Now that it is finally Christmas break, one of the year's few vacation seasons is just beginning. For this makeup look today, I decided to take inspiration from one of America's most popular vacation destinations - Las Vegas. One of the most important parts of packing for a trip for me includes making sure the contents of my makeup bag are versatile. Today, I'm going to walk you through how I transitioned this simple day look into a more dramatic night look with just a few quick changes!

For day, there are so many options for activities in Las Vegas. You can chill poolside, visit the spa, or hit the casino (if you have extra money unlike this broke grad student). My personally preferred activity on vacation is always shopping, of course. For a shopping day, I want to keep my makeup simple. Also in anticipation of the transition to night, I want to take some extra steps for lasting power. I started with a moisturizer in SPF which is a step that I never skip (and definitely not in sunny Vegas). Then, I put on a light layer of the L'oreal True Match Foundation in Porcelain, my trusty Maybelline Fit Me concealer in 15 Fair for dark circles or blemishes, and some Better Skin powder to set it. To finish off my base, I used Physician's Formula Mineral Blush in Natural and Essence Make Me Brow to set my brows. For extra staying power, I primed my eyes with the Maybelline Color Tattoo Concentrated Crayon in Barely Beige. In any vacation, I love to bring my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette because it is so versatile. For this day look, I put the gold shade Creme Brûlée on my lid with a mix of Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate through the crease. To finish the eyes, I used the Physician's Formula Eye Booster Liquid Liner in Dark Brown (great drugstore alternative to the Tattoo Liner) and Covergirl's Super Sizer mascara in Black/Brown. I like brown options for the day time because they are softer. On the lips, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey is perfect for any casual day.

After a long day of shopping, I'd love to see a show in Las Vegas. Some of my top picks would be Cirque du Soleil, Britney Spears, or Jennifer Lopez. My goal for this look is just to add to the base that I built earlier. For the skin, I would top up on powder and possibly add more blush. Then, I'd want to contour and highlight as I feel like this takes a look to the next level. My go-to products for that are the NYX HD blush in the shade Taupe and The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer. I contour under my cheekbones, some on the forehead, and under the jawline. I highlight on top of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, and the inner corner of the eyes. Now to the eyes, I added some of the shade Cherry Cordial from the Chocolate Bar palette to the outer corners of the eyes and blended through the crease. I also used this to smoke out the lower lashline. Then, I traced over the brown liner with the Kat Von D Tattoo liner in Trooper and added a wing for a dramatic touch. At this point, you could pop on a pair of false lashes. I opted for some extra coats of waterproof mascara on the top and bottom lashes as I have not quite mastered the art of applying falsies. For the final touch, I added the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in the shade Beso. This red is perfect for any night out and doesn't transfer too much (Christmas/New Year's parties anyone?)