New Year's Eve Beauty with MAC Cosmetics

New Year's Eve is right around the corner, and I don't know about you guys, but that's pretty hard for me to wrap my mind around! I have always been a last-minute-kinda-gal when it comes to the holiday. The dress, hair and makeup - those are the easy parts. The plans? Well, that's always been the kicker. And this year isn't any different. I may not know what I'm doing just yet (will I be dancing all night long with my gal pals, enjoying a night in with my besties, or something more?), but I at least know that I'll be looking my best, all thanks to my pals at MAC.

Photos by: JennyMay

This year, in anticipation for my night out (or in, ha), I decided to brush up on my beauty game and get some tips for the big night. I met with Andrea Ortega at the MAC Pro Store on Powell Street for an afternoon of techniques and a dazzling NYE makeover. First off, Andrea is the sweetest and she is ah-mazing at what she does. After chatting about my outfit options, skin history and what I wanted to try, we decided to go big with bold eyes and bold lips. Andrea emphasized my eyes with a beautiful cat eye and pearly white sparkle. I have to admit that I was a little nervous when I saw that Andrea picked a jar of glitter for my look, but I have to say this look would have been nothing without it! We added some extra volume with a stack of double lashes (you guys know how I love my lashes!), which were cut and customized to fit my eyes perfectly. Finished off the look with a bold, plum lip -the perfect color to close out December.

Staple Products used to achieve the above look:

• Pro Longwear Paint Pot in "Groundwork" - Apply this to your lids. This will serve as your base and will help you build your look.
• Eyeshadow in "Embark" - Apply to outer corners in a "v" shaped fashion to draw out the eyes.
• "Hush" Cream Color Base Highlighter - Apply to your cheekbones and down the center of your nose to highlight and give you some extra definition.
• Mineralize Concealer in "NW 25" - Apply under the eyes to lighten, brighten and conceal. Add any excess to the sides of your nose to hide any extra redness.
• Pearl Pigment in "Reflects" - This. This is everything for your look, guys. Add a tiny dab with your fingertips to the eyelids (where you didn't apply shadow!) for a dazzling sparkle, sure to catch everyone's eyes.
• "Diva" Lipstick - The perfect plum shade for every gal! Apply with a lip brush for better application, or line your lips after (yes, after). 

Wish I could have gotten in some video clips for you guys to show you how exactly the above look was created, but hopefully the tips above are enough to give you a start. Thanks so much to Andrea and my friends at MAC for helping me get my beauty game on point. Can't wait to hear what you all have in store for the night!