Glitter, smoky eyes and a perfect pink lip – it's time to glam up for this year's Christmas party. Emma Harrowing shows you how.

It is tempting to just layer on a bit more mascara and add a touch of lippy to your daytime look to vamp it up for a Christmas or New Year party, but creating a polished and fashionable evening make-up look is easier than you think. You just need to learn a few basic tricks.

For a start wear a primer under your foundation and an eye base on your eyelids to make your look last until the end of the party.

Learn how to create a basic smoky eye. Take two shades of eye colour that complement each other, such as this season's plum shades – light and dark purple, and pick a white or cream shade. First take the white or cream colour and apply to the corner of your eye and under your eyebrow with a brush. Next apply the lighter shade of the colour you choose across your eyelid up to the crease. Finally apply the darker shade along the crease of your eyelid and blend into the outer edge of your eyelid to the lash line. Finish the eyes with an eye liner along the top lash line and a coat of mascara.

And thirdly, apply a little bit of blusher to add colour to your face. Use a brush to apply blusher to the apples of your cheeks. Then blend upwards and outwards along your cheekbone to your hairline.

This season there are two key looks for Christmas. For those that like classic looks the new neutral look with big lashes, smoky eyes and nude lip is perfect, or for those that like colour the colour pop eye with sugary pink lip is for you. Here's how to create each look.

Look 1: The new neutral

MAC's Christmas make-up look takes the neutral trend to new heights. Glitter and Ice is the new party collection with a winter wonderland snow globe of shades. Mix with MAC's Metal X cream shadow for a look that takes the neutral look into the evening. MAC make-up artist Amy at Jarrold shows you how to get the look.

For the eyes

MAC make-up artists always start with the eyes so that any residue that falls down your face can easily be wiped away without messing up your base. Start by using an eyebrow pencil to fill in your eyebrows. This will frame your face.

Next apply a brown metallic eye shadow across your eyelids up to the crease (Amy uses MAC Metal-X cream shadow in Venetian Tarnish 1).

Then apply a darker brown eye shadow along the crease of your eyelid and on the outer edge of your eyelid (Amy uses Roasted Chestnut eye colour which is part of the MAC Smoky Berry pigment collection 2). Blend to create a smoky eye.

Use a white or cream eye shadow to highlight the area under your eyebrows and above the crease of your eyelid.

Define your eyes by applying a brown eyeliner to the top and bottom lash line (Amy uses MAC eye kohl in Teddy 3).

Finish the eyes with a coat of black mascara and a set of false eyelashes (Amy used MAC No.7 eyelashes 4).

For the base

Find a foundation colour that disappears into your natural skin tone and apply to the centre of your face and blend outwards. Conceal any blemishes or dark areas with concealer.

For the cheeks

Bring back the colour to your face by using a natural peach coloured blusher. Apply the blusher to the apples of you cheeks and blend upwards and outwards along your cheekbones towards your hairline.

For the lips

As your eyes are heavily made up keep your lips neutral with a barely there brown lipstick.

Look 2: Colour pop

Art Deco is a favourite of Theatre Royal Sleeping Beauty star Hayley Tamaddon and with its stay-in-place lipsticks and eye colours it is perfect for partying all night long. Art Deco make-up artist Rachael at Jarrold shows you how to get the look.

For the base

Create a flawless base by using a primer after moisturising your skin as this will prepare you skin and make it easier to evenly apply foundation. Next use a foundation that matches your skin tone and apply with a brush starting at the centre of your face and blend outwards. Cover any blemishes or dark circles with concealer. Set your base with a dusting of compact powder.

For the eyes

Use an eye shadow base over your eyelid. This will make your eye shadow last longer and the colour will be brighter.

Frame your face by defining your eyebrows using an eyebrow powder.

To create the colour pop eye use a mixture of four colours – cream, dark brown, purple and dark pink. Rachael used the Art Deco colours 95, 290, 96 and 372 1.

First use the cream colour and apply with a brush to the inner corner of your eye. Next apply the dark pink colour over your eyelid up to the crease. Then apply the purple eye shadow to the outer edge of your eyelid, again apply below the crease. Take the dark brown eye colour and apply along the crease of your eyelid to create a line and blend.

Finish the eyes by applying a purple liquid eyeliner 2 along your top lash line making the line gradually thicker as you get to the outer edge of your eye. Use a black mascara to complete the eyes.

For the cheeks

Keep your cheeks neutral with a bronze blusher. Rachael uses Art Deco Mineral Baked blusher 3. Apply with a brush to the apples of your cheeks and blend upwards and outwards along your cheekbone up to your hairline.

For the lips

Add a natural pink tone to your lips by using a pink lipliner to outline and colour in your lips and finish with a pink lipstick. Rachael uses Art Deco High Performance lipstick 4.

Find out what some of the key pieces you need to create each look by clicking on the photo gallery link at the top right of this page.