One look, two lips

The holidays are coining to a rip-roaring finale with Christmas and the countdown to 2023. The hustle and bustle of the season calls for long, busy days and fun, festive nights.

Once you have picked out the perfect ensembles to dance the night away at all of your upcoming parties, create makeup that compliments and pops to put the icing on your gingerbread cake!

Taking care of your skin during these busy weeks is most important to look your best. Most likely you are eating more sugar, richer food and possibly having a few more cocktails than usual. All of this takes a toll on your skin.

Make sure to always wash your makeup off at the end of the night. Cleanse once to remove makeup and twice to get the skin totally clean. Use an exfoliating cleanser three times per week to clean pores and remove dead skin cells. Hydrate the skin with moisturizers, serums and eye cream to keep the skin looking its best the next day.

_{Leslie Peck is a local makeup artist, aesthetician and lash artist with almost two decades of experience.}

_{She has worked 11 seasons of NYC Fashion Week as well as several beauty shoots while living in New York City. Leslie also has experience in TV, film, print and celebrity makeup in Los Angeles. She specializes in bridal makeup, skincare education and was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in 2007.}

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One makeup look can work with any party attire - just change up the lips. Here are the easy steps to create a versatile makeup look with two different lips that change the look entirely.

• Massage moisturizer into the skin to get it warmed up and plump and hydrate your lips to prep them for later.
• Add a smoothing primer to minimize pores and to create a barrier for long-lasting makeup.
• Put concealer where needed and buff into the skin.
• Use a foundation brush to apply a medium-to-full-coverage foundation for maximum coverage.
• Set with a powder, preferably a high-definition powder which is best for photos.
• Add a slight contour under the cheek bone to create some depth.
• Brush a swoop of blush from the temple to the middle of the cheek. Make sure to blend it well.
• Prime the eyelid and use a dark brown, grey or black cream shadow on the lid from lash line to crease. Do not go above the crease line and blend a shimmery brown or grey shadow over the cream shadow. Use a lighter shadow to go from the inner eye, under the brow and out to highlight the brow bone.
• Line the water line with dark brown or black and blend a bit of the darker shimmery shadow just under the lower lashes.
• Curl the lashes, add multiple layers of mascara and finish with a strip lash to add length and fullness to this smokey eye.
• Don’t forget the setting spray! A couple of sprays will keep your makeup in place throughout the evening.

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