Party Makeup Ideas

Whether you have a dinner, office, or New Year's Eve party to get ready for -- or it's just happy-hour with your coworkers, we've got makeup tips for you! We've asked the experts and they've provided us with everything you need to know to look great this holiday season.

For a Dinner Party

The best way to make lipstick stay put through a meal is to layer your lip products. Lip primers are a good place to start since they prevent feathering and fading. Clinique's All about Lips is a lip primer that comes in a handy pump dispenser and moisturizes in addition to keeping lip color in place. Next, follow these steps:

• Use a lip liner to fill in your lips. Try Prescriptive Lip Coloring Pencil in Wine or your favorite shade. Lip liner will act as a base color and primer for your lipstick. It will last long after your lipstick.
• Apply a matte or long-wearing lipstick such as 3C's Cool Rose, Cover Girl's Hydrating Lip Color in Sugar Plum pink or LORAC's red Catherine.
• After your meal, touch up with a lip-gloss to enliven your lips. Try Revlon's Color Lip Shine in Torch or LORAC's Lip Gloss in Luscious.

For an Office Holiday Party

Sheer and natural makeup is the key to looking professional at any office gathering. But remember, even the most natural, sheer looks will take a few cosmetics to look polished. Here are some easy guidelines to follow :

• Foundation: When you shop for foundation, try products on your jawbone to ensure that they match your skin tone. Makeup artists love foundations from Bobbi Brown, Cover Girl, Laura Mercier, Nars or Sonia Kashuk. Make sure you apply foundation to clean skin.
• Concealer: If you have blemishes, use a concealer one shade darker than your skin to cover them up. (Use a cotton swab or concealer brush and dot a tiny amount of the concealer to mask the blemish.) If you have under eye circles, use a concealer one shade lighter than your skin. Use your fingers or a concealer brush to glide the product over dark areas, blending well. For any other concealing needs, such as hiding broken capillaries next to the nose, use a concealer that matches your skin exactly. Try True Concealer from Skin Alison Raffaele. It comes in seven shades, so you can find a perfect match to your skin tone, even online .
• Finish up with a loose translucent powder. Skin Skin Alison Raffaele has a great one called Transparent Finish powder, suitable for all skin tones. Apply it over your face in sweeping motions with a big, soft, fluffy brush to get maximum coverage and optimum blending.

For a Happy Hour with Your Coworkers

Is it work or is it play? You want to keep a polished look with your colleagues, but you want to dress up a little. Blush is always a great place to start when you want to spruce up your look. Clinique's Soft-Pressed Powder goes on easily and comes in many sheer shades.

If you want more color, try lipstick in Light Pink or Gold, which can be used to brighten up the eyes, lips and cheeks. Blend it into your skin with your fingers or a makeup brush so you get an ''edgeless'' finish. You can also try jazzing up your traditional favorites by selecting browns, grays and pinks that have a pearly appearance. Some smart picks are Clinique Soft Powder Blush in Sugar Plum, Clinique Blush Wear in Shy Blush, Cover Girl Metallic Eyeliner in Midnight Metal, Hot Cocoa and Midnight Rose and L'Oreal Eye Smoker in Carob.

For an Evening Party

This is the time to be creative with your makeup and try new things.
Try dusting a translucent shimmer powder, available in loose and pressed formulas, onto your bare skin with a powder puff. Shimmer powders are easy to apply and add a light, sparkly dusting to your skin. Try Shimmer Powder or in Gold.
Shimmery Lotions -- sheer and unscented -- can also add a sparkle to cleavage, arms, shoulders or legs when applied directly to bare skin. Try Moisturizer, but remember a little bit of shimmer lotion will go a long way, so apply it sparingly with your fingertips.
Finally, if you decide against body shimmer you can play up your eyes with some pearly shadows, such as Clinique's High Impact Shadows in Sugar Sugar, Smashing and Serenity. Just sweep the color of your choice across your lid with the provided applicator for a fuss-free but glamorous look. Don't forget to use mascara to complete your look. Try Lancome's Magnificils, or if you want a waterproof formula, then try Lancome's Aquacils.
If you decide to play up your eyes, then be sure to keep your lips natural and glossy.