When it comes to holiday makeup, sometimes less is more. You don’t need to pull out every trick in the book to look fabulous. Instead, consider simplifying your routine by playing up one favorite feature: Make your eyes, cheeks or lips the center of attention. Not only will you ramp up the glamour, but you’ll also cut down on your prep time – so you can get out there and enjoy the season.

So before your next fete, consider my tips for makeup application:

Tip for Makeup Application No. 1: Bold lips
Nothing says glamour like a beautiful dark lip. Whether you prefer a true red or rich merlot, start with a lip liner for precise, smudge-proof lips. Choose a matching shade and line your lips; then fill in with the lipstick. Blot with a tissue, and then swipe on another layer.

For a pretty smile, I recommend applying a teeth-whitening strip beforehand. It brightens your teeth a shade or two, creating a greater contrast with your lip color. And to avoid going overboard, keep the rest of your face minimal and clean: Think subtle eye color and neutral cheeks.

Tip for Makeup Application No. 2: Lush lashes

Fringing your eyes with long, thick lashes makes your entire face pop. I recommend picking up a strip of false lashes at the drugstore. If you’re nervous about application, consider a few single lashes. You can place these at the outer corners of your eyes for a full fringe.

For an even more dramatic look, line the inner rims of your eyelids with a black waterproof eyeliner. More fair-skinned people can use a brown shade. Then dab a light frosted eye shadow in your tear duct and right beneath the brow bone. This will illuminate your eyes, making them appear even bigger. Finish off the look with a few swipes of black mascara.

Tip for Makeup Application No. 3: Pink cheeks
Pink cheeks create a pretty party glow. The biggest mistake that I see is women tend to choose a shade that’s too dull or dusty for their complexion. Consider a bright pink: Even though it may look intimidatingly loud in the package, it swipes on sheer. So you get a beautiful flush instead of a neon stripe. I recommend heading to your local cosmetics store and experimenting with different shades.

To apply, brush onto the apples of your cheeks (the area of your cheeks that rise when you smile). If you want a shimmery look, finish by swiping some iridescent powder right on along your cheekbone in the shape of your face.

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Photo: Corbis Images

Take a cue from nature: As the leaves start to change color, so should your makeup palette. And this season, fresh faces, strong brows and autumn shades, like jewel-toned eye shadows and wine-colored lips, are having a moment. So consider updating your regular daytime look with one of the following fun fall makeup trends. With my tips, you’ll look fresh and gorgeous in no time.

Fall Makeup Trend No. 1: Peacock-shade eye shadow

This summer has been about bright pastels, so I’m excited to transition to the jewel tones of fall. And this season, the shades of a peacock’s plume -- emerald green, sapphire blue and amethyst purple -- are popular. Some high-fashion looks have featured a mix of all three!

My favorite way to wear this trend: A new twist on the classic cat-eye. Dip an angled liner brush in water and then into a sapphire-hue shadow. Use as a makeshift eyeliner to get a pop of color without going overboard.

Fall Makeup Trend No. 2: Merlot mouths

The runways for fall featured dark merlot lips. While the colors on the catwalk were uber-bold, you can make the trend wearable for daytime by opting for a rich lip or cheek stain. Instead of swiping on the shade, use a lip brush to paint on a violet-maroon lipstick. Then apply a tissue to your open mouth and lightly peel it away. This takes off a layer of pigment without smudging, creating a much more subtle look.

Fall Makeup Trend No. 3: Understated skin

Forget bronzer and caked-on faces. This autumn’s skin regime is all about being fresh-faced and understated. For lighter coverage, skip the concealer and choose the right foundation for your skin type: If your skin is starved for moisture, an oil-based foundation will keep you from cracking. Does your face tend to get shiny? Opt for a water-based product. All skin types will look silky smooth with a silicone-based foundation, but be prepared to blot off shine with a tissue as the day goes on and the silicone resurfaces.

If you’re like me and only have uneven skin tone in a few spots, you don’t need to slather foundation all over your face. Mix equal parts foundation and a light lotion with the same base ingredient as your foundation (oil for oil-based foundations, water for water-based ones, etc.). Apply this blend to the under-eye area and any red or splotchy patches.

Fall Makeup Trend No. 4: Metallic nails

Metal hues, like gold, silver and bronze, are popular this fall, including shimmery, metallic nail polishes. For a playful daytime look, paint your nails a muted base color. Then accent it with an ore-hue French manicure crescent.

Fall Makeup Trend No. 5: Bold brows

I consider brows the punctuation marks of our faces: They give life to facial expressions and communicate how we’re feeling. As someone born with a uni-brow, I was bummed about my luck until Brooke Shields became an icon.

Fortunately, bold brows have come full circle again. It really doesn’t take much to follow this fall makeup trend. If you have full brows, keep them defined and groomed; fill in any sparse spots with dark shadow. But if you have pale or slim brows, consider shading them in: Using a folded tissue, follow the edge with a brow marker and draw the shape of the brow you’d like to achieve. Lightly fill in the shape. For even more definition, take a small eyeliner brush and flick in strokes of eyebrow shadow to mimic the shape and direction of your individual brow hairs.

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