How to put on your party face

(InStyle.com) -- You've found the perfect dress, practiced your icebreaker and chilled the bubbly. Now starts the primping. This is your guide for flawless, pretty makeup.

Bright red lips

Add a show stopping accessory to that little black dress? Go for an elegant pop of color. Here, tips for picking the right shade and making it last through cocktails.

How to do it:

1. To create a flawless canvas and prevent fading, prep your pout with a creamy primer. Press the concealer-like formula into your lips to fill lines and help anchor the color.

2. Trace your natural lip line with a clear waxy pencil. A transparent one gives definition and protects against feathering without the risk of looking fake or severe.

3. Once you've found your perfect shade of crimson -- crisp and blue-based for fair skin, orangey for olive, and burgundy for dark complexions -- apply color directly from the tube, not with a lip brush. Press the color in with your fingertip.

4. Complete the look with glowing skin and two coats of black mascara.

Smoky eyes

Intense, versatile and low-maintenance -- this classic look never gets old. Follow these simple steps to ensure your shadow looks soft and sooty but never slept in.

How to do it:

1. Trace the upper lid with a soft black pencil to "define the shape and add intensity to the lash line," explains Halle Berry's makeup artist, Fiona Stiles. Then gently smudge it with your fingertip to diffuse the line.

2. Using a medium-size domed brush, apply inky powder to the crease of the eye. Then blend it downward for a wash of color over the entire lid.

3. With a smaller brush that has firm bristles, press a gunmetal shade into the lower lash line. Apply a silver powder to the inner corners to "lighten the overall effect," says Keira Knightley's makeup artist, Kate Lee.

4. Pile on the mascara. Stiles prefers a small, easy-to-maneuver wand. Instead of heavy lip color, choose a glossy or balm-like neutral for a "slightly less finished mouth," she says.

Glowing skin

When too many late nights and sugary cocktails take a toll on your complexion, consider this your radiance refresher. It's the prettiest way to fake eight hours.

How to do it:

1. Thandie Newton's makeup artist, Kay Montano, uses tinted moisturizer with light-reflecting pigments "for an instant glow." If you like more coverage, apply foundation or concealer, but only where needed.

2. Swirl shimmering rose blush over the apples of your cheeks, then blend it toward the temples. Dust with a soft gold (or bronze for dark skin) highlighter along the cheekbones.

3. For clean definition on the eyes, skim a medium brown pencil along the inner rim of the lower lash line, then top it with a creamy gold pencil. Highlight the inner corners of the eyes and lids with a gilded powder for a brightening effect.

4. A slick of light pink lip gloss adds just the right dose of shine and color.

Big, thick lashes

If ever there was a time and place for lashing out, it's the holiday office party. The look is festive and glamorous without coming on too strong, especially with glossy lips.

How to do it:

1. Makeup artist Scott Barnes uses full lash strips to accentuate Jennifer Lopez's eyes. Before applying them, sweep a lengthening mascara onto your natural lashes. Then roll the fakes between your fingers to "loosen the bend and make them easier to adjust to the shape of your eye," Barnes says.

2. Hold the strip up to your lid to measure the length. "If it's too long, snip off a few hairs so that they don't poke into your skin," advises Mally Roncal, who works with Beyoncé. Use a clean toothpick to spread glue along the base. "Never apply glue directly from the tube -- it will make a mess," Roncal says.

3. Wait about 20 seconds for the adhesive to become tacky, then, looking down into a mirror, drop the strip on your natural lash line. Pinch lashes with your fingertips.

4. Fill gaps at the lash line with the point of a black felt-tip liquid eyeliner.

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