The Quiet Comfort of Holiday Glam

Major 2025 holiday beauty campaigns have only reinforced the formula we’ve always returned to. Dior centered Anya Taylor Joy in a classic red lip and metallic gold eyeshadow for its warm-glowing ‘Circus of Dreams’ campaign. Chanel pivoted from peachy, minimal fall makeup to push bold berry lips and frosty blue eyeshadow—complete with vintage-inspired hairstyles, to drive the nostalgia factor home.

Charlotte Tilbury set off a glitter bomb, featuring Celine Dion in impossibly shimmery rose gold eye makeup and soft-blurred skin. And Sephora kicked off their holiday season with Mariah Carey’s iconic “It’s Time!” declaration—featuring Carey in a full face of cinnamon-sugar sparkle. In the video announcement, Billy Eichner taunts the queen of Christmas as a grumpy, glam-stealing elf: “Your lipstick? I’m taking it. Christmas is cancelled.” The sentiment rings true: What’s the holiday season without festive makeup to mark it?

It’s not that holiday glam is objectively more beautiful than other makeup looks, or that it should be worn everyday. The fact that it’s only revisited once a year is part of its charm. No matter how thorough your skincare routine, you’re likely to find stray sparkles on your skin the morning after a holiday party—not unlike those left behind by glitter-shedding wrapping paper or midnight confetti pops. Even those leftover glimmers (missed by cleansing balms or vacuum cleaners) remind us that we had a good time, and took extra effort for the sake of beauty. This time of year, we pile on the shimmer not because it’s cool or convenient, but simply because it feels special.

Feeling inspired to embrace festive makeup in full force this year? Below, our experts break down the essential components of timeless, universally flattering (and beloved) holiday glam.

A lit-from-within base glow

“In winter months, skin takes a climate battering. Starting with gorgeous skincare to hydrate, heal, and nurture is critical for your festive plans,” Baker says. She recommends starting a glowy serum for a multi-tasking base. “Plated Skin Science Intense Serum has become a skincare hero I can’t live without. It calms redness and gives me a pretty and glowing complexion, which is half the battle in any holiday look.”