Kelsea Ballerini’s Makeup Artist Shares Her Best Holiday Glam Tips

You can’t tell us otherwise: the holiday season is officially here. Whether your calendar is packed with parties or you’re headed home to spend time with family, now’s the perfect moment to get your holiday looks in order.

Instagram and Pinterest offer no shortage of ideas, but a little expert guidance goes a long way. To narrow the field, we tapped celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell. Known for working with stars such as Kelsea Ballerini and Alix Earle, Sewell has mastered soft yet incredibly fabulous makeup—the ideal formula for holiday glam. Through her app, Makeup By Kelli Anne, she shares pro techniques for achieving polished makeup at home, and now she’s giving us a quick guide to flawless holiday beauty.

Prep Before You Play

Skin care is at the heart of all of Sewell’s makeup looks. “I always say every great makeup look starts with good skin prep,” she says. However, to achieve the dewy radiance and subtle sheen for which Sewell is known, a few extra steps are required. “Winter weather can amplify dryness, so your skin needs some extra love underneath your makeup.”

Her pro tip: layer hydrating and moisturizing products. “I like to use formulas that have a thicker consistency and hydrating elements. For winter skin prep, I start with Rhode Glazing Milk to add a pearly glow to your base, then layer Dieux Instant Angel on top. Eye cream is also essential and a lip mask will help prevent chapped skin and dryness,” she says.

Lean Into Festive Trends

The holidays only come once a year, so why not lean into festive makeup? Glitter, bold blush, bronze and shimmer are all on the table and can instantly elevate your look. “If you’re working with glitter, a shimmery highlighter like Fenty’s Diamond Bomb can be used all over the face, including the eyes and lip if you want to,” she says.

For those who prefer a more understated approach to holiday glam, Sewell recommends leaning into top seasonal blush trends such as warm and toasty browns: Summer Friday’s Toasted Terracotta and Rhode’s Tan Lines are two of her favorites for achieving the look. She’s even got a tip for blending these two trends to get the best of both worlds. “One of my key eye products is a bronze shimmery eyeliner, specifically Victoria Beckham’s, which comes in bronzed cinnamon,” she says. “It’s highly pigmented with just a touch of glitter and looks great applied in the waterline. It adds an extra luminosity to your eye makeup without going overboard.”

Keep Things in Balance

Balance is essential if you want your makeup to stand out. Bold lips and smouldering eyeshadow always look best when the skin is kept fresh and clean. Put simply: pick a focal point. “If your eyes or lips draw attention, your skin should complement that,” she says, noting that if you’re going for the clean look, a completely matte base isn’t the best move. She suggests using products that provide coverage with a more radiant finish, complemented by hydrating base formulas.

Don’t Forget to Set

Makeup longevity is another area Sewell has mastered; she even dedicates full tutorials to it on her app. The gist: every cream product needs to be set, but in light layers to prevent things from looking cakey. “The final step, and you don’t want to forget it, is locking it all in with a good setting spray like Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Setting Spray,” she says.

Products to Try This Holiday Season