Holiday Glam Guide: Christmas Beauty Trends, Festive Styles, and Gift Ideas for 2025

The holiday season brings sparkle, celebration, and countless opportunities to showcase your best look. From glamorous Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations to cozy family gatherings and festive photo sessions, this time of year calls for special beauty treatments that help you shine. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for your own holiday transformation or looking for the perfect beauty-related gifts for loved ones, this guide covers the hottest Christmas beauty trends, festive hairstyles and makeup looks, and thoughtful gift ideas that any beauty enthusiast will love.

At PJ’s College of Cosmetology, we’re passionate about helping people look and feel their absolute best during the holidays and year-round. Our students and graduates stay on top of the latest trends, mastering techniques that create stunning holiday looks for clients across Indiana and Kentucky. Let’s explore how to make this holiday season your most beautiful yet.

Trending Holiday Hairstyles for 2025

The right hairstyle sets the tone for your entire holiday look. This year’s trending styles range from classic elegance to playful, festive creativity.

Glamorous Holiday Curls and Waves

Nothing says holiday elegance quite like gorgeous curls cascading over your shoulders. This season, we’re seeing old Hollywood glamour waves making a major comeback—think deep side parts, glossy S-waves, and sophisticated vintage vibes perfect for formal holiday parties. For a more modern approach, loose beachy waves with subtle texture offer effortless elegance that works beautifully for both dressy occasions and casual celebrations.

The key to long-lasting holiday curls is proper preparation. Start with clean, conditioned hair, apply heat protectant before styling, use the right barrel size for your desired curl type (larger barrels for loose waves, smaller for tighter curls), and finish with flexible-hold hairspray that maintains movement while controlling frizz.

Sleek and Sophisticated Updos

When you want your outfit and accessories to take center stage, sleek updos provide the perfect polished backdrop. Low chignon buns positioned at the nape of the neck exude timeless elegance, while high ballerina buns create dramatic, modern statements. For something in between, twisted updos incorporating braids or elegant twists add visual interest while keeping hair beautifully controlled.

Updos also showcase statement earrings and necklaces—if you’ve invested in gorgeous holiday jewelry, let an updo help it shine. The bonus? Updos stay put through long evenings of celebration without constant touch-ups.

Festive Braided Styles

Braids aren’t just for casual days—elevated braiding techniques create stunning holiday looks with romantic, feminine appeal. Crown braids wrapping around the head like delicate halos feel both festive and ethereal. Side-swept braidscascading over one shoulder pair beautifully with one-shoulder or asymmetric dresses. Braided updos combining multiple braiding techniques with buns or twists offer intricate beauty that photographs gorgeously.

Add sparkle to braided styles with jeweled hair pins, glittery bobby pins, or delicate hair tinsel woven through the braids for extra holiday magic.

Adding Festive Touches

Transform any hairstyle into a holiday statement with thoughtful accessories and embellishments. Velvet ribbons in deep jewel tones like burgundy, emerald, or navy add luxurious texture. Sparkly clips and barrettes catch the light beautifully in party settings. Fresh or faux greenery like small evergreen sprigs or winter berries create whimsical, seasonal accents. Hair tinsel in gold, silver, or rose gold adds subtle shimmer throughout your style.

The key is restraint—choose one or two festive elements rather than overwhelming your look with too many decorative pieces.

Holiday Makeup Trends That Sparkle

Your holiday makeup should make you feel confident and festive while complementing your personal style and the occasion.

The Classic Red Lip

Nothing captures holiday glamour quite like a perfect red lip. This timeless choice works for virtually every skin tone—the trick is finding your ideal red shade. Cool-toned reds with blue undertones flatter fair and cool-toned complexions. True reds with balanced warm and cool notes suit most people beautifully. Warm reds with orange undertones complement warm and olive skin beautifully.

For long-lasting red lips that survive holiday meals and toasts, prep lips with balm, line the entire lip with matching liner as a base, apply lipstick with a brush for precision, blot with tissue, and apply a second layer for lasting power. Setting with translucent powder (tissue-blotted over lips) extends wear even further.

Sparkle and Shimmer

The holidays give you permission to embrace sparkle in ways you might normally reserve for special occasions. Glitter eyeshadow concentrated on the lid creates instant glamour—try gold, copper, champagne, or jewel-toned metallics. Shimmer highlighter applied to cheekbones, brow bones, and cupid’s bow creates a gorgeous, lit-from-within glow. Glitter liner along the upper lash line or in the inner corner adds festive sparkle without overwhelming your look.

Apply glitter products over primer or setting spray to minimize fallout and ensure they stay put throughout celebrations.

Sultry Smoky Eyes

For evening holiday events, smoky eyes create dramatic, sophisticated beauty. This year’s takes on the classic smoky eye include jewel-toned variations using deep emerald, sapphire, or amethyst shades instead of traditional black and gray, metallic smoke incorporating bronze, gold, or silver for festive shimmer, and soft burgundy smoke offering warmth perfect for the season.

Balance dramatic eyes with neutral or nude lips to keep the overall look cohesive rather than overwhelming.

Fresh, Glowing Skin

Not every holiday look requires dramatic makeup—sometimes fresh, radiant skin makes the biggest impact. Focus on creating a luminous complexion through well-moisturized, primed skin, light-to-medium coverage foundation or tinted moisturizer, cream highlighter for natural-looking glow, and rosy or peachy blush adding healthy color. This approach works beautifully for daytime celebrations, family gatherings, and when you want your natural beauty enhanced rather than covered.

Festive Nail Designs for the Holidays

Your manicure offers another opportunity to celebrate the season with festive flair.

Classic Holiday Colors

Traditional holiday shades never go out of style. Deep reds from burgundy to true crimson capture classic Christmas elegance. Evergreen and forest green offer sophisticated seasonal color. Gold and champagne metallics add luxurious shimmer. Winter white and cream create chic, minimalist holiday style. Navy and midnight blue provide rich, jewel-toned alternatives to traditional reds and greens.

A simple, well-executed solid color manicure in any of these shades looks polished and festive without requiring elaborate nail art.

Festive Nail Art Ideas

For those wanting more decorative manicures, countless holiday nail art options exist. Snowflake designs in white or silver on deep blue or burgundy bases capture winter magic. Candy cane stripes bring playful sweetness. Holly and berries painted as accent nails add botanical beauty. Plaid patterns in classic holiday color combinations feel cozy and seasonal. Glitter gradients fading from glitter at the tips to solid color at the base add sparkle without overwhelming.

If you’re not comfortable creating intricate designs yourself, professional nail technicians can bring your holiday nail vision to life.

Chrome and Metallic Finishes

Chrome and metallic nails remain hugely popular and feel particularly appropriate for holiday celebrations. Gold chromecatches light beautifully with mirror-like finish. Silver chrome offers cool, elegant shimmer. Rose gold provides warm, romantic glow. These eye-catching finishes work beautifully on their own or as accent nails paired with complementary solid colors.

Beauty Treatments to Book Before the Holidays

The weeks leading up to the holidays are the perfect time to invest in beauty treatments that help you look your absolute best.

Hair Color Refresh

If you color your hair, schedule appointments for early to mid-December so your color looks fresh for holiday celebrations. Popular holiday color services include rich, dimensional brunettes with warm lowlights, brightened blondes with babylights or balayage for sun-kissed glow even in winter, jewel-toned fashion colors like burgundy, plum, or deep red for bold holiday statements, and glossing treatments that add incredible shine and refresh faded color.

Book color appointments early—December is one of the busiest months in salons as everyone prepares for holiday events.

Facial Treatments for Glowing Skin

Radiant skin provides the perfect canvas for holiday makeup. Consider scheduling a facial 1-2 weeks before major events, allowing time for any minor redness to subside while maximizing glow. Hydrating facials combat winter dryness with intensive moisture, brightening treatments address dullness and uneven tone, anti-aging facials with collagen-boosting ingredients help you look refreshed, and clarifying facials ensure breakout-free skin for important events.

Estheticians can also recommend home care routines optimizing your skin’s appearance throughout the holiday season.

Professional Makeup Application

For major events like company parties, New Year’s Eve celebrations, or important family gatherings, professional makeup application ensures you look flawless and photo-ready. Professional makeup artists understand lighting, longevity, and techniques that photograph beautifully—valuable expertise for events involving lots of photos.

Many beauty professionals also offer makeup lessons where they create your look while teaching you techniques to recreate elements at home.

Thoughtful Beauty Gifts for Everyone on Your List

Beauty products and services make wonderful gifts for the special people in your life—and sometimes for yourself!

Gift Certificates: The Perfect Present

Can’t decide exactly what beauty service someone would love most? Gift certificates to salons, spas, or beauty schools offering public services provide flexibility while showing you care about recipients pampering themselves. Consider certificates for full salon services (cut, color, styling), spa days including multiple treatments, specific services like facials or massage, or product purchases allowing recipients to choose favorite items.

Beauty gift certificates suit almost everyone—friends, family members, coworkers, and teachers all appreciate opportunities for self-care and pampering.

Curated Beauty Product Sets

If you prefer tangible gifts, curated sets of quality beauty products make thoughtful presents. Look for professional-grade haircare sets for hair enthusiasts, luxurious skincare collections for the self-care devotee, makeup palettes and tools for cosmetics lovers, nail care kits for the manicure enthusiast, or fragrance sets for perfume aficionados.

Choose products from reputable brands known for quality—beauty gifts should feel luxurious and special rather than bargain-basement.

Beauty Tools and Accessories

High-quality beauty tools represent investments many people hesitate to make for themselves, making them perfect gift choices. Consider professional-quality flat irons or curling tools, makeup brush sets with various brush types and sizes, LED or heated eyelash curlers for perfect curl, skincare tools like jade rollers or gua sha, or lighted makeup mirrors for flawless application.

Tools from respected brands last for years, providing ongoing value long after the holidays end.

Subscription Boxes and Memberships

For gifts that keep giving throughout the year, beauty subscription boxes or salon memberships offer ongoing joy. Options include monthly beauty boxes with curated products, salon membership programs with regular service credits, makeup subscription services, or skincare subscriptions customized to skin type.

These gifts provide regular reminders of your thoughtfulness extending well beyond Christmas morning.

DIY Holiday Beauty on a Budget

Not everyone can afford professional services or luxury products, but you can still create beautiful holiday looks with budget-friendly approaches.

At-Home Hair Treatments

Give yourself a spa-quality hair treatment at home using drugstore deep conditioning masks, coconut or argan oil treatments for shine and softness, or DIY hair glosses using semi-permanent color for shine without commitment. Set aside an hour for self-care, apply treatments generously, wrap hair in a warm towel, and relax while products work their magic.

Simple DIY Skincare

Create glowing skin using accessible ingredients. Try honey masks for hydration and antibacterial benefits, sugar scrubs with olive oil for gentle exfoliation, cucumber slices for reducing puffiness, or green tea bags steeped then cooled for soothing eye treatments. While not replacements for professional facials, these simple treatments enhance your skin’s appearance affordably.

YouTube Tutorial Mastery

Free YouTube tutorials teach you virtually any beauty technique imaginable. Search for specific looks you want to create, watch multiple tutorials to understand different approaches, practice techniques before the actual event, and don’t get discouraged if your first attempts aren’t perfect. With practice, you can master gorgeous holiday looks using products you already own.

Looking Ahead: Start Your Beauty Career in the New Year

The holidays are a wonderful time to reflect on your dreams and goals for the coming year. If you’ve been considering a career in the beauty industry, the new year offers the perfect fresh start for pursuing your passion.

Quality cosmetology education prepares you to create the stunning holiday looks, transformative color services, rejuvenating facials, and gorgeous nail designs that clients seek throughout the year. With comprehensive training in hair, skin, and nails, you’ll develop the skills to help people look and feel their best for every occasion—from everyday confidence to special celebrations.

Programs at PJ’s College of Cosmetology throughout Indiana and Kentucky—including locations in Brownsburg, Clarksville, Greenfield, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Muncie, Plainfield, Richmond, Bowling Green, Glasgow, and Louisville—offer flexible scheduling with both full-time and part-time options. With continuous enrollment and classes typically starting monthly, you’re never far from beginning your journey toward a rewarding beauty career.

The holiday season reminds us how much joy beautiful hair, glowing skin, and polished nails bring to people’s lives. If creating that joy for others sounds fulfilling, cosmetology training might be your path to a career you’ll love.

Wishing You a Beautiful Holiday Season

However you choose to celebrate this holiday season, we hope you feel confident, beautiful, and ready to sparkle at every gathering. Whether you opt for dramatic glamour or understated elegance, professional treatments or DIY approaches, the most important thing is that your look makes you feel like the best version of yourself.

From all of us at PJ’s College of Cosmetology, we wish you a joyful holiday season filled with love, laughter, and of course, great hair days. May your holidays be merry and bright, and may the new year bring you everything you’re dreaming of—including perhaps a beautiful new career in the beauty industry!

Happy Holidays from PJ’s College of Cosmetology!

Looking for professional holiday beauty services or considering a career helping others look their best? Explore the programs and services available at PJ’s College of Cosmetology locations throughout Indiana and Kentucky. Your beautiful future starts here.