The holiday season is the one time of year when everyone has somewhere to be. The office party, the charity gala, the dinner with his family, the night out with your oldest friends. Each one asks for a slightly different version of you — and the right hair and makeup is how you walk in already feeling like her.
Start with the room, not the trend
Holiday parties happen in low, warm light: candles, string lights, dim restaurants and ballrooms. That light is forgiving, but it also swallows anything subtle. A look that reads beautifully at noon can disappear by eight o’clock. Before we choose a single shade, we ask where you are going and what the room will feel like.
Soft glam: the office party and the family dinner
Soft glam is polished without announcing itself. Luminous, even skin. Brows groomed and filled where they need it. A wash of warm color on the lid, blended until there are no edges, and lashes that open the eye without looking applied. The lip is a refined version of your own — a rosy nude, a soft berry — so you can eat, talk and toast without a mirror check.
It is the look for evenings where you want to look wonderful in photographs and entirely like yourself in conversation.
The goal is never to look done. It is to look like the best-rested, most confident version of you.
Evening glam: the gala and the black-tie night
When the invitation says black tie, makeup can carry more. A deeper, smoked eye in espresso, plum or bronze. A fuller lash. Skin with a little more sculpt so it holds its shape under flash. And, if you love it, a statement lip — a classic red or a deep wine — lined and set so it lasts through dinner.
The rule we hold to: choose one feature to lead. A strong eye with a quieter lip, or a bold lip with a softer eye. Both at full volume can feel like a costume.
Hair that matches the evening
A sleek low chignon reads instantly elegant and keeps hair off a statement neckline. Glossy, brushed-out waves feel festive and modern. A polished half-up style works for nearly every dress. Tell us about your neckline and your earrings — they decide more than you would think.
How to plan your appointment
- →Book as soon as you have the date — late-November and December weekend evenings fill first.
- →Wear a button-front or zip top so you can change without touching your hair or face.
- →Bring your earrings and a photo of your outfit.
- →Bring your lipstick or ask us what to carry for touch-ups.
- →Getting ready with friends? Tell us the headcount and we will plan the timing.
Every occasion of the season, from galas to family photos, is on our holiday party hair and makeup page.
Have a holiday party on the calendar? Tell us the date and the occasion — it goes straight to Erica.
Let's Talk →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between soft glam and evening glam for a holiday party?
Soft glam keeps the eye diffused and the skin luminous, with a lip that reads as your own color, only better. Evening glam adds definition — a deeper, blended eye, a fuller lash and a more deliberate lip — built to hold up under low, warm party lighting.
When should I book holiday party hair and makeup?
As soon as you have the date. Weekend evenings from late November through New Year’s Eve are the first appointments to go, and group bookings need the most lead time.
Should I get my hair and makeup done for an office holiday party?
If it is an evening you will be photographed at, yes. A polished look that still feels like you is the sweet spot for a work event — refined skin, defined brows and a lip you never have to think about.
