Winter 2012 beauty tips and trends
WINTER is officially in full swing thus giving ladies the perfect excuse to replenish or revamp their beauty kits. But just what to stock up on and what to stash away this season? Carene Chong brings you some tips straight from the experts plus product recommendations that won’t break your budget.
Photo: Umberto Salvagnin via Flickr
When asked about the most loathed season of the year, most girls would answer “winter” and with good reason too. Teeth chattering weather aside, with winter comes drier skin, chapped lips and frizzy hair – not very flattering traits to have at all for members of the vainer gender.
But with a little bit of TLC and the right trends to go with, there is no reason why you ladies cannot shake off that unattractive feeling and take on the chilly season with confidence.
Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Stay hydrated
The first step is to always make sure your face is hydrated enough because makeup is useless on a dry and flaky base. This is where a good skin routine comes in.
Melbourne-based beauty expert Kim Tavares recommends using the right type of moisturiser for your skin depending on the time of the day or feel of your skin.
“I use a heavier moisturiser at night only, when my skin feels a little dry and this balances it out,” she says.
However, do be careful you do not go overboard with the application.
“Skin should feel only slightly damp and even in texture. Be guided by how your skin feels and decide whether or not you need more moisturiser in the colder months,” she says.
While a skin moisturising routine is important, nothing beats good old H2O in doing the job.
“Most of us don’t drink enough water and it’s an easy way to keep skin looking good and hydrated from the inside out,” Kim says.
If you have a mane that tends to go wild and frizzy come winter, treat it like you would your skin, she says.
“I treat my hair with a hair masque when it’s feeling dry. And as a curly haired person who smooths their hair, I always use products to help fight humidity and dampness to avoid ending up with frizzy hair.”
According to Napoleon Perdis’ national creative team leader Kate Squires, this season is about skin that “sings”.
“A satin to dewy base is back, which means luxuriously creamy skin. This is unusual for winter, as the base trend normally switches to matte but this winter – it’s all about a youthful glow,” she says.
On top of using a luminising foundation to achieve the dewy effect, Kate recommends applying a highlighting product on the high points of the face (top of cheekbones, brow bone, cupids bow and bridge of the nose) to really acquire the glow.
But Kim Tavares has a word of caution for the ladies when it comes to using the right shade of foundation.
“You will most likely be paler going into the colder months, so adjust your foundation accordingly,” she says.
“The best way to colour match your foundation is to match the colour to your chest or shoulder as your face will need to match your body.”
Try: Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation, $15.96
Sculpted features with a pop of blush
They say that if you’ve got it, flaunt it – but if you don’t, create it!
Napoleon Perdis’ Kate Squires suggests doing some “couture contouring” on the face so it gets the attention it deserves.
“It’s about contouring that shades and highlights your own personal features, not a carbon copy of someone else’s bone structure,” Kate says.
“Try shading under the cheekbones, temples and inner bridge of the eye with a foundation powder two to four shades deeper than your skintone, depending on the depth of sculpting you require.”
Adding a pop of colour onto the cheeks is the next step after contouring.
Kim Tavares suggests adding a lovely rosy blush to the cheek to make you look like you just stepped in from the cold.
“In winter we are paler so it’s nice to add back a little colour,” she says.
Try: Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette, $45
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3b0wtUOJNM[/youtube]
Coloured Smokey eyes
While smokey eyes are as timeless as contoured faces, this season is about more than just a two-toned palette of black and white.
“Every winter we see the smokey eye come back but this year it’s about doing it with a bit of colour, rather than just black. My favorite is to use bronzes and chocolate, think Burberry, but purples and emeralds work beautifully too,” Kim Tavares says.
If your eyes were given a dramatic makeover, be sure to go the opposite way with the rest of the face to avoid looking overdone. Napoleon Perdis’ Kate Squires recommends nude shades of caramel and peach on the lips and cheeks to complement a bold smokey eye.
Try: Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in Amethyst Smokes, $14.95
Add a pop of colur on the lips to brighten up a cold winter’s day. Photo: socialspice.de
Bring back the lippies
Dig out all the brightly coloured lipsticks you stashed away over the hotter months as richly coloured lips are set to take over the chilly season.
“Lipstick is huge! Be it vibrant shades of raspberry, cherry and tangerine to deep Bordeaux and merlot, your lips will hold the focus this season.” Kate says.
If however you feel your lips are dry and chapped to begin with, Kate suggests giving them extra attention every night by applying lip balm before you go to sleep.
Try: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolour in Coral Crush, $16.95
Ombre nails. Photo: Helmetti via flickr
Mismatched/Ombré nails
Do not only focus on your face but give your digits the limelight it deserves too. Dip them into some bright bold colours, have some nail art on or even mix the nail colours up.
“A huge trend at the moment is to pick one finger to paint a different colour. For example, your thumbs, index, middle and ring fingers are purple but your pinkies are painted a contrasting colour such as orange,” Kate says.
Another creative trend with nails at the moment is called “ombré nails”, whereby the five digits are all painted a different shade of colour belonging to the same colour family (eg pink to red, baby blue to navy blue). The result is a colour gradient starting with the lightest shade on your thumbnail to the darkest on your pinky.
Try: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish, $6.95
Balayage. Photo: Kaitlin Molchen via flickr
Bright hair or balayage
“From coloured balayage to simple clip-in extensions for one night of fun, coloured hair is a great way to introduce colour in your winter wardrobe, ” Kate says.
Balayage, meaning “sweep” in French, is a hair coloring technique whereby hairdressers would apply hair colour of choice by hand in sweeping motions; doing lighter strokes on the base to mid length and exerting heavier strokes towards the end. The result is gorgeous two toned hair, one of the hottest trends in the beauty world made famous by celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Rachel Bilson.
But don’t restrict yourself to just browns or reds. Be daring and go blonde or even pink!
“Shades range from the brightest of brights to soft muted pastels and any shade you can think of…it’s being done,” Kate syas.
Try: Fudge Paintbox Semi-Permanent Creative Conditioning Hair Colour, $18.99
Which trends are you excited to try this winter? Do you have tips of your own you would like to share? Tell us below.