Beauty’s Night Out: Your Guide to Pop Star Beauty, Just in Time for Party Season

Welcome to Beauty’s Night Out, a series dedicated to the need-to-know beauty conversations dominating the nightlife scene. Expect a first look at the latest trends, behind-the-scenes tutorials, and loads of going-out inspiration as you get all dolled up—all you need is your favorite playlist.

Pop stars have shaped the beauty and style scenes since, well, forever, but today’s crop of It girls have left their marks on virtually every aspect of culture. “Brat” green cemented itself as the color of the summer (accompanied by a confident, carefree way of life). “That’s that me espresso” became an acceptable clapback in our everyday vernacular. Beyoncé’s call for “denim on denim on denim on denim” inspired a tidal wave of Canadian tuxedos. I could go on! Our favorite artists are serving endless inspiration, which means it only makes sense to close out 2024 with some pop star–inspired holiday looks. Think Sabrina Carpenter’s intense blush, Charli XCX’s’s grungy liner, Tyla’s megawatt highlight, and Ariana Grande’s feather-soft (and Glinda-fied) glam.

So for our first installment of Beauty’s Night Out, we spoke to the makeup artists responsible for creating those influential signature beats. (Pun very much intended.) Follow along as they discuss all the steps, products, and behind-the-scenes tips to nail each celeb look, no matter what soirée you have on the docket. The world is your dance floor.

Charli XCX is the poster child for lived-in, party-girl makeup, which, according to Valentino Beauty global makeup artist Yadim Carranza, will certainly turn heads this holiday season. “I don’t know if her signature look necessarily screams holiday beauty. I mean, it’s basically morning-after, ‘party-girl’ makeup,” he caveats. “But I think what’s cool about today is that we’re less and less concerned about specific beauty being deemed ‘appropriate’ for certain occasions and more interested in radical self-expression.” A “morning-after, party-girl” vibe may not scream holidays, but you better believe it screams brat—and we’re seeing no signs of the edgy aesthetic slowing down.

To emulate Charli’s signature grungy eyes, Carranza first dusts a taupe eye shadow (shade When in Paris from Valentino Beauty’s Color-Flip Eyeshadow Palette) on her lids and lower lash line. “This gives a subtle tone around the eyes that gives that ‘I’ve been out partying’ look she loves,” he explains. Then he tightlines her eyes with Valentino’s Colorgraph Eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, smudging it out with his fingers or a brush to achieve a slightly messy effect (depending on how “grunge” you want to go). “She also loves when I pull the liner out at the outer ends of the eyes and blend out slightly to appear more ‘snatched,'” he says. Next comes a swipe of mascara on curled lashes, but it’s not always a must-have. “Lately, she’s been into a bare lash,” Carranza adds.

“Charli doesn’t like too much on her skin; I don’t even use foundation on her,” he says regarding her base. “Not wearing much on the skin really adds to the overall grunge aesthetic that Charli is known for.” Instead, he’ll prep her complexion with a dense moisturizer—he loves Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream but recommends Avène’s Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream for a less spendy option—then layer on Valentino’s V-Lighter in Rose as a luminous primer. “Next, I use a bit of the Very Valentino Concealer just on areas that need some coverage or to even out skin tone,” he shares.

The pop icon also “loves a bit of contour,” so Carranza carves her cheeks with Kevyn Aucoin’s Sculpting Contour Powder in Medium, which he calls a “perfect cool brown.” As for blush, he’ll actually dab the Spike Valentino Buttery Matte Lipstick directly on her cheeks, nose, and forehead before blending it out with his fingers or a dense brush. It provides just a little extra flush, he notes. “Try it in shades Better Crying in a Limo or Couture in the Streets,” he adds (the latter being Charli’s favorite!).

It also provides a perfect segue into lip products, which is always a cool nude (very ’90s grunge). Carranza first lines Charli’s lips, drawing barely outside of the natural lip line for a slightly poutier effect. Then he applies her lipstick—Couture in the Streets—with his fingertips for a lived-in look. “Try applying some product to the back of your hand then picking up the product with your finger and lightly dabbing it on [your] lips,” he explains. “Don’t worry about it being too perfect or precious. It should read as more of a stain than a perfectly stamped-on lip.”

For those who want to add more of a festive flair, Carranza recommends adding more sparkle to the equation. Try topping the taupe eye shadow with a shimmery champagne shade or applying it to the high points of your cheekbones for a glitzy highlighting effect. You could even add an allover dusting of glitter—Carranza loves the clean, biodegradable options from Submission Beauty—to really nail the “grungy party girl” aesthetic.

Your Night-Out Staples

For those craving more of a sun goddess glow than grungy glam, allow me to point you in the direction of Tyla. The singer is known for a bronzy, sun-kissed beat (her Met look—need I say more?) that’s actually super wearable year-round. Hey, a megawatt glow knows no season. Plus, “there’s nothing like showing up to a holiday party feeling glowy, [especially] when you haven’t been getting enough sun,” her makeup artist Matthew Fishman tells me. I second that!

The key to said glow is a dewy foundation—namely, Fenty Beauty’s Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Hydrating Longwear Foundation, which has a “glowy, not oily” finish Fishman loves. “You always want to be strategic when creating a glow,” he explains. “If it’s too glowy, it can translate as too shiny on the carpet, and then it just doesn’t look good in photos.”

After powdering the center areas of Tyla’s face (because, yes, even glowy looks require some mattifying balance), he applies Chanel’s Les Beiges cream bronzer (it has “such a fine finish,” he says) and Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip and Cheek Glow to her cheekbones. “I’ve worked with Tyla for a year now, and we’ve played with a lot of different textures and products. I feel like that’s what translates the best on her skin,” he says.

Tyla’s eye makeup typically reads what Fishman dubs “snatural” (snatched yet natural—get it?). He’ll first use a neutral matte shadow to give her eyes definition before committing to Tyla’s staple: a glossy lid. He dips a flat brush into a shimmery shadow (usually one from Dior’s Backstage Glow Face Palette), saturates it with a setting spray, and presses it onto the lids. “Then if we really want to amp it up like we did for the BET Awards—so when the light hits her face, it reflects—we use the Fenty Diamond Bomb,” Fishman adds. “It’s a multipurpose product you can use on the body [and] on the face. That’s where we play with the emphasis on glow.”

Tyla is well-known for her head-to-toe radiance (again, that Met look!), and that Fenty product seems to be Fishman’s secret weapon. After applying a body lotion and oil (he uses both to really lock in hydration), he taps the balm on the high points of her body—her décolleté, her neck, the center of her legs—so that “when she’s on the carpet, she really shines.” Fishman then gives her a healthy spritz of setting spray to keep everything in place. “If you’re putting on a [winter] coat right over the glow, it will rub it off. Setting spray locks in that sheen,” he explains.

Tyla loves a glossy, pink lip, so Fishman keeps it neutral with a combination of “not too warm, not too cool” lip liners. “One of my go-tos is Mac’s Lip Liner Pencil in Chestnut,” he says. “It’s a perfect amount of warmth on the lips because she loves a pinkier undertone.” He goes in with a mauve-pink shade from Charlotte Tilbury for the center of her lips, then tops it off with a clear gloss. “A staple in the Tyla kit is always the clear lip gloss from MAC. We can’t live without that,” he shares.

Your Night-Out Staples

From her angelic Met look to the many ethereal moments during her Wicked press tour, Ariana Grande’s signature glam has become positively Glinda-fied—dreamy, playful, with (of course) hints of pink. “I think the holidays are always a great time to add a touch of magic, a sparkle or a snowy accent to the eyes or lashes,” her makeup artist Michael Anthony tells me. In other words, there’s never a better opportunity to channel your inner witch.

Grande’s angelic glam always starts with a “feathery-soft sculpted complexion,” Anthony says. He first applies an even layer of foundation before using cream bronzer to contour underneath the cheekbones, around the hairline, and a smidge underneath the jawline. “This will blend nicely into the foundation since it’s not set yet,” he notes. A dab of concealer on the under-eyes, then he’ll set the foundation and contour with a deeper shade of mineral powder (or he’ll just use powder bronzer). “This gives a seamless structure to the face and stabilizes the makeup without looking too powdery,” he adds.

As for blush and highlighter, Anthony keeps it minimal—just a touch of pink on the high points of the cheeks to add a natural flush. “I think less is more when it comes to blush and highlighter—unless it’s for stage or beauty editorial,” he explains. “For everyday, I like a soft matte finish with highlights on the tip of the nose and lids.”

Speaking of lids, he likes to prep Grande’s with a custom Sweetener Concealer cocktail: Fair 1, a pure bright white, mixed with her regular shade to “brighten and lighten the lids.” He’ll then buff a caramel shade on the outer corner of Grande’s eyes toward her temples. Next, he swipes on nude shadows from her Midnight Shadows Eyeshadow Palette in Babydoll to further define her lids. “The definition close to the lashes on the outer third of the eye aligns with the cheek contour, so there’s a nice harmony and upswept feeling to the makeup,” he shares.

Next comes liner, which he likes to apply using a tight angled brush close to the lash line—unless, of course, he’s crafting a graphic look. “This is something I’ve always enjoyed and get to play with a lot on Ari,” he says. “I’ll craft lashes or crystal decals and have a wardrobe of choices for us to try on and experiment with.” That said, a graphic cat eye is certainly one of his favorites (seen here). “We follow the open leaf–like shape using the R.E.M. white eye kohl,” he explains.

For lips, he recommends using R.E.M.’s Practically Permanent Lip Stain Marker followed by the brand’s plumping gloss in the shade Pink Razor for a highlighting effect. “It really is such a wonderful combo that works so well on camera and in person,” he notes. “If and when the lip gloss comes off, even hours later, you’ve still got a beautiful tinted lip thanks to the stain underneath!”

The result is stunning on its own, but feel free to use this lineup as your Ari-inspired template for holiday party season. According to Anthony, it leaves tons of room for you to play, be it with a red lip, crystal liner, or flashy liquid shadow. (He suggests dabbing R.E.M.’s Fembot on the center of the lids.) “Your base makeup supports any and all of it,” he adds.

Your Night-Out Staples

Finally, we have the reigning queen of girly pop. Known for bright-pink cheeks and doll eyes, Sabrina Carpenter’s glam is practically made for the holidays. “You can’t go wrong with a glossy lip, a bold cheek, and gorgeous long lashes for any holiday party. “[Sabrina’s] is a nostalgic look with the long lashes and bold blush, almost like a pinup girl with a modern twist,” says her makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez.

Dewy skin is the name of the game here, which Gonzalez masters with a toner (“I love the Rose Water Toner by Heritage Store,” she says) and 111Skin’s Black Diamond Cream. She also will layer on Mario Badescu’s Lip Mask to prep Carpenter’s lips. “This way, by the time I get to the lip color, the lips are soft and moisturized.” After priming Carpenter’s skin, Gonzalez uses Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Foundation and Concealer for a glowy base that “won’t get cakey.” She uses that same concealer in a shade four to five hues deeper to contour the hairline, cheekbones, and underneath the chin.

Now, for the main event—Carpenter’s signature blush. “To re-create the look, opt for Luminous Silk Cheek Tint in shades 53 and 62,” Gonzalez says. “Mix the shades on your hand, and then start tapping into the skin either with your finger or a brush.” Don’t be afraid to really load on the pigment; “blush blindness” has no place here! She then recommends setting complexion products with powder except in the areas you applied blush. Let the cheeks shine!

For the eyes, Gonzalez says you can opt for a neutral or sparkly lid situation (but it’s the holidays, so we’ll safely assume you’ll go with the latter!). Regardless of which route you choose, she recommends giving the eyes extra definition with liquid liner. “For a more doe-eyed look like the one Sabrina is known for, use Armani Beauty’s Eye Tint in shade 99M in a thin line,” she instructs. Finish off the look with a few coats of inky mascara to secure those fluttery, doll-like lashes.

A swipe of brow gel (“The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel keeps brows in place and makes them look fluffy,” Gonzalez says), and then it’s time to dress the lips. “Glossy lips are so in right now to get that pop-star look!” she adds, which is why she piles on the shine-enhancing products. “I always recommend Armani beauty Prisma Glass Lip Gloss. Shade 1 is clear, and it’s a go-to for me since it just adds extra gloss to any lip color,” she shares.

Finally, if you’re craving some extra sparkle, she suggests a few taps of Armani’s Luminous Silk Acqua Highlighter. “This adds a little extra glow to your look, which everyone loves during the holidays,” she shares. Apply to the high points of your cheekbones, your nose, and anywhere you’re craving more glow.

Your Night-Out Staples