Getting all glammed up for the holiday season is what we look forward to every year. From the glitter, to the curls, to the rosy cheeks—you’ll sleigh this year’s holiday makeup contest!
So are you ready for another year of makeup drama and festive looks? We sure are, and we’re excited to tell you exactly what you need to know to enter this year’s contest!
Stay tuned to hear about the amazing prizes we have lined up for you! There’s a special gift for QC students and grads who enter as well…
When you create your look, submit your image by going to the contest page. Further details about how we select the winners can be found there as well—be sure to read through all the instructions!
That means preserving image quality so the judges can see your flawless brush techniques! It’s fairly obvious when Photoshop has been used to blur imperfections and make the makeup look more pigmented than it is in real life. Trust your skills and let them shine!
Get inspired to create your killer makeup look—there’s no limits when it comes to your artistic vision!
The Looks:
For this year’s contest, choose to create a “Day” (Winter Splendor) daytime makeup look using white, soft blue, and silver, or a “Night” (Holiday Glamour) evening makeup look using black, purple, and gold. You can submit a look to both categories if you feel ambitious! Use these color palettes for your makeup look:
The Judges:
Day/Winter Splendor
QC Tutor Azzi Williams will judge the Day/Winter Splendor makeup looks. Be sure to follow her advice on creativity, effort, skill, theme, and the overall image of the makeup look you submit.Night/Holiday Glamour
QC Tutor and Executive MUA Nathan Johnson is judging the Night/Holiday Glam looks. He wants to see your creativity, effort, skill and technique, overall image, and the overall transformation of before and after. Nathan encourages unique Avant Garde styles for the evening looks!The Prizes:
Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for…PRIZES! The winner of the Day/Winter Splendor makeup look will receive a Sephora Collection Geometricolor Palette Blockbuster, and a set of Clinique Chubby Treats—estimated at a retail value of over $100! The winner of the Night/Holiday Glamour look will receive a Sephora Favorites “Give Me Some Bold Lip”, a Too Faced Bon Bons Palette, as well as a Stila “Morning to Moonlight” Waterproof Eyeliner Trio! That’s about $155 to purchase in-store! And that special prize for QC students and grads who enter is a Too Faced Grand Hotel Café gift set—we’ll draw at random to find the lucky student who receives this awesome gift!
So how do you create your look?
Start by carefully reading through the judges’ advice. This will give you some guidelines for creating your look! Use these tips to submit your best look:Plan Ahead
The judges are looking for someone who is actively engaged in creating their look and using proper techniques and styles. You need to make sure you’re not just throwing something together last minute. Look for inspiration in current trends and use the holiday theme to connect your makeup look to the winter season!Quality Images
Be sure you submit a quality photograph that shows the best features of your overall look. Take careful consideration of lighting, background, and angles.- Lighting: Your makeup look should be clear and show off every feature of the complete look. Watch out for shadows and dark spots that will take away from your artistry skills.
- Background: Select your background carefully. You don’t need to use anything fancy, but a professional-looking, clear background will put the focus on your skills.
- Angles: Find the best angles for both your makeup look and your model—it will show your skills in planning the application of the look!
Be Original
Don’t just hash out old ideas—practice different looks and put a personal twist on them! Instead of sticking with a run-of-the-mill look, don’t be afraid to submit a unique photo. Think about the hair and style of your look and how it ties into both the makeup story and holiday theme.
Don’t Over-Edit
Taking a clear, quality photograph also means that you shouldn’t have to edit your photo. If you feel like your photograph doesn’t show your makeup skills very well, take another one with better lighting or try to use a better camera. Editing takes away from the natural skill the judges are looking for! We know there might be a couple of things to fix up, but be sure to maintain the integrity of the photo.
