The winter season is a tricky one, especially for your skin. The cold and dry weather can cause issues for your skin and, therefore, affect your makeup application. To stay looking good all year long, you may have to alter your routines during this difficult season. Follow these tips and all those holiday photos will make you proud.
Back to Basics
Your winter makeup routine has to start with proper treatment of your skin. You’ll be facing harsh cold winds, dry air, and blistering indoor heat, all of which can lead to skin dryness, irritation, and chaffing or cracking. Take good care of your skin with these daily habits:
Apply a good quality face moisturizer underneath your makeup. Your skin will stay healthy, but this cream can also serve as a base for your makeup, helping it to stay on longer. Skip the over-drying face care products and opt for a more emollient, creamier face wash.
Limit scrubs or masks to once per week to avoid over-stripping the oil from your skin. Keep up with your skin care routine: wash and moisturize twice per day. Never go to bed with your makeup on, any time of year.
Winter Foundation Tips
A good makeup application starts with a solid foundation product, so choose wisely. Oily skin types should opt for an oil-free foundation, but if you have drier skin, choose a creamier foundation that uses some oil. Make sure your foundation is non-acnegenic (won’t clog pores), though, to be on the safe side.
When choosing your winter-time foundation, here are some other things to remember:
Silicone-based foundations are more resistant to temperature changes. Powder makeup is another temperature-resistance choice. Skip loose powders, which can exaggerate flaking or cracking skin. Tinted moisturizers won’t offer enough coverage, so pick a separate foundation and separate moisturizer. Always opt for an SPF in your foundation, even in winter.
Winter Color Fun
Now that the boring basics are settled, the fun part about winter makeup is the colors. With all that dark, dreary weather out there, a little color will brighten your day, so why not try a new shade of lipstick or eye shadow? There are no specific rules about what colors you can or cannot wear during the winter season, so you should base your choices on your own skin tone, your wardrobe choices, and your mood. Have fun with it.
For the eyes, you’ll notice many companies carry darker autumn/winter collections, a direct mimic of the fashion industry. If you can pull off the look, it might be fun to experiment with a chocolate brown, dark gray, deep plum, or rich burgundy shade on your eyes (with a neutral lip, for best results). Still, these looks can be harsh on lighter skin tones, so don’t feel like it’s a must. Pastels are also a classic winter look, provided you stay away from the Easter egg-like shades in favor of paler shades. Light icy pinks, blues, and greens are always a fun look in the winter.
For the lips, a tinted lip balm can give you a natural look, a little gloss, and lots of moisture for those dry, cracked lips. Some lipstick formulas can actually dry your lips out, so glosses are a convenient but fashionable choice for the winter. Choose a balm with an SPF if possible. Always opt for a coral, violet, or nude tone instead of reds or pinks for the lips. These colors can exaggerate the red, raw look your cheeks will get outdoors in the winter.
What to Buy
In general, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a small arsenal of winter-appropriate makeup stashed away. Always choose waterproof formulas of your mascara, eye liner, and lip liner. These products are notorious for smudging or running, especially with temperature changes, so go waterproof for best results. For eye shadows that will last, try a cream formula out for the season. You can layer powdered colors over this if you like, but the cream base will help your products stay put all day long.
With just a few adjustments to your routine and a couple of product trade-ins, your winter makeup look will be a breeze!
References:
Beauty-Tips.net. 12 Winter Makeup Tips. Tips on Home & Style. Winter Makeup and Skin Care Tips and Tricks.