All I Wanted for Christmas Was Mariah Carey's Beauty Secrets, so I Got Them

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Peanut butter and jelly, Harry Styles and fruit-centric lyrics, cabernet and manchego, Mariah Carey and Christmas… Some pairings in life are fated by destiny. And while Carey is an icon with a capital I 365 days a year, at the stroke of midnight on Halloween night, our perennial admiration takes a quick swerve into a blinged-out green and red Christmas-caroling extravaganza. And thanks to her 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Carey is at the epicenter of our exciting celebration. I mean, you have seen this video, right?!

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(Image credit: @mariahcarey)

We're very much into celebrating all of our favorite women and honing in on their super-secret beauty tips, tricks, and product musts (see Katie Holmes, Halle Berry, and January Jones to name a few), but who better to investigate next than the queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey? I've been an adoring fan of the singer from the moment I laid ears on "Honey" (ahem, I was four), and my admiration and appreciation for the star have only grown over the years. 

Of course, if all my Christmas dreams came true, I'd turn into a Swarovski-bedazzled Mariah at the stroke of December each year, but since that will likely never happen (hey, a girl can dream), I reached out to the star's longtime makeup artist and very close friend Kristofer Buckle to get in on her beauty magic, instead. (Fun fact: Buckle has been at Carey's side since 1997 and is responsible for all of her most iconic beauty moments.) So if, like me, all you want for Christmas this year are some of Carey's all-time best beauty secrets, keep scrolling. Buckle is sharing his top six below!

Secret #1: It's All About Carey's Eyes—Period

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(Image credit: @kristoferbuckle)

"It’s always about the eyes!" Buckle tells me right off the bat. "Mariah’s look is eye-centric… period. I love the Swarovski earth-toned crystal eyes I did for her Magical Christmas Special on Apple+. I glued 50 stones to each eye over a smoky chocolate and gold eye shadow to create a magical light-show effect."

Secret #2: Lips Are Important, But They Are Secondary

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(Image credit: @kristoferbuckle)

Take a scroll through Carey's Instagram, and you'll all of a sudden realize the singer almost exclusively wears a glossy neutral lip instead of ultra-bright or dark shades. According to Buckle, there are actually multiple reasons behind said strategy.

Secret #3: To Keep Makeup Perfectly Set, Add an Extra 50% to Your Normal Routine

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(Image credit: @mariahcarey)

"When I have to get Mariah ready for a tour look, I do everything the same times 50% so it will hold up through the heat, costume changes, and lights," explains Buckle. "The goal is to remain picture-perfect from start to finish."

Secret #4: A Darker Shade of Your Foundation Is the Best Contour and Bronzer

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(Image credit: @mariahcarey)

"I always use the Triplicity Foundation in a darker shade to bronze and contour Mariah," Buckle says. "So yes, go ahead and buy a few different shades of your favorite foundation formula—you'll get the most blend and finish."

Secret #5: Don't Forget Your Nose

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(Image credit: @kristoferbuckle)

Meaning, you're going to want to hit it with a touch of highlighter and blush for a Carey-esque sculpt and glow.

Secret #6: Carey Loves a "Roasted Cheek"

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(Image credit: @kristoferbuckle)

"Mariah loves a roasted cheek, so I apply a pigmented coral-cream blush on her cheeks before I set her makeup," Buckle reveals. "Then, I'll add more on top after the makeup has set. It naturalizes the blush so that it looks airbrushed and soft."

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.