11 Winter Makeup Looks for Your Best Self This Season

1. 1. Editor’s Choice: Real Techniques Frost Your Face Makeup Brush & Sponge Kit

   Price: $42.33

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Soft & applies product nicely and evenly
   • Easy to handle and clean, and dries fast
   • Long-lasting, good quality

   Cons:

   • There are higher-end options (but great for beginners)
   • On the smaller side
   • May work best with certain formulas

   Whatever amazing winter look you’re going for will be so much more impactful when applied well. And that’s where quality makeup brushes and sponges come in, like the ones included in this 12-piece gift set from Real Techniques (though let’s face it, you can always gift it to yourself like I did!) It includes one of each of the following:

   • brightening concealer brush
   • expert face brush
   • fan brush
   • sculpting brush
   • flat liner brush
   • smudge brush
   • winged liner brush
   • complexion blender brush
   • lip exfoliating brush
   • complexion sponge
   • cleansing sponge
   • beauty bag

   Looking for something a bit smaller? The Sparkle + Sleigh kit, which contains a few essential brushes and some handy gel cleanser to get those sponges squeaky clean, is a great gift option. In both kits, all brushes are made with plush, synthetic hand-cut bristles and each brush and sponge can be used with cleansers and cream, liquid, and powder makeup.

   Find more Real Techniques Frost Your Face Kit information and reviews here.

2. 2. Grande Cosmetics GrandeBROW Brow Enhancing Serum

   Price: $73.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Makes lashes appear very full and healthy
   • Evens out brows to appear identical
   • Works quickly for most

   Cons:

   • Must use consistently for desired effect
   • Growth may plateau
   • Non-clear tube prevents view of what's left

   This brow-enhancing serum from Grande Cosmetics helps to make your brows appear fuller and bolder yet still natural (psst – we’ve got some amazing eyelash serums to help with this, too!)

   Ideal for thinning, over-plucked, mature, or sparse brows, the serum is made cruelty-free with amino acids and vitamin E for healthy, fortified brows, and hyaluronic acid to condition, hydrate and protect. It takes just 6-8 weeks to show results, even more in up to four months. To use, apply once daily along the brows and let dry for 1-2 minutes.

   Find more Grande Cosmetics GrandeBROW Brow Enhancing Serum information and reviews here.

3. 3. Charlotte Tilbury Mini Iconic Lip Wardrobe

   Price: $53.47

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Matte yet very creamy
   • Glide on smooth, won't clump or dry out
   • Gorgeous, versatile colors

   Cons:

   • Tubes are very small (but last a while)
   • Might transfer
   • Pricey for the amount

   The limited edition Charlotte Tilbury Mini Iconic Lip Wardrobe – Matte Revolution Quad comes with four gorgeous, soothing, long-lasting lipsticks: Pillow Talk, Pillow Talk Medium, Walk of No Shame, and Red Carpet Red. Creamy and matte, these lipsticks are ideal for the holidays and will have you turning heads wherever you go.

   The lipsticks feature 3D glow pigments to boost the appearance of lips and help them look fuller and wider. They finish in a nice cashmere matte that protects and hydrates with the brand’s secret ingredient and orchid extract. You can rest assured you’re wearing a clean formula, too, as the lipsticks are made cruelty-free and without parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, sulfates SLS & SLES, and other harsh ingredients.

   Find more Charlotte Tilbury Mini Iconic Lip Wardrobe information and reviews here.

4. 4. Laura Geller New York Baked Blush-n-Brighten Marbleized Blush

   Price: $23.80

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Lasts all day
   • You don't need much - lasts a while
   • Highly pigmented

   Cons:

   • Colors may look different once applied
   • A bit glittery which isn't for everyone
   • Some found it hard to blend

   Laura Geller’s Baked Blush-n-Brighten Marbelized Blush gives radiant color in a weightless, creamy smooth formula that’s handmade in Italy. It amazingly self-adjusts to your skin tone and is packed with antioxidants (Centella Asiatica and white tea extracts), meaning you get healthy, protected skin and a healthy glow at the same time. Ideal to give dull, mature skin a little lift, especially over those dreary winter months, the pink, coral, and gold tropical tones come in a gorgeous satin finish and will last for hours.

   Find more Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten Marbleized Blush information and reviews here.

5. 5. LORAC PRO Matte & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette

   Price: $39.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Beautiful, blendable, pigmented shades
   • Many looks with variety of finishes & colors
   • Sustainable, reusable packaging

   Cons:

   • Shimmery shades have more fallout
   • May need primer for shimmery shades
   • Palette is delicate

   This oversized mirrored compact eyeshadow palette from LORAC PRO features 18 rich, deeply-pigmented matte, metallic, and shimmer shades. This cruelty and fragrance-free, vitamin E, shea butter, and cucumber extract formula is good for your skin and will last all day. Plus, the lightweight packaging means easy portability when traveling or on the go. Pro tip: If you’re wanting more intensity and glam, wet eyeshadows a bit before applying.

   The packaging is sustainable, which is a great bonus, as you can customize your palette by rearranging the shades in your preferred order. Simply flip the palette tray outward to expose the removal slots underneath and use the included key to remove a pan. Shades are replaceable once finished, and the palette is reusable for new shade additions.

   Find more LORAC PRO Matte & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette information and reviews here.

6. 6. Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Liquid Eye Shadow

   Price: $25.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Gives eyes that gorgeous wow factor
   • Very long-lasting
   • Easy to apply

   Cons:

   • May not be ideal for sensitive eyes
   • On the drier side
   • Dries too quickly for some

   Get all sparkly and glowy this winter with Stila’s Magnificent Metals Glitter And Glow Liquid Eye Shadow. This first-to-market long-wearing liquid highlighter is lightweight and water-infused, so it doesn’t feel sticky or tacky and won’t transfer. It contains different sizes of reflective pearls and glitter, and gives a multicolored, multi-dimensional, lustrous, shimmery look. It glides on smoothly, dries nicely with minimal fallout, and looks great on its own or over eyeshadow.

   Find more Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow information and reviews here.

7. 7. stila One Step Correct Kitten Skin Tone Correcting & Brightening Primer

   Price: $36.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Gives gorgeous, light coverage
   • Great at smoothing out makeup
   • Ideal as a foundation replacement

   Cons:

   • A bit glittery, which isn't for everyone
   • Need to manually mix colors (doesn't target color imbalance)
   • Not as concealing as others

   stila’s One Step Correct Kitten Skin Tone Correcting & Brightening Primer is a transparent, all-in-one, triple-swirled-helix serum made with a 15-vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant blend that color-corrects, primes, nourishes, hydrates, moisturizes, balances, and brightens the skin. It reduces the look of imperfections and improves the skin’s texture and tone.

   To use, pump a small amount into your hand and apply to clean skin with your fingertips.

   Find more stila One Step Correct Kitten Primer information and reviews here.

8. 8. theBalm’s Stainiac Beauty Queen Stain

   Price: $18.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Very versatile to be more dramatic or natural
   • Smooth and long-lasting
   • Gorgeous, flattering colors

   Cons:

   • May be too light to see tint on darker skin
   • Tints fast (not forgiving of mistakes)
   • Colors may not work for all skin tones

   theBalm’s Stainiac Beauty Queen stain is an incredibly versatile lip and cheek color that looks beautiful on any skin tone. Wear it on its own or layered over other colors. You can even apply it to the eyes for a unique look. The natural, non-streaky hyaluronic acid-infused formula hydrates and won’t set immediately, so you can play around a bit.

   Pro tip: apply more product with the applicator for a more intense, dramatic evening look starting at the lips’ center and blending from there. For a lighter, sheerer, more casual look, dab product on with fingertips and blot lips.

   Find more theBalm's Stainiac Beauty Queen Stain information and reviews here.

9. 9. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Exagger Eyes Liner Duo

   Price: $42.98

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Gorgeous, eye-popping color
   • Goes on very smoothly and easily
   • Versatile for different looks

   Cons:

   • Product goes quickly
   • Some found the dark end to be hard
   • Not as long-lasting as some, since it's so soft

   Another great pick from Charlotte Tilbury, the Hollywood Exagger-Eyes Liner exaggerates the eye’s appearance of being bigger, brighter, and younger-looking. It mimics the contrast of light and shade, and bright and dark, for brighter, wider eyes.

   The waterproof, humidity-proof, and smudge-proof formula contains easy-glide emollients that apply much like a gel (and goes on even easier with an eyeliner brush). Bonus: it lasts up to 16 hours so you don’t need to worry about it all day or night.

   Find more Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Exagger Eyes Liner Duo information and reviews here.

10. 10. Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner

    Price: $24.00

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • Glides on smoothly for gorgeous lines
    • Very long-lasting
    • Won't run or streak

    Cons:

    • Not forgiving with mistakes (sets fast)
    • May not be sweat/humidity proof for all
    • Not great on the waterline

    This highly-pigmented, water-resistant eyeliner is super precise, easy to apply, fast-drying, and stays put all day. So, it won’t smudge, crease, or transfer, plus it’s conveniently waterproof, sweatproof, and fadeproof. Made with linoleic and linolenic acids and no talc, sulfate, parabens, or fragrance, the clean and cruelty-free gel formula is rich, conditioning, smooth, and creamy.

    To apply, use a precise eyeliner brush for clean-cut lines. For a smoky look, smudge lightly.

    Find more Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner information and reviews here.

11. 11. Julep Skip The Brush Cream to Powder Blush Stick

    Price: $18.00

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • Highly pigmented and long-lasting
    • So easy to use & ideal for travel
    • Blends effortlessley

    Cons:

    • Too light or sheer for some
    • A bit drying on lips (may need balm underneath)
    • Some users had trouble with packaging

    This 2-in-1 powder-cream blush stick from Julep is super easy to use and gives you a beautiful burst of soft color for your cheeks and lips. The nice thing is it’s so convenient to swipe or dab on, with no brush or sponge needed.

    The formula’s rich, moisturizing emollients help the product glide on smoothly and leave you with a radiant, healthy, glowing finish. Colors are easily blendable and buildable for more simple or dramatic looks.

    Find more Julep Skip The Brush Cream to Powder Blush Stick information and reviews here.

How Do I Create Winter Makeup Looks?

Winter makeup looks mean classic colors that pop, like red lips, full-coverage foundation for smooth, flawless skin, and one standout, dramatic feature, like a bold cheek or sultry eye.

What Winter Makeup Features Should I Look For?

Since the winter months can cause more dry skin than you're used to, look for products with extra hydration, nourishment, and moisture. This might mean richer, heavier, cream-based formulas. If you have sensitive skin, always check the ingredients and ensure all products are hypoallergenic.

What Is The Best Winter Makeup?

There are many great makeup products out there with deeper colors and heavier coverage than their lighter counterparts, making them ideal for winter. Try those from Charlotte Tilbury, theBalm, and stila, among other brands, to see what you like best.