Winterize Your Beauty

With the winter months comes a change in temperature, a change in fashion (woollies and layers galore), a change in eating habits (all the hot food, please!), and also a change in your makeup routine. This winter is only my second winter where I've been interested in makeup. Last year, I don't believe I had a true grasp of what I wanted out of my makeup or really had any clue about what I was doing. This year, I think I have a better idea and have begun to be more confident with my makeup, makeup choices and my beauty routine and how I would 'winterize' it. 

When I think of beauty and winter, I know that I change two things; my lip colour and my nail colour. I love painting my nails throughout the year but the winter months have me reaching for my most favourite polishes and colours. 

T H E     MA K E U P 

My basic face makeup doesn't change during the winter months. Being Irish, my skin is perpetually pale. I'm using Porcelain and Fair shades all year round. I don't get a tan during the summer months as I tend to reflect the light. People get their tans from me. Because of that, my foundation routine, my bronzer choice and blush choices remain pretty much the same. 

My lip colour however, is where I get a little adventurous. For my lips, I have two moods like most women; something a little nude and something with a little attitude aka day and fancy-day.

T H E    N U D E    O P T I O N 

My favoured day-time lip colour is a deep-nude lip colour (rich brown tones) that really pulls my makeup together. I use a few eyeshadows to contour my eyes (as demonstrated above) and then use a nude lip colour to bring everything together. 

CIATÉ x OLIVIA PALERMO - SATIN KISS LIPSTICK: PRALINE

This is a recent purchase of mine from TK Maxx (best bargain ever) but it's very much like MAC Twig which is one of my favourite lipsticks all year round. It's also very much like Chanel's Rouge Coco lipstick in Mademoiselle but a slightly more saturated version and rosier base colour. 

I've been wearing this every time that I've been doing my makeup when I want to look a bit more put together. It's the perfect work appropriate lipstick for around the office, grabbing coffee with the girls or running a few errands in town. It's creamy and incredibly comfortable to wear. It has great coverage from just one pass over the lips. The slight satin finish is very flattering. 

T H E     A T T I T U D E    O P T I O N

This option is for those that are a bit more daring. Admittedly, this combination has been my most favoured option for the days when I'm finding myself in Belfast. I've worn this several times and I love it. I actually forgot that I had the lipstick until I was sorting out my lipstick drawer. Yes, my lipstick drawer. I fell back in love with it and knew that I would get a lot of wear out of it this year. 

NYX LIP LINER PENCIL - PLUM

If you're like me and you're a bit useless at applying a more vibrant colour straight from the lipstick to your lips, then a lip liner is needed. This lip liner from NYX is one of my favourite lip liners to use. It can be drying but my lips have been dry since I can remember. Use some lip balm and you'll be grand. 

I line my lips with this beautiful purple-red pencil (despite looking decidedly more red in the photos). I slightly over line my lips with this and I mean by a smidge before going in with the lipstick. 

RIMMEL x KATE MOSS - 30

How could I forget that I owned this incredible lip colour? That's what happens when you're a red and nude lip colour hoarder. This colour is incredible. It's the perfect deep plum shade for the winter months. It's a beautiful blend of red tones, cool tones with a purple hint to it. I think that it works perfectly with my porcelain skin. It would be beautiful on all skin tones but for me personally, as fair as I am, this is just gorgeous. 

T H E     N A I L S

I paint my nails all year round (despite not really being allowed to for work) but I never seem to obey the 'rules'. I wear dark colours during the spring and summer months alongside the brights and pastels. That's just how I roll. But this winter, I've been doing between two of my favourites that are perfect for the darker months. There are only two colours for me during winter; purple and red with all the degrees of shades in-between. I love them all. 

TANYA BURR COSMETICS NAIL POLISH - NEW YORK NIGHT

I bought this nail varnish last month and I love it. It's a beautiful deep berry-plum shade. At times it looks purple, at times a deep-rich burgundy and at times verging on a purple-black. I love it. Again, I love how it looks against my pale skin. It's definitely a staple winter shade.

ESSIE - THIGH HIGH

The quinessential red nail polish that is the backbone of my winter nail varnish collection. This red is the perfect marriage of red, ruby hues and a frosty sheen. That's the way that I see it. It's not a vampy red or a deep berry red or a bright Fifth Avenue type of red that's reserved more for the summer months. It's a classic deep and bold ruby red. Again, it sets off my porcelain skin beautifully, essentially with my silver rings that I wear all the time.  

 

 

There you have it, that is how I winterize my beauty routine; switching between a nude-brown and a plum-berry lip colour and using purples and rubies on my nails. 

How do you winterize your beauty? How do you transition your look from Fall/Autumn to the colder months? I would love to know how you do it and what products you would recommend.