When getting ready for the holiday party circuit, you want to look nice, but not overdone … you want to look like an enhanced version of yourself, right? And accomplishing this task shouldn’t add additional stress to your already pressure-filled schedule. Fear not! You can do what needs to be done without feeling frantic. Take a couple of extra steps to make a big impact for these events, and you’ll look great and enjoy yourself, too!

We recently headed to Primp Style Lounge, where you can get a style, blowout or makeup application, and had the professionals show us four different holiday styles. (SB Tip: Primp Style Lounge does not cut hair or do nails.)

These holiday looks aren’t too complex, and all of them can also be done by you, if you choose to DIY. The salon option is definitely a luxury, no doubt, but it’s also truly a time saver. By getting your hair styled or blown out, you can have that ‘do last through the weekend.  Doing your makeup yourself might take you an hour; a professional can do it in 20 minutes. Why not consider the trip to the salon a holiday gift to yourself?

Here are the four lovely ladies who will showcase different holiday looks. And you might recognize a couple of them. They are Elizabeth Woolsey televsion news anchor from WDRB Fox 41, Monica Hardin, television news anchor from WLKY Channel 32, Krista Walker, StyleBlueprint Louisville contributing writer, and Lynda Lambert, host of the Lambert & Lindsey Morning Show on 102.3 The Max.

MAKEUP

Marie, our talented makeup artist, concentrated on three different areas where minimal effort has a maximum effect: eyelashes, eyebrows and lips. She applied the basic layers of foundation, powder, blush and eyeshadow on everyone first, and then dove in to the hot spot. Total makeup time for each woman was 20 minutes or less. (It would take me 20 minutes just to figure out the eyelashes!)

Eyelashes

Marie went for false lashes on everyone, and it definitely made a big difference! She applied the glue directly to the false lashes and then gently applied them as close to the real lash line as possible. She let them dry and applied mascara on top of the false lashes to blend.

Eyebrows

Eyebrows are the game changer of a face: they need to show up and be counted. First things first: get them in working order — tweeze, thread or wax — and then spend time filling them in with a shade darker than your normal color. Makeup artists recommend doing your eyebrows first before the eye makeup; you’ll find that you end up wearing less eye makeup with a finished brow. The results are amazing!

Lips

A holiday party is a great time to unveil a strong, new lip color. Whether it be a bright tomato, fierce red or a punchy coral, show off that pucker with purpose.

HAIR

The consensus among the group was to do something different than their normal hairdo. They all wanted an enhancement for their look, but nothing too complicated. Here are some beautiful — and attainable — options:

Look #1: Slicked back 

Elizabeth normally wears her bob straight down. Her hair is too short for a ponytail, but she wanted to wear it back off of her face. Her stylist slicked back the sides, securing them with a pin, teased the top, and then created a poof for a sleek and modern effect. The teased poof hid the bobby pins securing the sides.

Look #2: Loose modern ribbon curls

Monica normally wears her hair straight or naturally curly. However, she knew exactly what she wanted, and it was something she had never done: she requested the Carrie Underwood curls. For those not in the know, Carrie Underwood curls are loose curls done with a flat iron. Pieces of hair are wrapped around one side of the iron, like a ribbon, and then the iron is slowly brought down the length of the hair, like curling a ribbon.

Look #3: Short hair with volume

Lynda has short, wavy hair. Her stylist created volume in the back with a volume powder and blowout. She then made the sides sleek and modern, and she flipped the ends up to accentuate Lynda’s natural curl.

Look #4: Long, loose curls

Krista has long, straight hair. Her stylist gave her a blowout and then created pin curls, wrapping the warmed hair with his fingers and securing it with a pin. He left the pin curls in for about 20 minutes, then gently took them out one by one, creating a subtle, curly look with lots of volume that also showed off her new ombre color.

The moral of this story is that it does not take much time and effort to create a gorgeous holiday look. Wear a brighter lipstick. Wear your hair differently than you normally would. Think about wearing false eyelashes. These are all things you can easily do yourself, if you are so inclined. If not, delegate the work to the professionals, and get a fabulous look with some staying power.

Blowout and styles at Primp Style Lounge are $35, which includes a shampoo. A ponytail or braid is only $25, but does not include a shampoo. Makeup applications start at $20.

Primp Style Lounge is located at 3917 Chenoweth Square. Call (502) 384-7043 or email them at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.