16 New Year’s Eve Makeup Ideas to Fashionably Ring in 2026

Quick Tips for Long-Lasting New Year’s Eve Party Makeup

• Prime everything. Depending on your skin type and your preferred finish, start with a radiance-boosting or mattifying primer to lock in your makeup. If your skin tends to get drier in cold weather—spoiler alert: It probably does—don’t forget to use a nourishing moisturizer too. 

• Consider using long-wear formulas like waterproof eyeliner and lip stains for your New Year’s Eve look, especially if you plan on handling champagne toasts or a night on the dance floor. 

• Remember to build color gradually if you’re working with glitter or bright colors. You can always add more, or mix cream formulas under powder products to intensify the look. 

• Carry a mini touch-up kit with things like blotting papers, mascara, and travel-size setting spray to help you refresh your look as needed. Consider throwing a mini mirror in there too. 

Our Favorite New Year’s Eve Makeup Ideas

Ethereal Yet Glam New Year’s Eve Makeup Looks

1. Iridescent Highlighter

Strategic pops of highlighter can level up your whole look—especially when done with a beautiful iridescent shade like this Opal Powder Highlighter from JASON WU BEAUTY. To get Yara Shahidi’s glam, start with a hydrating moisturizer and an illuminating primer to make your skin look dewy and glass-like. Keep your base makeup minimal, and apply your desired highlighter to the high points of your cheekbones, under your brow bone, and even on your Cupid’s bow. You’ll have a statement sparkle from every angle. 

2. Crystal Accents

For something in between no-makeup makeup and all-out glitter eyeshadow, consider using crystal accents. While you can use them to customize any makeup look you please, you can replicate Sabrina Carpenter’s look by creating a subtle smoky eye with muted brown eyeshadows and adding a shimmery golden shade to the inner corners of your eyes. From there, use eyelash glue to stick the crystal appliqués all around your eyes—we like placing them on the outer corners, as well as on the high point of our brows. You’ll have a showstopping New Year’s Eve makeup look in no time. 

3. Shimmery Graphic Liner

This shimmering, glossy eye look truly captures the magic of New Year’s Eve without going overboard. A sky-blue graphic liner, drawn across the lash line and flicked upward, helps this glam from feeling too plain. Meanwhile, the lids glisten with a sparkly gloss to reflect light and give you a dewy, wet-look finish. The contrast between the two details gives this makeup a sleek edge, and everyone on the dance floor is guaranteed to compliment its mesmerizing blend of soft gloss and sharp lines.  

4. Glittering Green

While silver and gold are seasonal staples, a green glitter is just as festive. We love how this glam makeup look brings the drama, but is totally drama-free to create (even if you don’t know how to do glitter eye makeup). To get the look, pick out three green shadows—one light, one medium, and one glittery. Put the lightest shade on your lid, then sweep the medium shade into your crease. Top it all off with your sparkling shade, placing it on your lid and toward your inner corner. Lean into the playfulness of this look with a bold coral blush and matching lip. 

5. Embellished Galaxy Eyes

Take a break from the silver and gold of New Year’s Eve with an embellished look that outshines them all. To achieve this sparkly, celestial glam, blend out a holographic fuschia shadow and add a black shadow toward the outer corners of your eyes to create dimension. Delicately place multicolor rhinestones around the inner and outer edges of your eyes to add a cosmic sparkle, and then revel in your glittering look with an appropriate amount of selfies. 

All the Red NYE Lip Looks

6. Deep Cherry

Cherry-coded makeup was everywhere during the holidays last year, and the look is just as delicious this time around. The key here is to keep your base makeup minimal to let the eyes and lips speak for themselves. Start by blending out a cranberry-colored shadow, like the one in this Feline Energy bundle, all over your lids. Sweep the color nearly all the way up to your brows, and out into a soft angled shape. You can clean up the edges here, or leave them blurred for an effortless look. Finish off your glam with a deep red lipstick and a matching gloss. Make sure to line your lips to avoid any color bleeding, and then add the dark lipstick to your pout. 

7. Wine-Stained Lips

There’s nothing more romantic for NYE than this blurred-out, wine-stained lip made perfect for that midnight kiss. Not only is it easy to touch up when you’re on the go, it requires less precision and upkeep to pull off compared to its bright red counterpart. To create it with (almost) any berry-hued lipstick in your kit, swipe a good amount of lip balm onto your hand, then swipe lipstick right over it. Use your finger to mix the colors together for a slightly sheer stain. Take your finger and dab it onto your lips to build up color for a smudgy, stained look.

8. Burgundy Beauty

Round out the holiday season with this festive burgundy look. It’s really simple to recreate, especially if you have a multi-use product on hand, like the PURLISSE BEAUTY Blush Glow BB Cheek + Lip in Berry Bliss. All you need to do is blend the pigment into your cheeks and lips, and if you want to go all-out, on your eyelids too. As a finishing touch, you could even add a contrasting color in—we recommend applying it to the corners of your eyes for a subtle twist. 

New Year’s Eve Editorial Drama

9. Bold Black 

You don’t have to be a makeup professional to create this bold look. In fact, you can create it with just a black eyeshadow and a handy Q-tip dipped in makeup remover. Start by tracing an outline around your eyes with a pencil liner to give you a rough idea of where you want your shadow to be—or just wing it (literally) by creating the shape with your shadow itself. Pack on the pigment by re-applying black shadow where needed, then clean up all the edges with your soaked Q-tip. A glittery lip gloss really pulls this long-lasting party makeup together. 

10. Full Frost

There’s nothing cooler than a full cool-toned look. The soft blend of white and beige eyeshadows here really makes the eyes pop, and a bronzed blush adds just the slightest bit of color. When recreating, make sure to focus your white eyeshadow on the areas you want to highlight, like your inner corners and browbones. Consider complementing the taupe eyeshadow shades with a matching lip liner, like this KIMCHI CHIC BEAUTY Liner in Toast, to get a cohesive look. 

11. Icy Blue Shadow

Make the most of the cold weather with an icy eyeshadow look. Start by sweeping a vibrant baby blue shadow across your lids, blending it outward for a soft but powerful winged shape. Add in a darker blue close to the outer end of your eye for added dimension. Pair the look with a shimmering highlight at your brow bone and inner corner to really make your eyes stand out. Then, round out your glam with a dark statement lip like the TATCHA Kissu Lip Tint in Midnight Lily.

12. Graphic Eyeshadow

A classic cat eye is great, but this graphic eyeshadow looks straight out of a magazine. Start by blending a black eyeshadow over your lid, keeping the color close to your eye. Then, blend additional shadow along the outline of your eye—just like you would with eyeliner. From there, blend the product out toward your cheekbones, creating a wing that flicks upwards. Try to keep your eyeshadow close to the shape you want, but don’t stress about it—you’ll clean up the edges with a Q-tip dipped in makeup remover. Add and remove color as needed until you’ve got your desired look. 

Classic New Year’s Eve Makeup Looks

13. Silver Eyeshadow

Metallics are having a major moment right now, but they’ve always been a New Year’s Eve staple. This look is super easy to replicate (even for makeup beginners). Simply swipe a bit of silver eyeshadow over your lids, repeating until the pigment is as saturated as you’d like. For a molten metal finish, we like to use a cream or liquid formula like the DANESSA MYRICKS BEAUTY ColorFix™ Multi-Use Waterproof Liquid Pigment in Platinum. 

Use a Q-tip to clean up any residue, and soften the edges of your eyeshadow with your finger or a fluffy brush. Make sure to create a gradient as you blend up and out. Top it all off with grungy smudged liner and cool-toned lips for a party-ready look. 

14. White Waterline

A white liner in your waterline helps your eyes look more open and awake—which can be super helpful if you’re planning to stay up past midnight. We love this cool-toned look, which uses light brown shades to contour the eyes and mouth. 

After perfecting your own smoky eye, grab a white eyeliner and apply it to your waterline. (A waterproof formula works best here.) Top off your look with mascara, and be prepared to have all eyes on, well, your eyes. 

15. Bombshell Smoky Eye

When it comes to a party, you can’t go wrong with a sultry smoky eye—and some subtle glitter makes this version perfect for New Year’s Eve. This look comes together in no time, especially if you already know how to do a smoky eye. Take a cue from makeup artist Chloe Turner and use a kohl liner, which will be easier to smudge around your upper and lower lashline. Once you’ve done that, top off your smoky eye with a concentrated glitter like the BODYOGRAPHY Glitter Pigment, or go full glam and add a pair of sultry lashes too. 

16. Rockstar Chic

Nothing says New Year’s Eve like a shimmery silver eyeshadow, but you can put your own rockstar spin on the look with just a few tweaks. After applying a dark gray eyeshadow, top it off with a sparkly silver eyeshadow (or glitter, if you’re looking for added glamor). Then, get grungy with a smoked-out black eyeliner. Don’t worry about getting a perfect line, since this makeup looks best when messy. Finish off your beauty routine with a wet hair look, which really emphasizes those rock ’n’ roll vibes. 

FAQs About Glam Makeup Looks

How do I make glitter makeup last all night?

Use a primer that is tacky and will grip to your skin, like the OFRA COSMETICS Silicone Primer. In conjunction with a good setting spray, it’s guaranteed to lock in your look. Layering cream and powder products may also extend your look’s impact and weartime, as the powder formula essentially sets its cream counterpart and intensifies the pigment. 

What are some easy ways to transition my daytime look into a party-ready one?

You don’t have to start from square one to get a glam makeup look. Focus on adding statement details, like swiping on a colorful winged eyeliner, a metallic eyeshadow, or a bold lipstick. Even just adding a touch of shimmer to your existing eye look will instantly elevate it. 

How do I prevent glitter fallout?

Don’t let your glitter be a goner. When applying, use a sticky base—like glitter glue or lash glue—before gently pressing on your glitter. Clean up any stray sparkles with a makeup wipe or a Q-tip, then set your look with setting spray. 

What’s the best way to remove heavy makeup after a New Year’s Eve party?

Before washing your face, use a cleansing balm or oil to help gently remove makeup. Micellar water is great for sweeping away harsh formulas and leftover glitter, too. 

Final Thoughts

New Year’s Eve makeup is your chance to go all out—and go all in on glitter, metallic eyeshadows, iridescent highlighters, and everything in between. No matter what look you go with, just remember that the key to long-lasting party makeup is to prep your skin with a hydrating primer and lock in your makeup with a setting spray. As the clock strikes midnight, your look should feel as unstoppable as your energy. 

Our New Year’s resolution this year, and every year, is to bring you only the best of beauty. The IPSY Shop is loaded with viral brands and must-have products to help you express your true self. Explore everything from glitter eyeshadows and festive lip colors to radiance-boosting primers and makeup removers. There’s a little something for everyone, and every glam.