It’s officially winter, but that doesn’t mean you have to be sad about it. Those long, hot, sunny days by the beach may be a distant memory, but the love of cosy rainy sleep ins, mulled wine by the fire and layering fashion is still fun right?
Well, whatever your favourite season is, it’s time to talk skin and how it can feel very different through these changes. One could be feeling a little extra tightness – the cold chill of the mornings mean a warmer shower, making our skin less oily and feeling a tad bit dryer.
Image via Zimbio
Complexion perfection is all about balance, the texture and finish of a product really is make or break and it really is an individual combination to achieve a successful glow!
Here is a breakdown and differences of textures for foundation so your skin is comfortable for every seasonal change we go through.
Summer Vs. Winter
Summer
During warmer months our skin tends to have more oil coming to the surface due to perspiration and being more active. Our main goal is to control shine and keep the skin balanced, all while achieving a natural, light texture.
What products do we need?
– Hydrating moisturiser rather than nourishing. Use a lotion rather than a cream for faster absorption.
– A mattifying T-Zone primer, which is pore controlling to reduce shine underneath your foundation (rather than using too much powder of foundation).
– Add glow under foundation with a non-metallic illuminator on frontal bones (cheekbones, brow, cupids bow of lip, in between brows).
This creates a more transparent, luminous result before you start foundation application, using fewer products over foundation that could move when in heat throughout the day.
– Use a semi-matte foundation rather than dewy. Yes dewy is fresh and light, but it wont last the distance when it comes to warm weather. Semi matte with the right prep will still give great glow, but last so much longer. (BB creams are great for a daywear result and are not over shiny)
– Only use a light dust of powder at the start if the day. T-Zone only, none on the outer areas of the face like cheekbones, as you always want glow in this area. The lighter your powder at the start of the day, the better your skin will look at the end of the day when you have touched up your look a few times during the day.
– A powder highlighter may be a better option, used lightly in key highlight points/frontal bones of the face as it will stay put and not move in heat.
Image via Zimbio
MB PRO TIP:
In summer, I tend to use glow products under the foundation so they lift the skin, but do not take over causing unwanted shine later in the day. A product may look good when first applied, but it’s all about longevity for me as a makeup artist.
Matte products are best, but with subtle glow on the cheek area, so the look isn’t overly shiny. The centre of the face should always be set with a light dab of translucent powder for balance.
Winter
Once the cooler weather sets in, our skin can feel the cold more than we think.
We usually feel a little tighter with less oil coming to the surface, as our pores are tighter when cool.
Hot showers are a big cause of dry skin during winter. Yes, they feel good, but a warm shower and without direct pressure from the shower-head to the face are more gentle, plus will reduce further damage to the skin like broken capillaries.
Our main goal this season is to keep the skin nourished, hydrated and add glow to the skin.
Some say their foundation does not last in summer due to the heat wearing it away. Yet some say in winter this is the same concern, due to the lack of moisture to the skin, therefore foundation gets sucked in. It is all in the prep and texture of your products.
What products do we need?
– If your skin is quite dry before makeup, use a light hydrating moisturiser for instant plump of the skin (lotions are more fast absorbing).
At night use a richer more nourishing product for better comfort to the skin, ready for the morning.
– Use an illuminating primer under foundation on highlight points and frontal bones (think of where you get sunburnt first), this will add a glow through the foundation to revive a dull complexion.
– If you feel your skin is still shiny during winter, stick with the semi- matte foundation finish. If not, try a liquid foundation, this will add more radiance and give moisture to what could be a dry skin.
– Try a liquid highlighter, dabbing this onto key highlight areas, like on top of cheekbone, for a dewy glow. Going liquid will cater for the cooler temperature changes you may be faced with during the day and will keep the skin looking youthful. (Avoid a metallic finish during the day or when you have expression lines)
– Even in winter, a light dust of translucent powder on the T-Zone can help hold the centre area of the face, where we have most concerns, in place. This also gives balance so our outer areas of the face give great glow, but centre being matte is polished and adds to longevity of wear.
MB PRO TIP:
In winter, I do use creamy textures when it comes to highlighters, illuminators and blush. A great trick is to dab a little excess lipstick on your fingertip onto the apple of the cheeks to give a light fresh flushed look to cheeks. When your T-Zone is powdered lightly, the entire sides of the face will glow, keeping winer skin at bay.
Lastly, in summer, try not to go overboard in using a darker foundation than your skin tone. It may look good in certain lighting, but not all. Do yourself a favour!
Throughout all seasons, match foundation to your skin tone that it is currently. Preferably from cheek to jaw line. Use that shade all year and if more colour is needed, then add a dusting of bronzer to lift your glow.
Add more or less depending on the look you want and always start your bronzer application from centre of the face outward, to match how sun would hit the face naturally.
Over and out ladies!
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Feature image via Zimbio