I’ll admit I’m such a ride-or-die for my signature beauty look of a cat eye and a red lip that I cling to it more often than I should. I can’t help it. I’m the kind of person who loves looking glamorous but wants to attain it in the least amount of time as possible. High-maintenance on the outside but secretly low-maintenance on the inside, if you will. That being said, I do love playing with makeup and experimenting with new looks. I just don’t do it as often as I’d like, especially as a beauty editor with a massive makeup collection, which is why I am vowing to play with my makeup much more in the New Year, so consider this one of my official beauty resolutions.
To get inspiration for my New Year’s endeavor, I gathered all of the beauty looks that caught my eye and took up residence in my head. Most of them were seen on celebs like Selena Gomez, Chloe Bailey, and Bella Poarch, created by masterful makeup artists who didn’t hold back when it came to bringing the glam. Keep scrolling for 12 makeup looks I plan on trying on myself this coming year, including mismatched eyes, clown-inspired eye shadow, and more, plus the products I’ll be using to create them.
1. Inner Eye Neon Accent
A pop of color is always a good idea, especially when it turns a traditional cat-eye on its head. Makeup artist Alexx Mayo worked magic on Lizzo by pairing neutral shadow with an unexpected touch of neon on the inner corner of her eye. I’m obsessed, especially because it’s a way for me to do a fun, colorful look without much labor.
For a precise liner look similar to Lizzo’s, use a neon eyeliner pen or pencil, like this one from Haus Labs by Lady Gaga.
If I want a softer, smudged look, I’ll use this About-Face Shadowstick on the inner corner of my eye instead of a pencil.
2. Sparkly Gems + Bare Lids
Face gems were everywhere this year, and we can thank Euphoria for bringing this sparkly ‘90s and 2000s trend back to the forefront. But for me personally, rhinestone-studded eyes will always remind me of one of my favorite movies, Showgirls (1995). I’ve been doing this trend all year, but usually with my go-to winged eye. I’m inspired by Dua Lipa’s bare-eyed take (courtesy of makeup artist Shelby Smith) and will definitely be trying it myself.
Donni Davy, the makeup artist for Euphoria and co-founder of Half Magic Beauty, makes rhinestone makeup easy to do with these self-adhesive face gems.
I’m so glad that gem-accented makeup is much easier to do than back in the day when we had to use lash adhesive to glue everything on. (One time I fell asleep after my friend glued rhinestones all over my face for over an hour, lol.) I need the heart-shaped gems in this pack from ColourPop.
3. Blood Red Wing
One of my beauty goals for 2023 is finding ways to elevate my cat-eye in an easy way. The "blood-red wing” that makeup artist Jill Powell did on Demi Lovato has me considering red eye shadow in ways I never had before. It’s a little goth and a little vampy — perfect for my Scorpio rising energy.
This pretty red shade is perfect for replicating Demi’s look.
A red shadow stick is another great option for doing a crimson cat-eye.
4. 360 Blue Glitter Eye
I love a big, bold, blue eye shadow look and always have. However, Miley Cyrus’s glittery blue eye makeup goes all the way around her eye, not just the lids, but lined underneath as well. I can’t wait to do this look, and I won’t wait around for a special occasion either. Shoot, I’ll do my eyes like this next time I go through the Taco Bell drive-thru.
This dual matte and glitter liquid eye shadow from Stila will give me different options for my all-around blue eye look.
Another great option is this shimmery blue cream shadow, called Mermaid, from Danessa Myricks’s line.
5. A Touch of Gold
I may be a maximalist, but I can appreciate subtlety, especially in the form of gold. This makeup on Tati Gabrielle is another take on inner corner glam, but very different from Lizzo’s neon. When I’m feeling lazy but still want a glamorous look, this is a great option. Hmm...maybe inner corner glam is going to be my thing this year!
Charlotte Tilbury’s eye shadow pencil will make inner corner glam easy as pie.
Another quick trick for easy glitz? Dabbing a tiny bit of this glitter shadow on the inner corners of your eyes.
6. Purple Eyes + Red Lip
Red and purple might be an intimidating color combination for some people, but I find myself always drawn to it. Patrick Ta did this "‘80s baby” look on Hailee Steinfeld, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I love these liquid glitter shadows from E.l.f., and I think they’ll be perfect for recreating Hailee’s look.
A cherry-red lip is the cherry on top of this purple and red masterpiece. I’ve been loving this lipstick from Gensee, so it’ll be a great choice for a scarlet pout.
7. Subtle Sad Clown
Willow Smith wore this incredible eye makeup, which Allure dubbed "subtle Pierrot sad clown vibes,” to the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards and it might be one of my top favorite looks of the year. Makeup artist Raoúl Alejandre gave Willow a fox eye, but added a tiny cluster of false lashes to the bottom lash line for a look that’s giving clown, but in a super subtle way. Smile now, cry later!
A little lash action is all that’s needed to invoke your inner sad clown. Just apply these in the center of the bottom lashes and you’re done!
I’m definitely making an effort to wear more black lipstick, so I’ll be grabbing this KVD shade since these lipsticks have great wear and last hours after application.
8. Metallic Silver Liner
I’m more of a gold girl when it comes to both jewelry and eye shadow, but Sydney Sweeney’s silver eyeliner (by makeup artist Melissa Hernandez) is so stunning, recreating it is a major goal for me. The only thing is I’m not sure whether it’s a sticker, eyeliner, or some other secret trick, so I’m going to have to approach it a few different ways.
NYX’s Epic Wear Eyeliner is one of my all-time favorite black liquid eyeliners, so I’m going to try out the silver option for this metallic liner look.
I’ve never tried eyeliner stickers, so now’s the time to experiment! This pack by Lime Crime contains three eyeliner sets and 44 different sticker shapes, like hearts, diamonds, and stars.
9. Bare Eyes and Blurred Lips
Don’t tell anyone, but I’m kind of into the bare-eyed, bright pout look. Strange, considering I hate not having a cat-eye done. But I love how this looks on Chloe Cherry. Healthy skin, no eye shadow, and a blurred, popsicle lip. So pretty and fresh.
I know I’ll have to use light coverage foundation for this look, but I’ll also need a good, dewy face mist to set it. Patrick Ta’s is perfect, as it’ll keep my skin looking luminous and moisturized, thanks to the presence of rosehip oil, black tea ferment, and witch hazel extract.
For the blurred lip, I’ll use Em Cosmetics Lip Cloud and tap the edges with a lip brush to blend and diffuse the color.
10. Twiggy Lashes and Nude Lips
Neutral lipstick is a rarity in my world, so I’m officially prioritizing them for my 2023 makeup challenge. I love how Gwen (my red lipstick icon) wears a nude lip with Twiggy-esque ‘60s-inspired lower lashes.
To get those pointy lower lashes, I’m going to try the hack Selena Gomez shared on TikTok in April 2022. She puts mascara on tweezers and uses them to form her lashes into points. Easy yet impactful!
I’m going straight to Gwen’s makeup line, GXVE, to recreate her lips! I love her red lipstick products (obviously) but still need to try the neutrals, so it’s the perfect opportunity to do so.
11. Dramatic Black Eye Shadow
The intense black shadow that Chloe Bailey wore with her blonde wig is extremely glamorous. This leans more Donatella Versace (the wig helps) than Julia Fox, but either way, a dramatic smokey eye like this is calling to me. Hopefully I can pull it off!
I’m going to need something super pigmented and bulletproof for this heavy black eye shadow look. Maybelline’s Color Tattoo is waterproof, fade resistant and crease resistant.
If I want to add more depth to the look, I’ll use this palette from Natasha Denona, which has charcoal, silver, and gray alongside a matte black option.
12. Mismatched Eye Shadow
Mismatched eye shadow, aka two-toned eye shadow, has been one of my favorite makeup looks since forever, but I’ve never really fully executed it. While I have a brighter, more contrasting take in mind, I appreciate this more muted, sherbet-inspired look from makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes.
I’ve been enjoying playing with the Urban Decay palette that was made in collaboration with illustrator Robin Eisenberg. It has gorgeous gold and teal glitter shades that would look amazing on each eye.
A good eye primer is necessary for a bold shadow look. Any time I’ve used Hydro Grip Eye Primer it keeps my shadow from fading hours later.
Up next, 2023's Color of The Year Is Viva Magenta—Here Are 15 Matching Beauty Products
