Year’s
Part smokey eye, part graphic liner, and part cat-eye, this New Year’s eyeliner look is all of the best things, all at once. Even though it might seem impossible to recreate at home, it’s surprisingly simple: Just draw the Vs with a black kohl eyeliner, then softly smudge the inside of the lines to create a hazy inner shadow.
Smudged Black Eyeliner
Is it really New Year’s if you aren’t wearing a smokey eye with a ton of ~sultry~ smizing? If you’re asking me—the person who has worn a smokey eye every holiday since high school—then no, no it isn’t. Copy makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes‘s by smudging black kohl eyeliner around your waterlines, then blending out and into a wing with glitter eyeshadow.
Graphic Eyeliner
The coolest thing about graphic eyeliner? It looks stupid-hard, but is actually really, really easy to create. And, considering everyone else’s holiday or New Year’s makeup will probably be some subtle shade of black, you’ll automatically score cool points just for trying this look. Just trace your upper lash line with a black eyeliner, then extend the line straight to the edge of your brow. Swoop it up and under your brow bone, and fill it in halfway or fill it all the way in for a more ~bold~ look.
Crystal Eyeliner for New Year’s
The crystal makeup trend of 2022 focuses all on nestling itself along your lash line to create this legitimately cool winged look. To recreate this New Year’s makeup for the holidays, or, hell, for this Saturday night, use small dabs of lash glue to adhere flat-back crystals along your lash line.
This Monochromatic Look for NYE
A berry lip is almost a given for winter, but your holiday makeup doesn’t need to stick to the same old-school rules of “bold lips, neutral eyes.” This year, play with matchy-matchy makeup by pairing your burgundy lips (try Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Underdawg or Violette_fr Petal Bouche Matte in Cerise Désir) with shimmery burgundy eyeshadow.
Holographic Eyes for New Year’s
Holographic highlighter? Meh. Holographic eyeshadow? So pretty and cool for the New Year, or for any of your holiday outings this season. In this pic, the model is wearing a ~celestial~ shade with teal and pink reflective pigments. Blend it all over your lids and brow bone, and you’ll be set for any party.
Glowing Skin for New Year’s
The key to these blinding gold cheekbones is a mix of pure sorcery and a gold liquid highlighter. The liquid formula blends seamlessly with whatever foundation or concealer you have underneath to create that lit-from-within vibe. Plus, it’s such a statement that you don’t really need much other makeup (maybe just a hint of nude lip gloss and winged eyeliner if you wanna totally copy this reference).
Lead image courtesy of @daniellemarcan | @sofiatilbury//Instagram