Having reached the conclusion of the holiday season, what comes next? As a result of two months of nonstop activity, it is only reasonable to experience a little bit of disappointment. It is possible that the winter weather will not inspire you if you live in a region that experiences colder temperatures; nonetheless, you should not let the cold season interfere with your ability to apply cosmetics. To the contrary, the winter season’s long evenings and chilly mornings provide the ideal conditions for releasing your creative side and expressing your individuality.
According to J. Brandon Correa, who is the national makeup artist for YSL Beauté, “Winter beauty stands out because it’s a great way to wear impactful looks by playing with textures rather than colors.” It is a unique and enjoyable experience since it allows you to discover your inner artist and experiment with something different by including it into your regular beauty routine.
In the following, you will learn about the most prominent and greatest winter beauty trends for January and beyond, received directly from the experts.
Frosty Face
This season, if you are looking for inspiration for your makeup, look out your window. Get creative with textures and hues that are reminiscent of the chilly mornings of winter. According to Jeanine Lobell, a celebrity makeup artist and the founder of Neen, “It’s cold and frosty outside, and playing off motifs like snow, ice, sparkles… we’re here for it all.” The chilly, crystalline tones of snow and ice served as the main inspiration for [the trend], which perfectly captures the essence of the season. Imagine yourself wearing cold colors on your face, such as silvers, pale blues, and frosty pinks. This was Elsa’s signature look.
According to Lobell, the Frosty Face is all about highlighter. She cites her Neen Pretty Shiny Cream Highlighter as the right tool to bring this look to life, particularly the Frosty hue, which is well titled. To achieve a “post-blizzard glow” on your cheeks, she recommends using her Get it All Done Cream Cheek & Lip product. This is similar to the “I’m cold” fad that is popular on TikTok. “You want to look like you’ve been caught in a storm,” she explains. “A super poppy pink is great if you want to achieve that look.” Neen’s Glisten Up lip gloss in Bye, which is a shimmering pink, should be applied to your lips, and you should use the Side Eye Liner in Minty to give your eyelids a shimmery, cool touch.
Lady in Red
Red remains the most popular accent color of the moment, and it shows no indications of slowing down in 2024, particularly in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. This is true whether you are talking about your closet, your accessories, or your makeup bag. Eliminate your lip gloss and replace it with a red that is vivid and energetic instead. “It’s the perfect time to go with a kissable red lipstick,” says celebrity makeup artist Kasey Spickard. She recommends Maybelline SuperStay Vinyl in Red Hot as a must-have red lipstick because it has a lot of shine and a warm tone. The explanation that he provides is that “it has a real vibrance to it,” and that “once these dry down, they don’t move but still give you high shine.” In addition, the Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Chili Pepper, which is a matte brilliant red-orange color that lasts all day, is another product that I use frequently.
Mood Makeup
Due to the fact that she resides in California, where the sun shines throughout the year, Donni Davy, who is the co-founder of Half Magic and the head makeup artist on Euphoria, creates her own winter mood through the use of cosmetics. He explains, “A dark lip instantly transforms me into a sort of witchier version of myself, and adding sparkle on my eyes brings a little joyful balance to the look.” She is referring to the fact that she has a dark lip. A little bit of introspection and a trip to a darker place may be a lot of fun during the winter months. Her “joyfully moody” appearance is characterized by dewy skin, glittering eyes with a lot of mascara, and a dark lip with a vamp texture.
In order to bring it to life, Davy suggests using Half-Magic’s Glitterpill Eye Paint + Liner in Holy Goldie or Microcosm for the “perfect winter sparkles.” Applying both of these products together on bare lids would provide the appearance of snow. After that, apply a generous amount of the Eyelectric Extreme Lengthening Mascara to bring out the radiant appearance. Mouth Cloud Soft Matte Lip Cream in Edward’s Fantasy is what Davy refers to as her “go-to vampy lip,” and she adds a deeper tone to the look by using Sculptitude 2-in-1 Longwear Lip Liner in Sugar Plum B*itch.
Pink Frost
If you loaded on the blush as part of the TIkTok “I’m cold” trend last year, you’ll love this 2024 update. “This trend is all about adding a sophisticated edge to ‘cold girl’ makeup with the addition of black to emphasize shape and structure,” explains Correa. To start, prep your skin with your usual foundation, concealer and contour, then apply YSL’s Nu Lip and Cheek Balmy Tint in NuChills on the cheek for a see through, balmy finish. Take any remaining color and apply it to the tip of your nose for a frostbitten “just came in from the cold” vibe.
On your eyes, Correa recommends blending a few shades from YSL’s Couture Mini Clutch palette in Babylone Roses. “Utilize the midtone shade to contour eye shape, then apply midtone shimmer on lid and add depth with the deepest shade along the upper and lower lash lines,” he advises. “Tap the topper shade on the top left to the inner corners of eye for an icy pop.” Apply mascara and liner, then finish with a combo of the Balmy Tint and Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick in Sweet Pink.
Soft Ombré Lips
This season, the ombré lip style has been hot on TikTok, and Carolina Gonzalez, a celebrity makeup artist and member of the Armani beauty collaborative, is all about a soft, diffused version of the look. With a little amount of practice, it is also simple to do yourself. According to her explanation, “The inner part of the lip is where the deepest point of the lip color begins, and then it is buffed out to the edges for the final look.” I absolutely adore this look because it is so incredibly dreamy and it makes the lips appear to be extremely large.
The Lip Power Long-Lasting Matte Lipstick in 407 from Armani Beauty is the product that Gonzalez suggests beginning with. Gonzalez provides an explanation by saying, “Pucker your lips and with the bullet-point tip, just rub the color generously in the middle of both the top and bottom lips.” “From there, use a small brush to fan the outer edges out slightly over the lip line,” the instructions indicate. A wide crease brush should be used to apply Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Glow Blush in shade 61, which is a raspberry pink, on the outer lips and up to the lip lines. This will lend an additional layer of drama to your lips. Gonzalez recommends that you refrain from touching the inside portion of the lip, which is where the color is concentrated. In addition to giving the lips the appearance of being bigger and fluffier, this silk powder blush offers it a gloss that is also reminiscent of velvet.
Statement Eyeliner
Jillian Dempsey, a celebrity cosmetic artist and the founder of Jillian Dempsey, recently traveled to the United Kingdom, where she found that the colder weather and the bolder tones she encountered inspired her to create beauty products. Eyeliner that made a statement was one of these trends. This winter, eyes are particularly large. “You can anticipate eyeliners to make a significant statement,” she says. When you line both your upper and lower eyelids and create a shape that is flattering to your eyes, you are able to get a look that is both strong and attractive. The shades blackberry, subdued black, and deep mahogany are some of Dempsey’s favorites since they offer a fun alternative to the traditional browns and blacks. You are free to draw on anything you like, including big wings, waterliner, and exaggerated cat eyes. “My Flyk Trick Mascara works as a 2-in-1 mascara and liquid liner, allowing you to create a bold personal eyeliner look that is suitable for your winter plans,” adds Dempsey. “It’s a great versatile product.”
Jewel Toned Eyes
In the event that you are not a fan of icy finishes, you should instead gravitate for rich, brilliant jewel-like tones. The chilly whites and grays that you wear during the winter months are a good match for the gemstones sapphire, emerald, and ruby. “A lot of brands are incorporating emerald and midnight blue mascaras and eyeliners into their collections in order to complement the burgundy shades that they have in their collections,” explains Spickard. If you want to add some variation and excitement to your makeup routine during these dark and chilly months, this is a simple way to do it. Lancôme’s colored mascaras, particularly the emerald green Noir Malachite, are popular with him because they provide a subtle injection of color that is surprising. When it comes to the lids, you should attempt the Pat McGrath Dark Star Eye Duo, which Spickard describes as “an opulent blue sapphire shimmer shade.” To really bring out the sparkle, you should add a gloss topper on top of the color.
Dewy Gold
Experiencing a chill now? Use several tones of gold to warm up. According to Lobell, “gold tones bring much-needed warmth to the skin,” which can sometimes look dreary to the naked eye during the winter months due to the absence of sunlight. It is said that the dewy quality of this style helps battle the dryness that is associated with winter conditions, thereby providing the complexion with a moisturized and healthy look. Makeup allows you to create the illusion that you are going on a vacation in the tropics even if you are not actually going to go there.
“Think of warm, golden hues that give off a radiant, sun-kissed glow,” Lobell continues. “Think of them as sunshine.” It frequently involves putting an emphasis on dewy skin, emphasizing with highlighters that have a gold tone, and applying eyeshadows that have a gold tone. Be the radiant queen that you were always destined to be. Some of the products that she recommends include Neen’s Pretty Shiny Cream Highlighter in Metta, which is used on the cheekbones, and Pretty Shady Pressed Pigment in Flash, Fade, and Faint, which are both gold and rose gold shades that shine nicely on the eyes. Lastly, finish with a nude or brown lip color.
Snowlit Shine
It is not necessary for minimal makeup to look dull; it can shine just as brightly as a full face of blush, contour, and liner. According to Correa, as a result of this trend, your skin will have the opportunity to “rest” from more intensive makeup regimes. The fact that it blends the concept of a white, bright aesthetic with a dazzling light makes it an ideal choice for this season. The shimmering brightness of the sun that is reflected off of snow served as a source of inspiration for him, and he applied it to the face. If you want to achieve a minimalist look, think about having clean skin, translucent sparkles on your eyes, lush lashes, and bright lips.
Due to the fact that this look is all about the skin, Correa suggests using the YSL Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen to conceal and brighten the skin. In order to maintain the attention on your eyes, you should skip the contouring and bronzer steps and instead apply a sparkly topper hue to the middle of your lids. According to him, “You can either do a light contour on the eye or you can leave the shimmer alone.” Put the finishing touches on your lips by using a colorless lip plumping balm such as Candy Glaze.
Bold Lips
If you are guilty of wearing a lot of black and gray during the winter, you can try to spice up your basic outfits by using a vibrant lip color. “During the winter, when fashion and weather can often feel more muted, a bold lip is a great way to make a statement,” says Lobell. “It doesn’t take much to make a statement.” Given that many people encounter skin tones that are normally pale and sallow during this time of year, bold lips are an excellent choice for the season since they provide a beautiful contrast. This contrast has the potential to make the complexion more radiant and to infuse the overall appearance with vitality. Take into consideration the use of crimson, deep berry, or brilliant Barbie pink lips in conjunction with minimum and subtle makeup in other areas. When it comes to making a bold fashion statement during the winter months, this look is perfect because it is both daring and refined.
