Image Source: Getty/Gotham / Contributor
On Nov. 21, Hailey Bieber posted a video on TikTok giving followers a look at her signature makeup look for the festive season, which is inspired by a role she played in a beloved holiday ballet. “Bieber actually got the opportunity to dance the principal part of Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker,” makeup artist Ehlie Luna tells POPSUGAR. “As someone who used to work for the New York City Ballet, I can tell you it’s an extremely coveted role.”
As such, the term “sugar-plum fairy” makeup was born – and is now trending across social media. “This makeup inspiration drew heavily from the portion of the show set in the Land of Sweets,” Luna says. “That set is typically very colorful and bright, and traditionally, lots of pink tones are used to bring it to life, which is why you see the shade being utilized so heavily in Bieber’s version of the look.”
If you’ve yet to find your holiday makeup for this year, Luna and makeup artist Jonet Williamson explain how to get your own sugar-plum fairy makeup look, ahead.
What Is Sugar-Plum Fairy Makeup?
“It’s basically the “I’m cold” or “tomato girl” trends with a twist,” Luna says.
The key to achieving this look is to make sure that you get the tones, placement, and glow just right, but in a way that complements your own skin tone. “Blush draped along the cheeks all the way up to the temple is an absolute must,” Williamson says. “You can even drape it across the eye for a bit more cohesion.”
Additionally, you’ll want some sparkle to get that ethereal effect. Williamson recommends highlighting all the places that the sun would naturally hit, like the cheeks, down the nose, and the cupid’s bow. She also recommends using a cream highlighter so it can blend into the previously placed blush more seamlessly. We’ve been loving the KJH brand Hyper Shine High Lite Kits ($75).
For her version of the trend, Bieber used a brighter-toned pink blush shade that may not have the same effect on someone with a deeper complexion. If you have tan to deep or dark skin, stick to products that are in the plum, berry, warm pink, and mauve color families. Think items like Danessa Myricks’s Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Flushed ($25) in Dancing Queen, Milk’s Lip + Cheek ($24) in Quickie, and Ilia’s Multi-Stick ($26) in All of Me. Finally, to finish the look, you can add a pink-toned gloss like Ami Cole’s Lip Treatment Oil ($20) in Bliss or Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Lip Gloss ($20) in Soft Pink.
The sugar-plum fairy trend is an adorable take on holiday makeup that manages to combine pieces of all of our favorite trends from this year and puts them together in one look. Whether you’re still in your Barbiecore era or are still living for the “clean girl” aesthetic, this is a special occasion look that can suit virtually everyone.
