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This post will show you 20 makeup and skincare essentials for the winter, with tips on how to look your best during the wintertime.
Got a case of the “winter uglies”? We’re here to help. It’s totally normal not to feel your best beauty-wise during the cold, drab winter season.
Whether it’s looking pale, fighting to keep your skin hydrated, or combating flat, dull hair…it is no surprise that the “winter uglies” has become a hashtag many of us can relate to.
Luckily, we’ve found the cure with the 20 best winter makeup and skincare products that will help you look and feel like your best self without breaking the bank, since they’re all under $50.
So if you feel like you haven’t been looking like your hottest, most radiant self, have no fear: our winter glow-up guide is here!
Rhode Glazing Mist Hydrating Face Spray
Winter = dry, dull skin. That’s why your first line of defense against the winter uglies is keeping your skin hydrated!
One easy way to do this is with a hydrating face mist, and Rhode’s Glazing Mist is a fan favorite. It’s the perfect pick-me-up for your skin, whether you use it mid-day for a refresher, or prior to your skincare application in the AM or PM to help with product absorption.
This superfine mist is clinically proven to provide all-day hydration, leaving your skin looking glazed, supple, and hydrated. It also features purifying benefits that help your skin feel more balanced and clarified over time.
The glowy finish that this mist leaves on your skin will help diminish any dullness and give you a radiant look in a flash.
Dolce Glow Lusso Self-Tanning Mousse
Looking pale and drab? Try some self-tanner!
Give yourself an at-home tan with a product like Dolce Glow’s Lusso Self-Tanning Mousse. Used by influencers like Alix Earle, this self-tanning mousse is enriched with ingredients like squalane, jojoba oil, and Vitamin E for added hydration for your skin. And we know that hydration is *key* during the winter when our skin tends to become drier due to the cold temps and dry heat indoors.
By giving yourself a tan, you’ll feel like you just got back from a sunny beach vacation, minus any sun damage.
Lux Unfiltered Summer Skin Hydrating Gradual Self-Tanning Body Cream
If a self-tanning mousse seems a bit daunting, consider a gradual self-tanning body cream instead. That way, you can moisturize your skin while building up your color in a gradual way, without worrying about making a mess in your bathroom or concerning yourself over a perfect, streak-free application.
Lux Unfiltered’s Summer Skin is a luxurious, intensely hydrating, gradual self-tanning cream that will build up your color over time with no streakiness or transfer, so you can seamlessly incorporate it into your body care routine. (This also means you won’t have to schlep around in oversized old clothes after applying).
In addition to skin-loving ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter, this cream features an opulent vanilla fragrance with notes of cypress, pear, amber, lemon, and bergamot, elevating your overall experience.
Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub
Part of keeping your skin looking its best is ensuring you exfoliate it on the regular.
Exfoliation will help to prevent streaky self-tanner application, along with preventing dry, flaky skin, and giving you a closer shave, so whether or not you self-tan, it’s a must in your body care routine!
Tree Hut’s sugar scrubs are affordable and come in a ton of different scents, so you’re practically guaranteed to find one that you love.
Sugar, found in this scrub, is a natural exfoliant that effectively polishes away dead skin while helping boost circulation to your skin’s surface, while shea butter helps to deeply moisturize and soften dry skin, making this a multi-tasking product.
This product is also a great way to make your shower feel like a spa, and who couldn’t use a nice spa sesh in the dead of winter?!
It’s amazing how much more put-together you can feel when your nails are done.
But even if you don’t have the time or budget for a professional manicure, don’t worry—press-on nails are the solution! With more design options than ever, you can give yourself the look of a salon-quality manicure on your own at home in just a few simple steps.
Pick from tons of different colors, styles, shapes, and lengths; these Glamnetic nails take only 10 minutes to apply, are waterproof, and come with extras of the sizes to ensure you find the right fit for your nails, along with nail glue and tools to apply the press-ons seamlessly.
The nails last up to two weeks and will look flawless on your fingers, helping you feel put-together in a flash.
Patrick Ta Major Moisture Smoothing and Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm
No one wants flaky, dry lips at any time of the year, but during the wintertime, they can be especially difficult to combat. That’s why having a hydrating lip balm on hand at all times is a necessity!
Makeup artist extraordinaire Patrick Ta recently dropped a new must-have product, the Major Moisture Smoothing Lip Balm, which offers a sheer, high-shine finish packed with deeply moisturizing ingredients to cushion your lips.
Clinically proven to hydrate lips for up to 12 hours, this lip balm is available in six shades and features ingredients that smooth the lines in your lips for a smoother, more voluminous pout.
Throw this in your bag to keep your lips soft and glossy all season long.
The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum
If your lips are dry, flaky, and in need of some serious help, try The Ordinary’s PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum. A mild exfoliator made specifically for lips, it gently exfoliates away dead skin and promotes skin renewal, while also boosting moisture.
This serum supports the skin barrier of the lips by helping to help retain moisture and create a smoother feel and appearance, along with adding shine. While physical lip scrubs can sometimes feel aggressive or create an uneven skin texture, this chemical exfoliant uses a more gentle (yet ultra-effective) approach that is ideal for use during the wintertime.
Maybelline Lifter Plump & Glow Foundation
If you’re already dealing with dry skin, the last thing you need is dry, heavy, and cakey makeup that is going to make it look more noticeable.
Instead, opt for a skin tint or foundation that is glowy and hydrating, like Maybelline’s Lifter Plump & Glow Foundation. It features 90% skin-caring ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to visibly plump and brighten your skin. Not only will these ingredients instantly give you a boost, but they will also help improve your skin’s health over time.
This product is buildable, starting from a sheer skin tint that can be built up to a full-coverage foundation, leaving you with a radiant finish that enhances your skin’s luminosity.
RMS Hydrating Setting Powder
Setting powder is a crucial part of a full makeup routine in order to lock your makeup in place, but during the winter, there’s a fine line between setting your makeup and drying out your face (which can, in turn, make you look cakey).
That’s why you’ll want to opt for a hydrating setting powder that will set your makeup, minus the dryness—save those ultra oil-absorbing powders for the summertime, instead!
RMS Beauty’s Hydra Setting Powder features a hydrating formula that will nourish your skin and give you a blurred, soft-focus filter effect while still minimizing the look of pores and imperfections. Best of all, this powder is talc-free and non-comedogenic, so you can feel good about using it on your skin.
This powder also promises zero flashback and offers a silky texture that won’t cake or settle into fine lines while helping your makeup last all day long.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Setting + Refreshing Spray
After you’ve set your makeup with setting powder, lock it all in with a hydrating setting spray. Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip line is great for those with dry skin, and this skincare-infused setting spray is going to “grip” your makeup in place while also hydrating your skin. with ingredients like hyaluronic acid.
It will give you a glass skin effect thanks to itsdewy finish, while setting your makeup for up to 12 hours without fading, creasing, or drying out your skin. It’s my go-to setting spray for the wintertime, and best of all, it’s non-comedogenic, which is important for anyone who is acne-prone.
Ortega Ethereal Glow Balm in “Ice Queen”
Nothing says winter makeup quite like this glow balm in the shade “Ice Queen,” which reminds me of fresh, sparkling snow.
This shimmery multi-use balm is going to give you a luminous look along with a dose of hydration thanks to ingredients like blue agave and Vitamin E.
You can use it on the high points of your cheeks, nose, and brows in place of highlighter, on your lips for a subtle pop of gloss, on your eyes as eyeshadow, and/or on your body for a radiant sheen. This product really does it all, and its blue-white hue is perfect for the winter season.
Kosas Shiny Objects Wet Glisten Highlighter Powder
Another excellent wintertime highlight is Kosas’s Shiny Objects, a wet-pressed highlighter powder that melts into skin for a transparent, glistening finish.
What makes this formula unique? It holds moisture and won’t dry out your skin, giving you major luminosity, without any chalkiness or glittery fallout.
You can wear it everywhere, from the high points of your face to your collarbones, since it blends easily with fingers or a brush.
Since our complexions tend to look duller and drier in the winter, incorporating a highlighter into your makeup routine is a must.
Saltair Santal Bloom Instant Shine Hair Gloss Rinse
Is your hair looking dull this winter? Give it an at-home gloss treatment!
Saltair’s Hair Gloss Rinse will instantly deliver a luminous, glossy shine to your hair, while also making it smell incredible thanks to the product’s sandalwood, musk, and amber scent.
This hair treatment will smooth frizz, strengthen strands, seal the cuticle, and boost shine, leaving your hair silkier, glossier, and healthier looking.
Simply leave this hair gloss in for one minute in between shampoo and conditioner for an instant dullness cure.
Rhode Peptide Eye Prep Patches
There’s a lot of talk online about “performative eye patches” right now, but I am a firm believer that eye patches do work!
Rhode’s cooling hydrogel eye patches depuff, hydrate, and brighten under the eyes, while also helping to reduce the look of fine lines and dark circles.
I like to pop my eye patches on before starting my makeup, since they also help to collect any eyeshadow fallout that may occur.
L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil
Elevate your shower routine with a luxurious shower oil—namely, L’Occitane’s famed Almond Shower Oil, a body care favorite.
A worldwide best-seller for a reason, this shower oil is made with sweet almond oil that helps to nourish and soften the skin and delicately lathers into a frothy cleansing foam, filling your shower with its decadent aroma.
This oil also makes for the perfect base for a smooth body shave and a bathtub soak. However you use it, expect softer and more hydrated skin post-shower. It’s self-care meets body care!
EOS Shea Better Cashmere Whipped Oil Butter
Treat your skin to a luxe body butter that smells delicious—it’s an instant mood boost that’s going to deliver velvety smooth and hydrated skin and is perfect for using after a shower (especially after shaving).
Promising 2x more hydration than body lotion, this body butter is infused with a blend of naturally moisturizing and protective butters and oils, forming a protective barrier to lock moisture in, prevent moisture loss, and strengthen the skin barrier.
Ideal for ultra-dry skin, what makes this product that much more luxurious is its rich scent, a combination of vanilla, musk, and caramel, which makes applying this cream feel like a self-care ritual.
Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Shampoo
If you’re a blonde, you probably know the struggle of keeping it looking bright, rather than brassy. That’s why you’ll want to use a purple shampoo every so often to keep your hair color looking bright and healthy.
Give your blonde a refresh with Amika’s Bust Your Brass shampoo, whichtones brassy hues while simultaneously hydrating and strengthening your strands. The ultraviolet color will counteract brassy, yellow hues in your hair for a cooler, brighter blonde, while the shampoo’s bond fortifying technology will help strengthen damaged hair and prevent future breakage.
Follow up with its coordinating Bust Your Brass conditioner for enhanced toning and added hydration.
Gisou Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy Hydrating Hair Mask
Our skin isn’t the only thing that is prone to wintertime dryness: our hair can feel the seasonal effects, as well. Not to mention the static, frizz, and loss of volume.
I recommend using a hydrating hair mask in the shower to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy, and Gisou’s Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy Hydrating Hair Mask is an excellent option, especially for damaged hair. It blends strengthening ceramides, shine-boosting Mirsalehi Honey, and hydrating hyaluronic acid to deliver smoother, glossier hair that feels softer and stronger, along with 59% more volume.
Skip the conditioner once or twice a week in favor of an intensive hair mask instead. Your locks will thank you!
Glossier Futuredew Serum
Give yourself an instant look of radiance with Glossier’s Futuredew serum, an oil-serum hybrid that’s packed with hydrating ingredients.
This multi-use product can be worn alone for bright, glowing skin or under makeup for a dewier finish, or used as a highlighter by concentrating it on the high points of your face. It can also be mixed with your skin tint or foundation for extra glow.
However you choose to use it, it will give you a gleamy, well-moisturized, brighter look that lasts up to 12 hours.
Milani Conceal + Perfect Sun Kiss Bronzing Drops
A bit of bronzing can make all the difference during the winter, especially if you feel like your skin looks pale and dull.
Bronzing drops like Milani’s Conceal + Perfect Sun Kiss Bronzing Drops are one of the easiest and fastest ways to achieve an instant sun-kissed glow; just mix them in with your moisturizer, primer, or foundation for a glowy, radiant base.
This formula is filled with skin-loving ingredients that will deliver immediate hydration, improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and boost elasticity.
What do you think of our winter skincare and makeup guide?
What are your favorite winter glow-up tips or products? Leave a comment and let us know!
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