My New Year’s resolutions never stick—I change them a thousand times before the year’s over—but my current one, which I’m committed to this time, you guys, is to spend 2013 looking like a frosty flapper/tarot-card-reader who lives on the moon. (It makes sense in my head.)

One of my inspirations for this scheme was John Galliano’s ready-to-wear show in fall 2009, which you can ogle at Style.com. That collection, inspired by Russian-Balkan folklore, was stark and beautiful—but it was the models’ faces that I haven’t been able to forget. With their ghostly, glistening skin, snow-tipped lashes, flushed cheeks, and tiny painted doll’s lips, they looked like frostbitten angels. (Though I have to throw some shade Mr. Galliano’s way for using only ONE nonwhite model in this whole show.)

Jessica Stam on the runway at the fall 2009 Galliano show. Photo via Style.com.

Those faces have been hanging out in the back of my mind for over three years, and lately they’ve been mingling with some newer obsessions: the costumes on Boardwalk Empire, turn-of-the-century circus performers, and everything about Sarah Sophie Flicker. I put all these ideas in a big inspiration bag, shook it up, and came up with this look, any everyday version of all those costume-y inspirations. It’s easy to wear out of the house, but still sparkly enough to catch the eyes of everyone you meet (in a good way, if they have any sense).

What you’ll need:

  • A frosty white eye shadow. I used NYX Loose Pearl Eye Shadow in White Pearl ($3, NYX Cosmetics).
  • A silver cream eye shadow. Mine is Avon Glazewear Diamonds Eye Color in Pure Silver ($2.50, Avon).
  • A metallic gold shadow like Urban Decay’s Half Baked ($18, Urban Decay).
  • A deep charcoal shadow like Wet n Wild’s Color Icon Collection Eyeshadow Single in Panther (about $2 at drugstores).
  • A lash primer that goes on white, like the one that comes with L’Oreal’s Double Extend Beauty Tube Mascara (about $11 at drugstores). It’s meant as a lash-thickening first step before you apply a dark mascara, but we’re using it on its own for this look. Or you could get an actual white mascara, like this one by Bobbie Weiner ($17.50, Amazon) or this Ben Nye one ($9, PNTA)—but the L’Oreal stuff works great and doesn’t cost too much, and you can get it at your local drugstore, so that’s what I went with.
  • A deep-burgundy matte blush. I used NYX Powder Blush in Desert Rose ($6, NYX Cosmetics).
  • A deep red lipstick. I used Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics’ Lip Tar in NSFW ($16, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics).
  • If you have a set of makeup brushes, get them out. If not, you can always use Q-tips and/or your fingers as applicators.

1. Cover the whole area between your lashes and your browbone with the frosty white shadow. (I used my fingers for this.)

2. Use a finger or a brush (again, I chose the former) to dab the silver cream shadow on your lower lid, below the crease. If you don’t have a crease, feel for the upper rim of your eye socket bone, right above your eyeball, and apply the color below that.

3. Using a fluffy medium-size brush (or a Q-tip), apply your gold shadow along the crease or eye-socket rim and to the outer edges of your eyes, smudging it outwards.

4. Use a small tapered brush (or Q-tip) to apply your charcoal shadow along your upper and lower lash lines, and smudge it outwards into a winged shape.

5. Apply several coats of your lash primer or white mascara to your top and bottom lashes. For an extra chilly look, brush it on your brows too.

6. Brush your blush onto and just under your cheekbones.

7. Take the white eye shadow from step one and brush it onto the tops of your cheekbones, above the blush, and down the bridge of your nose for an icy glow.

8. Use a lip brush to basically draw a little heart-shaped doll’s mouth onto your actual human-size one. Focus the color in the center, and use your brush to make the peaks of your upper lip a little rounder, like the top part of a heart. Leave the outer corners of your lips blank. Blot your mouth with a tissue, then reapply. For major staying power, repeat the blotting/reapplying one more time.

9. Inspired by that picture of Jessica Stam in the Galliano show, I traced the V in my cupid’s bow with a teeny bit of gold eye shadow.

Now go kick off 2013 as a sparkly ice queen. I’ll be right there with you, reading tarot cards on the moon. ♦