From Wine-Stained Lips to Tinsel Touches: 10 Holiday Beauty Trends Fashion People Have Been Bookmarking for Months

There’s something about this time of year that feels undeniably magical. Whether it be the Fifth Avenue shop windows glittering with holiday presents or the clinking champagne glasses filled with golden bubbles, there’s a special magic that flutters in the falling snow. While we love cozying up in our homes in a face mask by the fireplace, we can’t deny how “outside” this cold-weather season demands us to be—especially when the pile of holiday party invites grows larger by the day. But if you find yourself in a glam slump before you shimmy into your party dress, allow us to inspire you with these burgeoning beauty trends that scream “taste.”

We took a look back at the makeup and hair looks that peppered the F/W 25 runways to see which expert-approved trends are coming to fruition—particularly as holiday season kicks into full gear. Between the icy swathes of frosted shadow that decorated Iris Van Herpen’s show and the windburn blush that rosied Stella McCartney’s collection, we have a full-blown holiday beauty guidebook. Top celebrity hairstylists and makeup artists, Dimitris Giannetos and Kasey Spickard, also weigh in on their holiday glam tips, tricks, and predictions.

Ahead, the top 10 beauty trends that are sure to turn heads this holiday season.

10 Holiday Beauty Trends to Try

Wine-Stained Lips

A red lip for the holidays is a no-brainer, but we can’t get this flushed, jammy look off of our minds. Plucked straight from the Zuhair Murad F/W 25 runway—an exquisite collection dripping in diamante embellishments and free-flowing silks—this merlot lip is a chic way to deviate from the classics while keeping things formal.

To recreate this look, dab a plum-colored lipstick onto your lips with your finger, making sure to concentrate the color in the center of the lips before feathering it out slightly beyond your natural lip line (the bitten-lip look, if you will). You can also use a sheer lip stain on your pout, diffused lightly with a fluffy brush along the edges, to achieve a no-budge look (helpful during nights of eating, drinking, and small talk).

Shop the Look

“Modern” Hollywood Waves

If you’re looking for the perfect time to try something new, Giannetos says that the holidays is the “perfect” time. His top hairstyle recommendation? Old Hollywood ‘dos—but in a new, more modernized way. “I love the look of an S wave in the front, with a piece tucked behind the ear to highlight the face,” the celebrity hairstylist tells Who What Wear. Case in point: his timeless, yet striking silver creation on Gigi Hadid (though we also spied a flapper-esque iteration on the Murad F/W 25 runway).

“If you want to create this at home, you can use a 1-inch curling iron to add waves to the hair,” he starts. “The crucial part is to make sure you set the hair in place with clips and let it cool,” he explains. “From there, you just need to gently brush with a paddle brush and set in place with hair spray.” He trusts the Mason Pearson paddle brush for the most evenly fanned waves and uses the Dyson Supersonic to achieve the most volume. “Having the right heat tools also makes a big impact when it comes to achieving professional-quality hair looks at home,” he adds.

Shop the Look

Cool Definition

It goes without saying that the It girls of 2025 are all leaning into cool-toned makeup. From the gray shades that dominated early spring to the baby blues and frosty hues that overtook summer, today’s fashion scene can’t stop accentuating their features with shadowy shades. Though this color scheme laid claim to a better half of the year, there’s never been a better time to embrace this trend than in the dark days of winter.

As you plan your holiday looks this season, consider swapping your warm brown eye shadows and glittery golds for something a bit icier. “In my opinion, a gray eye with a caramel-beige lip is eternally chic,” Terry Barber, MAC's director of makeup artistry for the UK and Europe, previously told WWW. Whether you don striking grayscale eye shadow like at Giorgio Armani Privé’s F/W 25 show or try a Gabbriette-inspired concealer lip, incorporating a bit of this trend will make your look instantly fashionable.

Shop the Look

Doll Glam

If you’re looking for something elevated that still feels classic, try this nostalgic, sugar-sweet trend. Senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider predicted the rise of “baby-doll fall” this summer, marked by Sabrina Carpenter-pink cheeks, flipped-out bobs, and spiky lashes. But for the holiday season, we’re loving this trend with a softer, more reverential approach. Spickard has witnessed the resurgence of old Hollywood glamour in the recent months, marked by “soft velvet blurred skin, sculpted cheeks, and a defined lip.”

We can’t help but think of this saccharine vintage look from Yanina Couture’s F/W 25 show, where models sauntered down the runway wearing powdery-pink eye shadow, embracing the no-mascara trend, and lacquering their lips in bright blue-red lipstick. If you want to take this look up a notch, Spickard recommends trying “high-shine, red glossy lips” for a modern twist. “I’m loving the Amp It Lip Kits by Mikayla Nogueira… especially the deeper rich browns and punchy red,” he adds. “It’s a hybrid of intense pigment with a skincare focus.”

Shop the Look

Chic Chignons

Sophisticated and oh-so chic, Giannetos will always recommend a “slicked back, snatched updo” for the holidays. “You can pull your hair back and accent the look with a festive hair accessory or with a statement earring,” he muses. “It creates a nice balance.” Take Giannetos’ sleek middle-parted chignon on Kim Kardashian for the premiere of All’s Fair in Paris, for example, or Khloé Kardashian’s slicked, elegantly twisted low bun, which are simply begging to be recreated for swanky holiday parties.

Whether you’re twisting your hair into a romantic, pinned-up topknot or crafting an ultra-slick look, Giannetos expresses the importance of hair spray. “I never see a client without the L’Oreal Paris Elnett Strong Hold Setting Spray in my kit,” he admits. “When I need a look to last through red carpet appearances, premieres—whatever the occasion—this has been my go-to for years.”

Shop the Look

Wind-Flushed Blush

“Cold girl” makeup has flooded our social feeds for the past two years, and the runways predict that this wind-burned look is here to stay for another season. The aforementioned Stella McCartney show complemented structured ensembles with vampy red lips and rouge-flushed cheeks—opting for plummy mauves and reddish hues for that fresh-off-the-slopes look.

On the other hand, Julie De Libran’s F/W 25 show played with this trend by dusting cool-toned, baby pink pigment onto the apples of the models’ cheeks, producing visions of sugarplum fairies and lacy porcelain dolls rather than a realistic flush. Whether you want to lean into fantastical pops of pink or emulate whipping winter winds, the heavy blush trend is one to embrace this holiday season.

Shop the Look

Touch of Tinsel

Shimmery shadow and the holidays will always go hand-in-hand, but Spickard wants you to play with all-over shine. Why, you may ask? Because of the hotly anticipated release of Wicked: For Good and “looks inspired by the sparkle and shimmer of Glinda/Ariana,” Spickard muses. “Think ethereal sparkle, pearlescent highlights, and fluttery lashes.”

Try tapping glitter shadows onto your lids to recreate this dreamy, frosted eye from Tamara Ralph’s F/W 25 show, or drench your lids in a shimmery liquid shadow like at Imane Ayissi. “For that ethereal Glinda glow and elevated, ethereal sparkle, go for highlighters that give that lit-from-within glow,” the makeup artist recommends. He recommends using something ultra-reflective—like a highlighter, for instance—on the cheeks and eyes for a cohesive holiday glow.

Shop the Look

Icy Accents

For a more concentrated version of the trend above, try packing your glitter products into smaller, more intentional areas of the eyes and face. We’re feeling particularly inspired by Iris Van Herpen’s use of frosted pigments on the inner corners of the eyes and high points of the face—an ethereal and editorial way to approach holiday makeup in 2025.

Another show that struck the holiday angle just right was Blumarine’s F/W 25 display, which combined the lines’ intricate textiles with smoky greige hues and brilliant pops of blue. Trace this shade along your top and bottom lashes to mimic this mesmerizing eye look.

Shop the Look

Chocolate Kisses

“Overall, I think we will also continue to see bold lip looks continue to trend for holiday,” Spickard tells us. If you’re tiring of the red and berry lipsticks adorned by every partygoer, the runways urge you to give brown a shot. Models at MSGM’s F/W 25 show in Milan boasted minimal makeup aside from a matte, cacao-colored lip, and Sarawong followed suit with similar raisin-brown lips—complemented by sparse lash clusters for a doll-like look.

Shop the Look

Snow-Dust Lashes

This one’s for the avant-garde. If you feel like stepping out of your comfort zone this holiday season, consider swapping black mascara for white. Marco Rambaldi’s F/W 25 show featured snowy lashes and doll-like staggered lengths, and you can get a similar look by wearing a white eyelash primer (and skipping the mascara step). This ethereal eye looks striking with a skin-forward makeup look, emphasizing glowy, fireside skin and making your fringe look as soft as snowfall.

Shop the Look

What’s an easy holiday look you can do at home?

Makeup

Spickard recommends picking one feature—eyes or lips—and leaning into the festive holiday vibes. "Do a wash of sparkle all over the lid using your ring finger," he recommends for an eye-centric look. "The new Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes: Nature palette has a range of gorgeous shimmers that would be perfect for a holiday or New Year’s Eve party!"

If you choose lips, the task is simple—Spickard prescribes red lipstick. "I love the Maybelline Vinyl Inks for a high-shine, long-lasting liquid lip," he says, singling out the shade Red Hot for a holiday-ready hue. "Pair with a fresh, dewy blushy complexion and nude eye with lots of mascara and individual lashes," he concludes.

Hair

"A glamorous, bouncy, and wavy blowout is easy to achieve at home and can dress up any look," says Giannetos. "To achieve this look, dry the hair using a round brush. Pin every wavy section in place and allow the curls to cool down. This (plus some hair spray) will help the waves stay in place throughout the night."

To make your style look professional, the stylist says curl placement is key. "Add the curls starting a little bit above the jaw (you don’t want the waves to start too high up on the head). Once the curls have cooled, lightly brush them through to [give] natural movement to the look."