As our days grow ever shorter and the weather steadily chills, every makeup lover faces hurdles in their routines. Maybe you’re on the hunt for a festive eye glitter in time for New Year’s or need eyeliner pointers to nail that holiday look that’s been in your IG saved for months now.
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Whatever the case may be, we’ve got you covered. Reflect Beauty sat down with 31-year-old freelance makeup artist April Alexandria Muñoz, who let us know all about her beginner-friendly holiday makeup tips to look your best even after daylight savings.
About the Artist
For Muñoz, makeup isn’t just a creative outlet — it provides much-needed therapeutic relief from the turbulence of the world around her. In 2019, she began honing her hobby into a real craft, pouring time and energy into creating dynamic looks and posting them on social media.
“I loved everything makeup was or could be. It was an escape from everything happening not just in my life, but the country and the world. It then turned into a passion for art and I didn’t want to put the brush down,” she says.
Since she started seriously posting her makeup looks on social media, she’s worked with smaller indie brands, received PR packages, fulfilled sponsored content, and has been noticed by some of her favorite big-name brands, including NYX, elf, and BH Cosmetics.
In 2019, she began taking clients as well, in addition to working her full-time job. The pandemic led her to pivot marginally, as she established her own custom press-on-nail business, Pressed Success. Officially launching in 2021, the brand also sells makeup and accessories.
“Once I started my nail journey, I didn’t have too much time for creating makeup. I replaced my makeup brush for a nail brush. But I absolutely love it. I still create makeup content on the occasion, especially during Halloween!” Muñoz says.
Even as she’s pivoted to nail care and art, the makeup tips and lessons she’s learned as a freelance makeup artist and hobbyist still form an integral part of her routines.
Nail Any Festive Eye Look With These Pointers
As Halloween passes and other festivities crawl closer on our calendars, we are continually barraged by a slew of sharp eyeliner and dazzling smoky eye looks. Whether you’re attempting to draw a literal knife on your eye for a slasher movie reference, or trying your hand at some candy cane eyeliner, Muñoz—who specializes in eyeliner and colorful, glitter eye shadow looks—has some handy suggestions for beginners.
Draw on a Perfect Liner
Firstly, she says not to worry about steadying your hand for any complicated eyeliner looks. “Two things for your makeup bag for a beautiful cut crease or winged look? Tape and an eyelash curler.”
Muñoz suggests beginners place the tape along their lower lash line; this will give them a starting point from which to extend their eyeliner. Playing around with the different degree angles at which to place the tape can help you determine how dramatic you want your eyeliner to be, as a more extreme angle can drastically change the overall look. Muñoz also recommends carving out your liner with an eyeshadow first; this is a more forgiving tactic that will help you map out where to fill in with liquid liner.
An eyelash curler is Muñoz’s tool of choice for a simple cut crease: “With the eyelash curler you can carve out where your ‘cut-crease’ will be. Just rub a little concealer on the eyelash curler and ‘stamp’ your eye. Then follow the guide of the cut you made!”
Remove Your Glitter Makeup
Muñoz has one must-have product she falls back on for the holiday season, which is her brand’s Peel Off Glitter Glue. As the name suggests, the glue can be painted on, and once tacky, glitter is added to it. Once it’s time to wash off your makeup, the dried glue makes removing the glitter really easy, as you can just peel it all off at once, preventing fallout.
“I am definitely a glitter gal during the Holiday Season,” Muñoz says, discussing the Peel Off Glitter Glue. “It’s such a game changer for me!”
Her Holiday How-To’s for a Flawless Base
No festive eye look can truly shine though, without a perfect base to match. Muñoz’s best tip for a flawless, winter-proof makeup look? “Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize,” she says.
In that same vein, base makeup can be particularly tricky for beginners; a lot of folks will run into cakey or separated makeup. In the winter, when skin is drier, and you might be experimenting with new base products or moisturizers, this can be even more prevalent. Muñoz suggests taking a step back to actually examine the composition of your chosen products.
“All of the products you layer on your face must all either be silicone-based or water-based. Water and oil don’t mix. Hence, your separated makeup,” she says. Dimethicone, commonly found in makeup products, is one example of a silicone polymer that when combined with a water-based product, could lead to potential separation of the base makeup for an overall unflattering look.
Even as you test products to perfect your winter-time routine, Muñoz advises to always prioritize skincare first.
“Taking care of your skin is so important and impactful for the years to come. I take my skincare very seriously,” she says. Muñoz routinely cleanses and moisturizes each morning and evening, all the while incorporating both retinol and SPF into her daily routine; the former increases cell production and unclogs pores, while the latter ensures her skin is protected from the sun, staving off the aging process that increased sun exposure could lead to.
What to Takeaway From Your Next Festive Look
Overall, Muñoz suggests always working smarter, not harder, to achieve your eye looks. Using tape or stencils will help beginners practice more complicated techniques in a user-friendly way, all the while building one’s conformability and confidence.
Don’t forget, messing up is part of that process, so she wants to remind folks that it’s okay to wipe things away to start again with a clean slate. Keep your slate—or face—healthy by practicing good skincare habits and moisturizing often as the winter months tend to dry skin up.
