In the realm of 2025 beauty, few signatures are as instantly recognizable—or as coveted—as the “Short n’ Sweet” radiance of Sabrina Carpenter. As the holiday season reaches its peak, the “Espresso” singer’s aesthetic has become the ultimate blueprint for festive glamour, blending a nostalgic 90s supermodel lip with a futuristic “glazed doughnut” complexion. The magic of the Sabrina look lies in its calculated intensity: the blush is bold, the eyes are doll-like, and the skin appears perpetually lit from within. By combining luxury staples from Armani and Prada with surprising drugstore heroes, Carpenter’s beauty team has crafted a routine that feels both high-fashion and accessible—the perfect armor for a season of mistletoe and midnight celebrations.
The Glass Canvas: Prep and Prime
A Sabrina Carpenter holiday look is only as good as the skin beneath it. To achieve that signature “Baby Angel” glow, her makeup artist, Carolina Gonzalez, begins with a rigorous SK-II skincare regimen. The process starts with a Facial Treatment Mask to drench the skin in Pitera, followed by the GenOptics Ultraura Essence Serum to provide an immediate brightening effect. This “glass skin” foundation is essential for the holiday season, ensuring that the makeup sits on a hydrated, plump surface that resists the drying effects of winter air.
For the base, the holy grail remains the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Gonzalez famously mixes shades (often 5.1 and 5.9) to create a bespoke match that mimics a natural, sun-kissed tan even in the depths of December. To maintain the “blurred” effect without looking heavy, a thin layer of Prada Beauty Refine Blurring Primer is applied to the T-zone. The goal is a complexion that looks like a “filter in real life,” focusing on buildable coverage that allows the skin’s natural texture to peek through.
The “Blush Blindness” Phenomenon
The defining characteristic of Sabrina’s 2025 aesthetic is her unapologetic use of blush, a trend fans have playfully dubbed “Blush Blindness.” For the holidays, this technique is dialed up to create a “frost-bitten” effect that looks like a natural flush from the cold. The secret is a cocktail of Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tints, specifically shades 53 (Bold Pink) and 62 (Delicate Mauve). By layering the hot pink on the high points of the cheekbones and the softer mauve on the apples, she achieves a multi-dimensional, doll-like radiance.
Placement is key to the Sabrina look: the blush isn’t just for the cheeks. It is swept upward toward the temples and even lightly across the bridge of the nose to tie the face together. To add that viral “wet” finish, a swipe of Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick is often tapped over the cheekbones. This creates a high-shine highlight that doesn’t rely on chunky glitter, providing a sophisticated, dewy glow that reflects holiday lights beautifully.
Doll Eyes and “Fairy Dust” Shimmer
For the eyes, Carpenter opts for a “Glam Doll” aesthetic that prioritizes brightness and vertical width. The 2025 holiday palette focuses on neutral mattes from the Prada Dimensions Multi-Effect Palette (04 Poetry) for definition, topped with what beauty editors call “Fairy Dust”—a wash of sheer, high-sparkle shadow. Favorites include Urban Decay Moondust in Space Cowboy or Armani Eye Tint in 9S Sand, applied with a finger to the center of the lid to create a “wet look” shimmer.
The “eye-popping” secret lies in the details: a sharp, thin wing using R.E.M. Beauty’s At The Border Marker and a nude or white eyeliner in the waterline to enlarge the eyes. For the lashes, it’s a mix of L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara and individual “flutter” lashes concentrated on the outer corners. This creates a cat-eye lift that balances the roundness of the blush, giving Sabrina her trademark “doe-eyed” stare that remains a holiday mood board staple.
The Triple-Layered Nude Lip
No Sabrina tutorial is complete without her viral lip combo, a three-step process that creates the illusion of a fuller, “strawberry jelly” pout. For the holiday season, she leans into a 90s-inspired nude-pink. The architecture begins with a deep liner, like Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Wherever Walnut, overlining slightly at the cupid’s bow. This is followed by a satin-finish lipstick—specifically Prada Monochrome in B101 Tiepolo—pressed into the center for a diffused, romantic effect.
The final, non-negotiable step is the gloss. Whether it’s the viral Prada Hydrating Lip Balm in Astral Pink or a high-shine jelly gloss, the finish must be glass-like. This “triple-layering” ensures the color stays put through holiday dinners while providing the juicy, plumped-up volume that has become her beauty calling card. It’s a look that says “festive” without the traditional red lip, proving that in 2025, pink is the new holiday gold.
