5 Essential New Year's Makeup Looks

As we ring in the New Year all over the world, it's the time to welcome in 2015 with open arms and say goodbye to the past year. In the spirit of adventure and a new beginning, we've got 5 essential makeup looks inspired by all the things associated with New Year's parties- Champagne, Fireworks, a Disco Ball, Confetti and Midnight. 

Take this night as your chance to step outside your makeup comfort zone. Take a look at these makeup styles created using the best makeup looks and tools in YouCam Makeup. 

Before the New Year's Makeover

1. Champagne- Sophisticated Charm 

Champagne is golden, bubbly and light, so we put together a look inspired by this sparkling drink that will have you ready for all your day or night parties! We applied foundation and a light pink blush to the apples of her cheeks. Then, using the eye shadow trio "Butterscotch chocolate chip" in the shimmering tone, we dusted her lids to give them a gentle metallic shade. We added winged black eyeliner to make the look pop, just like that bottle of Champagne! When applied with a slightly glossy champagne-nude lipstick, this illuminating look is ready for the New Year!

 

Choosing sparkly eye shadow trio (left) and the full look with subtle lip gloss and blush (right)

2. Fireworks- Light Up the Night

Recreate the night colors of New Year's fireworks! To stay fresh, we applied a foundation based but no blush. Then, using a custom eye shadow trio in shimmering blue, green and purple, we applied the shadow to give a rainbow light effect. We lined her eyes with a fun purple winged eyeliner, because it's New Year's so don't be afraid of color! For the lips we used gorgeous bright ballerina pink in matte to make sure the lips don't compete with the eyes. And there you have your firework-inspired makeup style for a festive night!

 Choosing sparkly eye shadow trio (left) and applying purple winged eyeliner (right)

3. Disco Ball- Glitter the Night Away

This glittery 70's look uses one of YouCam Makeup's the preset "Looks" called Drama, and then customizes it for a more personalized look. With our inspiration the disco ball, we applied the plumpest lashes to give you the biggest volume. Then, using the eye shadow duo in shimmery white and silver, we apply this all over the eyelid. Finishing the look up with a gentle pink blush and matte pink lip, you are ready to dance the night away!

 Choosing one of YouCam Makeup's "Looks" called Drama (left) and selecting silver eye shadow (right)

4. Confetti- A Colorful Surprise

For a more whimsical look inspired from the colorful confetti we throw at the New Year, try this vibrant look! We applied evening foundation and a pretty pink blush to her cheeks. We trimmed her brows to frame her face and really focus the attention on her eyes. Then, using a customized eye shadow trio in red, blue and yellow shimmer, we dusted her top lids. We added long curly lashes and subtle eyeliner to bring the look together. For the finishing touch, we added a glossy wine purple shade of lip gloss!

Trimming the eyebrows (left) and choosing the purple lip gloss shade (right)

5. Midnight- A Mysterious Moment

Midnight on New Year's is filled with elegance and mystery--- who will you kiss when the clock strikes twelve?  Inspired by this moment, we applied one of YouCam Makeup's preset "Looks" called Elegant, then personalized it to create a deeper feeling. We covered the lids with a silver and black shadow and added dark magenta matte lipstick. For an added element of fun, we used the eye color feature to add a colored contact lens for even more fierce eyes. The eye makeup is sensual and intense, so it is perfect for this evening!

Using one of YouCam Makeup's "Looks" called Elegant (left) and trying a new eye color (right)

Happy New Year to all!

Here are all the fabulous New Year's looks~

The Secret to Taking Perfect Holiday Group Shots

Eyes looking a bit tired after wrapping presents late into the night? Skin looking pale this winter because it's been months since you've seen the sun? Still have to look bright-eyed and cheery for your Christmas photos?

We're here to help! Our YouCam Perfect app is great for fixing up your group shots because you can easily edit each face independently. Simply snap a photo using YouCam Perfect, or "Edit" one of the images already stored in your phone.

Let's take the family Christmas photo and open it up in YouCam Perfect to make a few quick improvements. 

Click on "Beautifier" (left) and then select the face that you wish to edit. 

While the kids don't need any touch-ups, mom wants to brighten up her skin and hide some wrinkles while dad wants to banish his dark circles.

For subtle but noticeable improvements to your complexion and skin, try using a combination of these beautify features:

• "Skin Smoothener" will smooth your fine lines and soften discoloration
• "Skin Toner" will either brighten or tan your face, depending on the tone you select
• "Face Reshaper" will help you look a little slimmer if you've gained a few holiday pounds this season
• "Face Contour" will make your features stronger 
• "Blemish Removal" will hide any unwanted holiday guests (ahem, pimples)
• "Shine Removal" will get rid of that unflattering shiny, glow that we want on the Christmas tree but not on our face

Before (left) and After applying YouCam Perfect Beautify features (right)

Eye bags are a common problem for older men, but "Eye Bag Removal" will give you the hours of sleep that you might have missed last night by hiding your dark circles quickly.

Simply select "Eye Bag Removal" and use the slider to choose the degree of coverage.

 

 Before (left) and After applying YouCam Perfect "Eye Bag Removal" (right)

For an optional festive addition to your holiday photo or to turn it into a holiday e-card, add one of the free holiday templates.

After you've finished enhancing the faces in your photo, choose "Deco" and then "Frames" to add a Christmas or New Year's themed frame, collage or scene.

Add a template in "Deco" (left) and Saving your image with options to send (right)

Finally, you can send your perfect Christmas or New Year's photo to friends and relatives using U messenger, Facebook, or any of your favorite ways of sharing photos. Happy Holidays!

If you haven't gotten the most popular selfie camera app yet, download YouCam Perfect on your iOS or Android device now!

Top 4 Ways to Send Holiday Photo eGreetings for Free!

Give a small token of appreciation to your friends, family, teachers, and those other special people in your life this season to let them know you care.

Electronic holiday cards are a convenient way to send holiday greetings, but finding the best digital options can be challenging. There are a ton of digital greeting card websites, but many of the quality ones charges a fee to use.

Not to worry! We’ve got the top 4 ways to use YouCam Perfect and U messenger to send FREE high-quality Christmas and New Year’s photo greetings instantly from your iPhone or Android!

1. Create a Photo Collage with YouCam Perfect

Creating a personalized photo collage using 1 to 6 images is simple to create and is a meaningful way to share memories and make people smile! For single images, you can also use one of the seasonal frames.

Step-by-Step: Open YouCam Perfect. Select "More" at the bottom. 

Choose the purple "Templates" button.

Select "Collage" for 1-6 photos or "Frame" for single photos.

In Collage area, select "Holidays" to see all Christmas and New Year's templates. Select a design that you like. In the top row, you can see the collage options sorted by the number of photos you want to include (organized from 1-6 photos or view all).

 

Select your image or images from your photo albums. Then rearrange the photos, zoom in or out, and click the Save icon in the top right corner of the screen when finished. From this screen, you can share your ecard with family and friends using your favorite social media or messaging services.

2. Decorate Your Images with Holiday Text Bubbles

To send a truly classy message to your friends or family, try adding one of YouCam Perfect's text bubbles to your photos! Write that special message for your loved ones to tell them just how much you care.

Step-by-Step: Open YouCam Perfect. Select "More" at the bottom (same steps as selecting the collage). 

You can also access text bubbles when you are editing your photos in YouCam Perfect. Select "Deco" and "Text Bubble" to add it from the editing screen.

Choose the purple "Bubble" button or "Text Bubble." Choose the bubble you like and click the purple arrow circle to download it. Once downloaded, click the text bubble image to use.

Select the image from your photo album that you want to add the text bubble to. The bubble will appear on your image. Tap "Text Here" to type your message.

Personalize your photo greeting by selecting the Font and Color of text that you like most. Feel free to change the size, position, and angle of the text bubble to get the best looking photo!

Click the Save icon in the top right corner of the screen when finished. From this screen, share your photo using your favorite social media or messaging services.

3. Create Christmas Scenes with YouCam Perfect

If you are looking to give a quick and playful greeting, send one of YouCam Perfect's creative holiday scenes with your photo in it! Place you photo beside the fireplace, under the Christmas tree and more.

Step-by-Step: Open YouCam Perfect. Select "More" at the bottom. 

Choose the purple "Scene" button. Select your image, adjust if necessary, and you are done! This is one of the fastest ways to create a professional looking holiday greeting to send out this season.

 

Click the Save icon in the top right corner and then share your photo using your favorite social media or messaging services.

4. Send an Audio Greeting Card using U messenger (Android)

After you create your customized photo greeting card, go a step further to make it extra special by sending an audio card to friends & loved ones! Using U messenger, you can send a quick, easy and free Christmas or New Year’s photo ecard with your personal voice greetings!

Step-by-Step: After creating a photo greeting card in YouCam Perfect, select the save icon. Select the "U - Photo Chat" option in "More options." Choose "Add voice note before sharing."

 

Note: If you do not have U messenger already installed on your phone, you will see the screen below and it will direct you to download this free, new messenger app. Invite your friends and family to join U, then you can start photo chatting with them and also send your holiday voice greeting card!

After you have U installed, create your audio greeting card by tapping and holding the microphone icon to speak your holiday message. After you press the upload arrow, your audio greeting card will be send to your specified recipient.

 

How can I get YouCam Perfect and U messenger?

--> Download YouCam Perfect on the ITunes App Store for iOS and on the Google play Store for Android.

--> Download U now for FREE for iOS and Android mobile phones.

NOTE: By using CyberLink software and apps, you agree to let CyberLink Corp access all files on your PC and/or mobile device. 

3 Steps to Create a Holiday Family Photo Greeting Card using PhotoDirector

To create this wonderful family portrait greeting card, you don't need to hire a professional studio or invest in expensive backdrops. In this tutorial, we will take advantage of PhotoDirector's Background Removal, Photo Composer and Watermark Creator features in the Edit module.

First select a family photo or take one group shot anywhere at home. Take several shots and use the face swap feature in PhotoDirector to achieve the perfect group photo. Next select a holiday background image, which you can easily get from online photo stocks. There are dozens of royalty-free images from as low as to $5 per image. The pictures below will be used in this tutorial.

Step One: Import the images into PhotoDirector. We will start by removing the background in the family photo. Go to the Edit module in PhotoDirector and select Background Removal.

Use the paintbrush tool to select the areas you want to keep. In this case, we will select the four members of the family including the back of the white sofa. You can start by using a bigger brush and reduce the brush size as you select smaller areas. Don't worry if your selection is not precise, you can always fine tune it later.

Next select Remove background. You will notice that some unwanted areas are not selected, and you can use the fine tune brush to exclude those areas using the "minus" brush or add in areas using the "plus" brush. You can also adjust the brush size, but I would suggest to work with smaller brush sizes for fine tuning. It is also easier to fine tune by enlarging the photo too.

Now save the new family photo with the removed background and we are done with step one.

Step Two: Compose two images. Select the background image, go to the Edit Module and select Photo Composes. 

Select the Add Photo button to overlay the new family photo and adjust its size to fit into the background image. Now you have a holiday photo shot as if it was taken from a professional studio.

Step Three: Add Holiday Greetings. Go to the Edit Module and select Watermark Creator. 

Go to the Text Tab and click on the Add Text button. Type in the greeting message and adjust font type, size and color. You can move the text to the exact location you want on the image. In addition, you can add as many lines of text as you want. 

Once you have the final image, there are several ways to share directly to social networks, export to file or make prints to send to family and friends.

Now give it a try with your own photos. Send your greetings by creating wonderful family portraits.

New to PhotoDirector? Try it free for 30 days here.

CyberLink reserves the right to share your personal data with our Russian marketing partners.