Fact: The makeup you wear on New Year's Eve is almost important as your plans for the entire night itself. We're especially inspired by Lupita Nyong'o's gorgeous ruby shadow—while red is a color typically reserved for your lips, the rich jewel tone can be wearable by concentrating the color just on the upper lids, and using a sweep of black liner to balance the effect. "It's usually something people might be intimidated by, but the key is to find the right red, and use it in small doses," explains Nyong'o's makeup artist Nick Barose, who used the jewel tone from Lancôme's Palette in Ruby Affair ($50; lancome-usa.com), applied with a damp applicator to intensify the color. "It's important to still define the eyes with black liner when using colors like this, so that the eyes don't look red and shapeless." Barose used a black liquid liner to form the graphic wing along her top lashes, then used a kohl pencil on her waterline before two ample coats of mascara. Rather than a tawny nude lip, the pro chose to stick with the same color family, finishing with Lancôme's Color Design Lipstick in Bow & Arrow ($23; lancome-usa.com).
In addition to Lupita's eye-catching look, we put together a list of even more #BeautyInspo for New Year's Eve, complete with step-by-step instructions from the pros who created each look. Scroll down to find out how you can master them before the ball drops.
Sofia Vergara's Brick Red Lip
A bold crimson lip is always a go-to look throughout the holiday season, but if your shiny fire engine red hue got too much play at the office party (and the Instagrams to follow), consider retiring the shade for a warmer version like Vergara's. "I wanted it to stand out against the gold of her dress, and it was the perfect combination of brown and red," explains her makeup artist Kayleen McAdams, who used CoverGirl's Outlast Longwear Lipstick in Amazing Auburn ($9; drugstore.com). A soft eye and a natural wash of blush complemented the statement without presenting any competition. McAdams concentrated the blush in Plumberry Glow ($4; drugstore.com) on the apples of her cheeks, and used shade #3 from the Eye Shadow Quad in Go for the Golds ($9; drugstore.com) all over her lids for slight dimension, swapping the traditional black liner for a rich brown. "I kept the eyes minimal, knowing that I wanted the lip to take center stage," says McAdams.
Amy Schumer's Bronzed Smoky Eye
Swap your gray and black shadows for a handful of warm coppers like Schumer, and your smoldering shadow instantly becomes more interesting (and less intimidating) than its inky noir counterpart. The comedian's makeup artist Andrea Tiller began with a layer of Bobbi Brown's Cream Shadow in Copper ($26; bobbibrowncosmetics.com), then picked up the bronze hue from Charlotte Tilbury's Golden Goddess palette ($52; nordstrom.com) to set the color. Armed with a blending brush, Tiller used the deepest brown color from the Dior palette in #796 ($62; nordstrom.com) to emphasize the outer V of the star's eyes. With her finger, she picked up Urban Decay's eye shadow in Baked ($19; sephora.com) and applied the hue on Schumer's inner corners before running the Laura Mercier Black Turquoise liner ($25; sephora.com). A generous sweep of liquid liner, a few coats of mascara, and a set of feather-like faux lashes finished the look.
Kim Kardashian's Warm Metallic Eye
Sexy bronze shadows, like the ones Kardashian wore to the InStyle Awards, are a one-size-fits-all effect that can complement almost any party dress you find—just take extra care to blur those harsh lines if you choose to let your ensemble make the bigger impact. The star's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic used Charlotte Tilbury's Eyes to Mesmerise in Bette ($32; nordstrom.com) all over her lids, then picked up the pale shimmer from The Dolce Vita palette ($52; nordstrom.com) and swept the color directly over the top. Next, he traced her top and bottom lashes with the Rock n Kohl in Barbarella Brown, following with the Bigger, Brighter Eyes hue ($27 each; nordstrom.com) on the waterline to impart a doe-eyed effect.
Bryce Dallas Howard's Oxblood Lip
Against her petal pink shadow, soft waves, and radiant flush, Howard's matte power pout gives off serious Marilyn Monroe vibes—but with a current update, thanks to the deeper tint. "She looks so good with a strong lip," says her makeup artist Georgie Eisdell, who chose Tom Ford's lip color in Velvet Cherry ($52; nordstrom.com). "Her lips were the main focus. We kept the eyes subtle and clean." She balanced the effect by keeping the rest of her face within the same color family, making sure the tones weren't too matchy-matchy. A mixture of Tom Ford's Bronzing Powder in Terra ($65; nordstrom.com) and Laura Mercier's Second Skin Cheek Color in Spiced Cider ($26; sephora.com) were responsible for her glow. After a layer of Bobbi Brown's Eye Shadow in Bone ($24; sephora.com), she used the same bronzer to define the shape of Howard's eyes, concentrating the color just in the socket, then ran a thin stripe of Tom Ford's Eye Definer Pen ($56; nordstrom.com) along the base of her upper lash line.
Taraji P. Henson's Amethyst Shadow
Tired of the same old smoke? Give your tried-and-true smoldering effect a twist of violet, à la Henson. It's a baby step into the bold color spectrum that won't overwhelm beginners, and looks particularly flattering on those with brown eyes. The star's makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff began by using the L'Oréal Silkissime Liner in Black ($9; ulta.com) all over her lids as a budge-proof base, continuing the color along her lower lash line. She used her finger to blend on the Infallible Eye Shadow in Smoldering Plum ($9; ulta.com) over the top, and for extra definition, she swirled the deep brown shades from L'Oréal's La Palette Nude ($20; ulta.com) into the crease, diffusing the color in an upward motion. The pen-shaped applicator of the Voluminous Superstar liquid liner ($10; ulta.com) helped achieve the precise, graphic appearance of Henson's cat-eye.
Anne Hathaway's Pewter Eye
A shimmery silver eye, while apt for an event like New Year's Eve, can make you look a little washed out if not grounded correctly, so take a page out of Hathaway's book and enlist the power of your favorite black liner to complete the look. Hathaway's makeup artist Jillian Dempsey used the Black Eye Crayon by Votre Vu around the perimeter, then used the Azure shade just along her lower lash line ($23; votrevu.com). She followed by dipping her shadow brush into the pale shimmer section of the Palette Play Eye Quad in Violette ($42; votrevu.com), and topped off the entire effect with a few generous coats of mascara.
