Make-up necessities change a bit in the winter. From switching to a lighter foundation due to a loss of sun-kissed glow to incorporating more moisturizing products, winter requires a diverse make-up kit and a unique set of tips to bring out the best in you despite the dull weather. This article is going to provide ten make-up tips containing both product suggestions and tips for application.
1. Cleanse and Moisturize
In the winter, the best make-up tip you can adhere to is to have a clean base. The best make-up in the world isn’t going to go on smooth if your skin texture is lacking due to several days worth of compounded winter dryness and flaking. To keep your skin as healthy as possible cleanse and apply moisturizer daily using products like Burt’s Bees Purifying Gel and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. A good exfoliating product like St. Ives Apricot Scrub will also come in handy a few times a week!
2. Blending Foundations
After you have a clean, smooth surface it is time for the actual make-up. The transition from summer to winter usually results in a lighter skin tone that in turn requires a lighter foundation. Instead of transitioning from one shade to another, it is better to take two shades that work with your skin tone and mix them. One shade will be darker and one lighter (i.e. Rimmel 200 Soft Beige and 201 Classic Beige). The blending of the two colors will assist in helping you through the transition phase of product change and provides a “custom color” make-up foundation just for you.
3. Gold Tones, Especially at the Eyes
This winter, honor the gold colors of the holiday season with ritzy gold make-up cases and metallic toned products. One great example is the Napoleon Perdis Glimmer Limited Edition set which contains eye colors in gold, white gold, and bronze. Gold eye colors are a fun way to dance across the middle ground between play it safe neutrals and highly dramatized eyes. Stunning without overkill. Gold is great worn solo across the main lid with deftly applied mascara and eyeliner.
4. Shiny Lips Pre-Holiday
Make-up in winter can seem to lead two different existences. A pre-holiday fest and a post-holiday countdown to spring. In the holiday time period, make-up is typically a bit more bold, colorful, and look-at-me. In honor of this, consider playing up your lips with a minimal liner and maximum gloss. Line your lips enough to accentuate lightly but leave it at that. The showcase should be shine. Shine doesn’t have to mean using a department store lip gloss though, check out adult versions that look for the light including Revlon Shiny Sheers and Givenchy Ultra Shiny Lipstick. Apply them carefully over a good lip primer
5. Matte Lips Post-Holiday
In the post-holiday countdown to spring, it is time to bring the lip-liner out of the make-up bag in full force again. Give yourself a full lip-line but utilize softer colors more in keeping with your natural lip color especially when picking your lipstick. Corals are always nice to break out on rare sunny or warm days. When a darker color or a luxurious red lip is required, go with a matte finish or a close second. Clinique’s Plum Brandy shade is a favorite.
6. Bronzer, Bronzer, Bronzer
If you are hearing refrains of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” then chances are you can use a little bit of color in your make-up kit. The best product to go to is a bronzer. With most bronzers a little bit goes a long way, so be careful when applying this make-up product. One of the best things to do when using a compact bronzer and brush is to pick the bronzer up on your brush and then dab it on the compact mirror to shake of loose bits. After this, apply the bronzer to your entire face with special attention given to your cheeks, nose, and forehead. Bonus tip: Think of the places where you get sunburned first – those are the places bronzer was meant for. A great bronzer is found in Clinique’s make-up collection, true bronze pressed powder bronzer in sunkissed.
7. Blush, Blush, Blush
Just because you have included bronzer in your make-up routine is no reason to avoid a nice blush. A well-applied blush accentuates your cheekbones and is a must in the make-up bag. Peony – a fresh bloom all over color from Clinique works well at providing subtle color. It also accentuates without creating an overly made-up look, even when used on top of bronzer. Pull in your lips like you’ve eaten something horribly sour and brush your blush across the full parts of your cheeks for a flawless application.
8. Colored Eyeliner Is Your Friend
While black eyeliner always has its place, sometimes a girl wants a little color in her life. If you work in an office or have a job with a dress code though, flamboyant eye make-up may not be your best friend. One way to get some subtle color is by choosing a color eyeliner. A navy blue or deep plum eyeliner will be dark enough to pass as black but cannot help adding an extra bit of oomph to your eyes that plain black does not. Eyeliners with sponge blending tips on the end opposite your color work great at adding a softer touch to the line post application and can also help hide mistakes. I recommend lining the upper lashes only, not fully to the corner, and then using the sponge to make the line soft. Products that are great for this are Jane Be Pure Mineral One Liners in Nite Sapphire and Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Violet.
9. Neutral Eye Colors Shouldn’t Have All the Fun
Neutral colors have a place in any make-up bag but do not get stuck in a rut with them this winter. In your make-up kit there should be several eyeshadow palettes that contain softer options in at least one if not two of the shades. Clinique’s Rain Forest Trio Palette has three shades of green, two of which are light enough to add a wow factor to the lids without being too bold for winter clothing choices. Bonus Tip: Apply these to the lid and crease on top of a great primer like Too Face Shadow Insurance for a flawless finish.
10. Remove the Make-Up
The final tip for make-up in the winter is to remove it faithfully. While this holds true anytime of year, in winter your skin is already working overtime dealing with the dry indoor air and cool outdoor temperatures. Do not let your make-up complicate your skincare process. Use a make-up removing wipe from Clean & Clear or Neutrogena coupled with an eye make-up remover for best results.
