As the weather gets colder and that rosy glow pops into your cheeks every time you step outdoors, your beauty routine needs to follow suit. This winter has its own set of trends, as well as some general guidelines to help you switch from your fall face to a chillier complexion.
1. Layering
And not just your sweaters. In winter, it really helps to layer your skincare and makeup products to protect your skin and your hard work. In cold locales, where the weather leeches moisture from your skin, try layering a serum under a heavier lotion to really lock in that moisture.
Don’t forget the shower — Apply these when your skin is still slightly damp from your shower. Along with your epidermis being more porous and absorbent thanks to heat opening your pores, the products will capture and mix with the water still on your skin and dispense this essential moisture as they sink in, ensuring all-day plumpness.
To make sure the bitter winds don’t cause your makeup to flake and flatten, layer your foundation and eyeshadow over a good primer. Then, throw some gloss on top of your lips to keep your lipstick from sucking the moisture out of those luscious lips.
2. Purple
One of the hottest color families this season, you really can’t go wrong with any purple in my opinion. Try a rich, royal purple in the outer-V, taking it about a sixth of the way under the eye; or, opt for a plum-tone satin lip with a hint of clear gloss paired with a neutral eye.
3. Icy Composure
Fittingly, icy shades of blue, white, and silver are de rigeur for Winter 2010. Aim for simplicity with just one or two of these shades dusted lightly over your lids, and finish with a nude lip. Wanna go all the way? Cover your lips with a neutral concealer or a product like MAC Lip Erase, and put a bit of a nude gloss over it for some added dimension. Or, add a bit of drama with a sheer, shimmery berry shadow in the crease. Keep blush sheer and bare, and tap on a silvery highlighter to finish the look.
4. Natural
Although it can be one of the hardest looks to pull off, the bare-faced natural look is all the rage this season. To achieve this no-fuss face, aim for a satin or matte foundation, beige or neutral lips, eyeshadows in shades of champagne, light brown, khaki, camel, and chocolate, and sheer powder blushes in shades of berry, rose, or tan. Intensify this “wind-burnt” look (another huge trend right now) by keeping your eyes and lips relatively bare, and use a rose, pink, or muted red cream blush liberally all across the tops of the cheekbones. Use whatever’s left on your brush to tap some color onto your chin and down the bridge of your nose. Finish by sweeping the tiniest bit of color across the outer part of the jaw line (CORRECTION: 11/29/2010) brow bone, and you’re instant chic.
5. Luscious Locks
One of the most oft overlooked beauty areas in winter is your hair. The constant changes in temperature from stepping out into the blustery cold and into the warm embrace of your car’s heater, and the dry, whipping winds can wreak havoc on even the healthiest head of hair. Use a deep conditioning mask once or twice a week, and try out a new leave-in conditioner — tailored to your hair type — to counteract the harmful effects of this season. For styling, reach for creams, pastes, lotions, and serums rather than gels, clays, or mousses, which can dry out, flake, and go limp between the cold and the constantly changing temperature.
Written by Sam
Sam is a 17-year-old, oddly tall guy whose love of all things skincare, makeup, and fashion started when he entered the modeling world at 14. Since then, he’s established himself as a freelance makeup artist in the theatre and fashion worlds, and started his own blog to preach the wonders of orange eyeshadow, Asian skincare, and designer fragrances to the masses.
Great tips! I looooove purple in the winter 🙂
I really can’t believe Sam is only 17. Someone check his id. I think he’s lying. lol j/k
Seriously! That’s what I was thinking! 😉
Sam, I think you’re awesome! Great tips and keep the posts coming!
i agree, i love the purple and other dark colors. 🙂 thanks!
Layering and purples/plum 🙂
I’m gonna try to do the purple thing….I really wanna try silver though :-\
*sigh*… why were none of my friends this smart when I was seventeen? – i didnt believe in wearing mascara then….
LOL, I had the same suspicions about Sam 😉
So young and so professional… I love his tips and they are even written so well. Go ahead Sam! 🙂
Thanks, Sam! This is some great advice, and I’m especially excited about the silver and white. Those colors are right up my alley! 🙂
purple and gray – one of my fave eye combos in the winter (or what passes for winter in Houston!) …
This kid is a genius! I know purple is all the rave this season, but everytime someone says it I get all excited because purple eyeshadow doesn’t get enough credit… usually. So yay for purple! Keep’em coming Sam! Great job!
I adore purple eyeshadow, and probably use it the most of any non-neutral shade. It pairs perfectly with any eye color or skintone, and is a fantastically chic alternative to black in things like smokey eyes, or even as a liner, and can bring some sophisticated elegance to lips. Glad there’s someone else out there who appreciates this color as much as I do! 🙂
I love the fourth one – I have the perfect rosey red blush that I should pull out!
You’re ding a great job, Sam 🙂
Great! Rose is definitely my favorite shade to use for this look; it may not look the most natural, but it gives a dusky, almost sexy smolder to the skin.
Thanks for the tips, I love purple!!
love the layering tips…..locking in moisture with damp skin is definitely key as well, looking forward to putting these to good use this winter 😀
Sam, you’re totally awesome. Loving your posts! Be my BFF, please!
Just joking…. maybe not. Haha ;D
Hmmm… perhaps.
Pull of the wind-burnt look to perfection and we’ll see. 😉
Touché ;)!
Definitely gonna give the wind-burnt look a try! It sounds so chic and modern.
This is the look I usually go for on a day-to-day basis (me not being the eyeshadow, lipstick, gloss-wearing kinda guy…) It looks fantastic paired with a fur hat, wool scarf, and shearling boots! Just make sure to place the color on the high points of your face; the places that would normally get chapped or start to flush in cold weather. If you can get the bare-face down, then transitioning to this is no trouble, and its one of the hottest and chic-est looks this season!
Where can I get a silvery highlighter!?
Hmm… Maybe “silver” wasn’t quite the right word. You’re looking for a non-golden based highlighter, hopefully without any pink either (these add too much “I’ve been in the sun”, which goes against the rest of the look). Instead, look for pale ivory, eggshell, pearl, or peach (which will *appear* silvery when paired with the rest of your makeup). Depending on the formula you like…
Liquid: Benefit Moon Beam (I know it looks golden, but when applied, actually gives more of just a sheer glow than any actual color)
Cream: NARS The Multiple in Copacabana
Powder: MUFE Star Powder (White Pink or Iridescent Pale Peach), Smashbox Soft Lights (Shimmer),
Does MAC still have Silver dusk powder? I can’t remember if it was a Pro item — but it is a gorgeous silvery pink!
Thanks for those! MAC should come out with a MSF that’s a pale lavender with a white silvery marbling. I’d love that!
Wow Sam, I think it’s awesome that you know what you love and follow your dream…and doing it well at such a young age! Keep up the great work!
Be careful when using facial products on your damp/wet face. if anything has ingredients like Retinol you could damage your skin and make it extremely flaky and sensitive. This tip works great with body lotions, though. Just dry your face completely before using any acne or anti-aging ingredients.
I like purples, so that should not be a problem for me to rock it, and the blues and silvers.
Btw, Sam, what do you think of curls on my hair for the winter? Thinking of getting my hair curled….
Curls you need to be careful with. Because the temperatures tend to dry hair out (and nothing’s worse than a dry curl…) make sure to use plenty of moisture rich products. Skip the mousse and go for a light cream (I LOVE Kevin Murphy Easy Rider {although my hair isn’t curly, I imagine it could be scrunched into curls for a totally hydrated, bouncy effect}). Otherwise, curls this winter can be great (think tight, bouncy ones rather than super loose, lank ones). However, if you don’t want to have to worry about that and still be on trend, opt for a keratin treatment or the like instead. Super sleek hair is uber-chic for now. Try pulling hair back into a tight pony tail in the middle of the back of your head, and slicking down the top with a shine serum or cream. Either leave as is or scrunch a bit of texturizer into the loose end, and let air dry. Hope that helped!