Party makeup advice, straight from the celebs' favourite makeup artist

One woman who definitely knows her way around a stunning party makeup look is celebrity makeup artist, Nikki Wolff (better known on social as Nikki Makeup). Her skill with a fluffy blending brush is so renowned that her diary is fully-booked with clients including Hailey Bieber, Yara Shahidi, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Simone Ashley, Dua Lipa and more.

Her USP? Beautiful makeup, with a cool twist. And, that's essentially what we want from our party makeup, right? We want it to be beautiful, but we also want a little extra spice to move it away from our day-to-day look. Across Nikki's Instagram grid, there's classic cat-eye flicks updated with the addition of graphic floating liners. There's red lips with the texture and finish amped up (ultra matte, or ultra glossy. Ombre, or all-over impactful). There's glitz shadow scattered effortlessly over lids without feeling too “done”. There's classic winged liner in shimmery midnight blue or pine green. So, when it comes to party makeup inspo, she's definitely the one to have in your corner. Luckily for us, we caught up with her as the season kicked off to tap her down for her top tips…

GLAMOUR: What's your advice when it comes to deciding what makeup to wear with a party outfit?

Nikki Wolff: “I suggest enhancing your favourite features while complementing an element of your dress. For instance, if you're wearing something sparkly, you might want to incorporate a bit of glitter into your eyeliner or a red lip to match a red sole.”

What's your advice when it comes to approaching party makeup in general?

“More is more for party season. It's a great time to use this opportunity to experiment with things you may have not have felt confident trying previously. Maybe you've always wanted to experiment with a bright or dark lip shade, now is the time to see how it makes you feel on a night out. If you feel like it's a big commitment for the night, take a gloss with you to blot the shade and add a little gloss on top which always softens the effect, and can give you an even more glamorous look as the night goes on. Ultimately, the most confidence in your make-up look will always come from beautiful skin. Now is the time to really be taking care of your skin and protecting it against the harsh winter weather. Some of my favourite products to keep your skin glowing in winter are the Noble Panacea Cleansing Balm and Exfoliating Refiner, which is an incredible cleanse and exfoliating skin prep, followed by Noble Panacea Vitamin C Booster and your favourite moisturiser.”

What party makeup trends are you excited for this season?

“The resurgence of the cat eye! This eye makeup look, in my opinion, is a universally flattering way of dramatising your eyes. If you have a steady hand, line all the way along the top of the lash line with a liquid liner, winging out following the angle of your lower water line to create the perfect flattering shape, and colour along the lower water line with a kohl pencil. For those with a less steady hand, try using a long-lasting pencil and blending it out to achieve a softer version of this look. My top tip for hooded eye shapes is to map out your shape with pencil or a little shadow on an angle brush while your eyes are open. This will ensure you create the perfect angle to flatter your eye shape. Once you've done this then look down and fill in any gaps in your liner.”

What party makeup would you recommend for maximalists?

"Go for metallics, this look is much easier to achieve than it sounds. Try using a cream shadow base like Rabanne's Eyeforia Color Shot Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow which is a cream-to-paint formula that's easy to apply and blend for instant 'party-esque' eyes.

What are some of your favourite party makeup looks you've done?

“This iridescent cat eye I created on Yara Shahidi is a great example of how you can utilise the trend by adding a little touch of shimmer to everything so that it feels party-esque. Alternatively, if you'd like to focus more on the lips the recent look I created on Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (above) for the red carpet is a timeless classic.”

What party makeup would you recommend for minimalists?

“Why not tap into the cold girl make-up trend. Keep it minimal by just applying a little extra blush to the apples of the cheeks and the tip of the nose, and then add a beautiful shimmery lid and cheekbone to create a luminous wintery feel. Beautiful skin is the key element to this look, so I like to mix a little of my favourite facial oils with my foundation or even cream blush. For example, the Noble Panacea Absolute Nourishing Lift Oil gives a beautiful glow whilst also helping to plump the look of the skin, so it looks truly healthy.”

What are some of the easiest party makeup tricks and hacks?

“Start and finish your skin with a glow. Once you've perfected your base, apply a cream blush and highlighter to keep that luminosity. I love the Westman Atelier blush sticks followed by a little of the lit-up highlight stick. You can still use your usual primers and powders, especially down the centre of the face, to keep everything in place – including if you have oily skin.”

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk