4 Buzzy New Year’s Eve Makeup Looks To Ring In 2025 Looking Fab (With Only A Hint Of Glitter)

We made it folks. 2025 is around the corner! But before we get there, we have to make it through one last fancy event and whip up another killer makeup look. For this year’s ball drop, why not take a cue from one of your fave stylish celebs, as red-carpet beauty was on a whole other level this year. Lately, we’ve been noticing that makeup has really been taken up a notch (or two) with classic looks like a red lip or cat eye getting a modern twist.

So instead of reaching for your usual black eyeliner pencil or worn-down red lipstick kicking around in your purse, we’re serving up some makeup inspo that will have you saying goodbye to 2024 in serious style. —Emily MacCulloch

Look #1: Blush, Blush and More Blush

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Celeb Inspo: Sabrina Carpenter

Blush was *the* trend of 2024. From the plethora of rosy-cheeked looks on TikTok (boyfriend blush, anyone?) to all the cool new formulas that hit beauty aisles, having a healthy flush was very much de rigueur this year.

Take a page from Sabrina Carpenter’s makeup book and instead of focusing on lips or eyes, make your dewy, rosy cheeks the focal point of your look. The easiest way to achieve this is by pairing together a few blushes and highlighters to add dimension and levels of colour to your skin. We love starting with a cream blush buffed into the apples of the cheeks to give the face a youthful glow, then dusting a shimmery powder on top to bring the whole look together and add an extra hint of tint.

Shop the Look:

• Wander Beauty Blush All Day Hydrating Powder Blush in Peach of Mind, $41, wanderbeauty.com
• Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Joy, $32, sephora.ca

Look #2: Ombre Red Lip

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Celeb Inspo: Selena Gomez

Is there anything more glamorous than a red lip? (No, no there isn’t.) But instead of going with the usual matching liner and lipstick combo, why not switch it up for something a little more daring.

This subtle ombre lip worn recently by Selena Gomez is a total knockout for NYE, and requires the same skill level as penciling on any red lip. On bare lips, use a deep brown or deep red lip liner to outline the shape of your pout, bringing the colour in a bit to make the line thicker. Next, choose your lipstick of choice and a small lip brush, then apply your colour over your entire lips, blending your liner and lipstick together. And, voila! You can customize this look to suit your fancy, with less or more of the darker outline showing, depending on your vibe for the night.

Shop the Look:

• Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Trace’d Out Longwear Waterproof Pencil Lip Liner in Brown’d Out, $27, sephora.ca
• Dior Rouge Dior Velvet Finish Lipstick in The Iconic Red, $72, shoppersdrugmart.ca

Look #3: Smokey and Sultry Cat Eye

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Celeb Inspo: Olivia Wilde

We love a liquid cat eye as much as the next person but there’s something so mysterious and gorgeous about a smoked out version. This one, seen on Olivia Wilde really makes her grey-green eyes pop and the trick is playing with both light and dark shades.

Instead of just lining all around your eyes in a smudgy black liner and blending it out at the outer corners, try adding in a hint of light shimmery eyeshadow in the centre of your upper and lower lids to really brighten up your eyes and make them pop. If a pencil liner is too intimidating for you, use a small angled brush and go in with a black or dark grey eyeshadow and slowly build up your smokiness, blending into a cat eye shape.

Shop the Look:

• Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette: Moonlight, $92, sephora.ca
• Sweed Cloud Mascara in Black, $41, thedetoxmarket.ca

Look #4: Golden Glow

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Celeb Inspo: Jodie Turner-Smith

Nothing says ‘let’s party’ like touches of gold. This makeup look is all about amping up the glow on the eyes, cheeks and lips to give the vibe that you’re very chic and that you have expensive taste. Spotted here on Jodie Turner-Smith, her makeup could not look any more gorgeous with different glitzy shades highlighting her flawless skin.

Thankfully, this look is pretty foolproof, all you need is a few pieces of metallic-infused makeup and you’re good to go. If blending together multiple shades is too advanced for you, stick with a powder that you can use on both your eyes and cheeks for a more monochromatic feel. You can make this as shimmery and sparkly as you’d like, just remember to keep the rest of your face (a.k.a. cheeks and lips) neutral to keep the focus on your radiant gold dusted complexion.

Shop the Look:

• Victoria Beckham Beauty Lid Lustre in Starlight, $48, rennai.com
• Pixi Beauty Glowin’ TwentyFive Powder in Super Gold, $28, pixibeauty.com