I love everything about the holidays. It’s my favorite time of year, from the atmosphere of giving all the way down to the seasonal Starbucks drinks. Another thing I love about December? Being able to go all-out glamour on your makeup. Shimmering, shining, standout looks seem to be a part of the holiday magic. This year, I wanted to show you all a favorite festive look I put together using Essence – always affordable yet ultra glam. I’ve been using these products for a few weeks now, and this is by far the best look for bringing the bash this season.

Let me break it down:

Shimmering shadow. The Essence All About Eyeshadow Palette in Roses is the perfect balance between neutral and amped up. I used the first three shades in the palette to create this eye, and the result was major shimmer with little effort needed – aka my kind of makeup.

Winged eyeliner. I’ll admit: I’ve been exceptionally lazy when it comes to eyeliner lately. It seems that all it took was the feeling of the season to get me to do my once-daily winged liner again – and I’m obsessed. There’s nothing quite like getting the perfect line that makes your eyes stand out with vintage glitz. Get the look with Essence’s Superfine Eyeliner Pen.

Lots of lashes. This one is an everyday thing for me, but you can’t have winged liner without balancing the look out with bold lashes. I piled on a few layers of Essence’s Lash Princess Mascara and was good to go.

Red lips. If there’s any time of the year to break out a red lip, it’s December. So festive I can’t even stand it. While I’ll opt for a red lip year-round, nothing feels quite as festive as a bold lip while holiday party hopping. Here, I used Essence’s Matt Matt Matt Lipstick in Kiss Me If You Can.

Blush. Get that “I just stepped in from the cold” kind of flush – even if you’re from California. I chose Essence’s Satin Touch Blush in Satin Coral for just a hint of color that wouldn’t clash with this bold eye and lip combo. All I needed was a few swipes on the apples of my cheeks.

Highlighter. Do I even have to explain this one? For those of you who need convincing: nothing says holiday glamour like glow-y skin. Nothing. I used the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter on my nose, above my cheekbones, under my brows, and on my cupid’s bow for a natural yet shining finish.

To get your holiday glam on, use the code TAYLOR20 for 20% off their site!

This post is brought to you by essence and Her Campus Media