While the weather certainly isn't cooling down just yet (whoever heard of it being 50 degrees in December?), I've recently started adapting my everyday look to get ready for winter. Everything about winter makes me think of perfected, dewy skin, bright eyes with lots of lashes, flushed cheeks, and stained lips.
My favorite base product for more perfected skin is the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream. It gives an amazing amount of coverage without looking or feeling too heavy - in fact, it still looks just like skin. It has more of a satin finish on me, so I like to mix it with a little bit of the MAC Strobe Cream to amp up the glow. I haven't been straying from my usual neutral blushes for awhile, but lately I've been craving more of a natural flush in my cheeks. The most perfect product for this is the Charlotte Tilbury Colour of Youth Lip & Cheek Glow. It's the prettiest coral pink shade that may not seem the most appropriate for the season, but it really does make it look like you've just been frolicking out in the snow. I set the center of my face with my now holy-grail status Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. It makes sure my face doesn't just eat up the makeup, but it keeps the glow going and doesn't get cakey. I accept my paleness and forego the bronzer for this look, but I always douse myself in highlight. Lately I can't reach for anything but the Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight. The soft white gold shade is perfect for winter.
I love a good bold brow, but lately I've been trying to make them a little more feathery and less drawn-on. I really think the Glossier Boy Brow has changed the game. I mentioned it in my Unsung Heroes post - I don't even know what I was doing before I started using it. It just really fluffs up my brows and makes them look fuller before even filling them in. Then I go in with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz to fill in any bigger gaps. The result is still a full and quite bold brow, but it looks much more natural.
For eyes I've been loving a wash of a brightening shadow, like the classic Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten, or the stunning Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck. Thunderstruck is unlike any color I've ever seen before - it looks white in the pan, but once swatched or applied you can pick up the soft gold tone with a peachy pink duochrome shift. This makes an amazing highlight on the cheeks as well. The only other thing I do to my eyes (besides tightlining - I never forget that) is add lashings and lashings of mascara. I'm still head over heels for the Maybelline Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara, as I've found it looks lovely with one coat for a more minimal look or layers up beautifully for more drama. You can really add layer upon layer without it getting clumpy or crispy. The fluttery, fanned-out result you get is absolutely perfect for this look.
Lastly comes lips. Even if you've only read one or two of my posts I bet you'll know I can't get enough of those neutral lip colors, but I've been craving something a little more noticeable for this kind of look. The Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Adore is my absolute favorite - it's a lovely deeper red with a bit of a brown tone to it and a smattering of gold shimmer that isn't chunky but rather defines the lips. It's quite sheer at first but is easily built up to a stronger color, which makes it perfect for creating more of a stained look - I like to apply the bulk of the product to the center of my lips and blend outward with my fingers.
Do you change up your everyday look when the seasons change? What have been your go-to product?