Ready to update your makeup palette for the season? Some of the top winter 2012 makeup trends are drawing from retro fashion and rocker chic mania of seasons past. From electrifying lips to the classic cat eye, there are several ways to update your look and try something new.
Here are just five of the hottest makeup trends for the 2012 winter season:
#1: Rocker Girl Glamor
Terry Barber, the UK Director for MAC Cosmetics, reports that gunmetal eyeshadow and super dark-rimmed eyes will be among the top trends for makeup and beauty in 2012. Barber says the grungy look is in – you can play with all sorts of darker hues to pull off the “Tough Love” look. Mix those darker eye shadow palettes with petroleum jelly or layer with primer to enhance the color. Go all out with glitter and shimmering shades that really accentuate the eyes and create a more dramatic look.
#2: Electric Hues on the Lips
Prefer to play up the lips instead of the eyes? Trade the dark, vampy red lipstick for bright neon-inspired hues this season. Some of the hottest shades for 2012 include scarlet red, mandarin orange, and high-gloss cherry hues. Think bold and bright instead of dark and sultry when choosing your signature shade for the upcoming season.
#3: Colorful Smoky Eyes
The smoky eye look is back for yet another season but you can get away with adding some colorful hues to the mix. Instead of using only greys and silvers to create that sultry effect, use a metallic pastel or shimmering bronze as your base color all the way up the brow. You can still create that smoky effect using a charcoal pencil and grey eyeshadow around the rims of your eyes, but be sure to lighten up when pulling off the smoky eye by day.
#4: Bronze Goddess
This trend usually comes around during the spring and summer months but you can get an early start on that faux tan by adding some shimmering bronzer to your makeup lineup this winter. Use an all-over liquid bronzer to create a rich tan or just highlight cheeks and the décolleté with a shimmering bronzing powder. Cream-based bronzers are great for contouring and can also help you create that coveted sun-kissed look.
#5: Clean Cat Eye
While a thick liner will help you create the smoky eye look in a flash, you’ll need a very sharp pencil liner or gel liner to create the cat eye, one of the season’s top makeup trends. Create this look by lining your eyes very, very close to the rim and then extend the line out just about 1/3 inch before flicking upward. Make this a very clean line and leave out the smudging tool. This is a great daytime look that can be paired with metallic and pearl eye shadow.
More content from this contributor:
6 Easy Winter Beauty Shortcuts
5 Luxury Beauty Products Worth the Splurge
3 Must-Have Makeup Products for Rosy Cheeks this Winter