The holiday season can be a very expensive time of year. In addition to the gifts, outfitting yourself for holiday parties can break the bank.  But if you want to re-wear an old dress or make a new dress even more spectacular, you need to focus on hair and makeup.

Over the next week, I’ll be creating some hair and makeup pairings that will help you boost your holiday attire.  Today, a sleek and modern mix to lift everything from jeans and a sequin sweater to a fitted grey tank dress.

Hair.  The double ponytail is a great look for mid-length or longer hair.  It gives you a vixen-y, Bardot type look without a lot of work.  If you want to recreate this style, you’re going to need this tutorial from Promise Tangeman.  If you want to skip the doubled look and go for a vintage, teased ponytail instead, you’ll need this YouTube video from Regis Salon.

To complete this hairstyle, you’ll also need some tools.  I’ve found that dry shampoo or texturizing spray can help lift lifeless roots when teasing your hair.  I like the Oribe texturizing spray, and either The Drybar or Psssst dry shampoo.  (It also helps if your hair is curled and a bit dirty, as the tutorial mentions.)

For the teasing, use a comb with serrated teeth or a boar bristle teasing brush.  Then, secure with clear elastics and bobby pins that match your hair color.

Eye Makeup.  Smoky brown eyes are more subtle than their grey or black counterparts.  I like them because the softer makeup is easy to do yourself because overdoing it won’t make you look like Taylor Momsen.

This Jaclyn Hill tutorial is great (skip to 1:35 for the actual instructions) for creating a versatile brown smoky eye that is relatively easy to do.  For the shadow, I like this Bobbi Brown Warm Eye palette, but if you need a drugstore alternative, check out this palette from Physician’s Formula.  I also highly recommend pencil liner over liquid for smoky looks so you can smudge, and this Too Faced waterproof liner has a built-in smudge brush.

Lip Color.  I like a rosier tinge in my nude-to-me lip.  This inexpensive Revlon ColorBurst Balm in Honey is my favorite, but I also like this Hourglass cream lipstick in Fresco.  And for staying power, try this tutorial for stay-all-day lipstick.

Manicure.  I love the look of a mixed matte manicure.  They look great with nearly any color, so while I adore this purple look above, black is still my favorite.  For tips on creating a matte french mani try this tutorial from Ramshackle Glam.  For the exact nails in the photo above, check out this tutorial on my Pinterest page.

For at home manicures, I love my Sephora manicure kit and the Essie Cuticle Oil.  And if you’re looking for a matte topcoat, you need the Essie Matte About You Topcoat.

Look for a few more holiday makeup and hair posts between now and New Years Eve.  Because who wants to pay someone when you can get dolled up at home?