There is always that moment where you look into your makeup bag and think, Ok, I have too many products. It almost becomes confusing and we tend to stick to our most used, or favourite items anyway – sound familiar? In the past, there was much more of a difference between summer and winter looks within both beauty and fashion, but now the lines are blurred and trends are showing a great balance between the seasons.
Fresh pastels and golden, warm tones are very summer whilst deep smokey tones with silver and plum lips are winter. But I love the mix between the two that we are seeing with celebrity trend, as the bronze smokey look suits so many of us, why go to smokey silvers just because its winter? I always consult, no matter the season, on what would look best for your skin tone, hair and eye colour, especially for the basics. This way, you get it right every time and by adding a few different colour pops in areas like the mobile eyelid and lips, you can still keep your base products to give an entire different feel to your overall look.
Base Products
As contouring (using highlight and shade to give more structure to the face) is still such a big trend, as we know it can put your best face forward plus be anti-ageing, we will always need a bronzer, highlighted and basic matte taupe shades for the eyes to achieve this. The aim of the game is to use anything matte and two shades deeper than your skin tone under the bones (cheek, brow, jaw bone) of the face to create a hollow – this re-defines and shapes the face, which is the anti-ageing part of contouring. Then if we use something two shades lighter than our skin tone on the bone to lift the area, this creates light reflection adding youthful freshness to the face. There are some techniques that are just all year round, contouring is definitely one of them and I call it face mapping – it really does point out, by re-shaping and lifting the face, where your other ‘colour’ products will be placed – like a stencil.
Colour Products
This is what we call all the fun things we buy, because they are pretty or give us a wow factor. Well they did, now they are probably at the bottom of the makeup bag, as you don’t know where to apply them. It could be that sparkly eye shadow you fell in love with, or that bold bright lip and maybe that limited edition blush palette that you just had to have. Either way, these are the products we tend to have too much of and usually in the incorrect shades. Fun makeup as I call it, has a lot to do with your lip and cheek colour – as that can really alter the entire look of your makeup being such focal areas of the face.
For eyes, it really is only the shades you apply on the mobile eyelid, normally a bold, or metallic colour to contrast from the contour shade chosen, used at the lash lines and socket area for shape and define. You could add a fun coloured liner in the mix, but deeper liners in grey, black or brown will always look best at the lash line to open your eyes, if applied in a soft, smokey (smudged) application.
Summer Vs. Winter
As the bronze smokey eye trend is so hot right now for summer, why change it for winter? It is one of those ‘works every time’ moments and it’s because the traditional smokey eye of granite, silver and even black eye shadow can be really harsh and seen as a party look because of its stronger dept. Bronze with more chocolate or caramel based smokey eyes work with all eye colours, skin tones and are seen as more everyday – even for the office, adding a metallic pop of colour on the eyelid for after 5pm.
Going through each category of makeup application, here are some items that may need updating from season to season;
Complexion
Our skin condition can definitely change from summer to winter so your choice of primer can really make a difference in assisting in any skin concerns you may have.
Summer – Skin can produce more oil, look shiny in the T-Zone and pores could be more visible. Because of this, an oil controlling, mattifying primer is my choice in the T-Zone, under foundation. I generally do not apply this to the outer areas of the face, as, even in summer, we want that glow to give a hydrated look. Blush tones tend to be very bronzed and golden to allow for brighter lip shades.
Winter – Our skin will feel and look drier this season so it’s important to moisturise day and night to combat the effects from the use of heating and then going out into the cold, which can shock the skin. I use a lot more illuminating primers in winter; this creates a healthy glow under the foundation, which makes your look lighter in general – lit from within! Apply mainly on outer areas of the face for greater reflection whilst mattifying products are not needed.
Eyes
In summer, we sometimes don’t feel like wearing much makeup with hot weather and often we go straight from beach to dinner. Easy applications, glossy, metallic textures scream summer, while the skin is kept matte for balance and shine control.
Summer – Bronzed eyes are a big trend this season, they add almost a wash of colour as focus is more on lashes and lips for simplicity during what can be humid climates. A matte eye concealer as a base is a great way to stop any eye makeup creasing with extra oils on our skin, especially when using a creamy texture eye shadow.
Winter – As bronzed eyes work so well with all eye colours and skin tones – it doesn’t add any more pink to fair skin, but compliments the golden tone of an olive skin – you can apply this trend in winter also, warming up your look and skin. Use different shades of eyeliner and/or metallic shades on the mobile lid for a winter pop. Try rich shades like copper, burgundy or navy, all mix superbly with bronze colours used as your base and sculpting shades.
Lips
While some choose to wear more eye makeup in winter than summer – traditionally keeping lips more nude for balance – there is no harm in wearing a wintery bold lip, even if you have more eye makeup on if the tones are neutral.
Summer – Because of our laid back approach to makeup this season, particularly with bronze tones and not as much depth and focus on our lashes, a bold lip is popular. Shades of orange, warm reds and even hues of pink, like fuchsia, give colour and life in an instant, overall brightening up our neutral summer glow.
Winter – As our fashion choices may appear darker in colour, it doesn’t mean our eye makeup colour does also. I like to still keep eyes in layered neutral tones for winter as they work best for eye shaping, but I love to play the lips in winter tones. True Red, Wine and plum with brick toned browns can look stunning these winter months, working perfectly with this season’s fashion palette.
MB PRO TIP;
Your shade of fashion will help decide your lipstick shade. If you’re wearing all one colour like black, grey or navy, this is your chance to wear a deep red or wine lip. If your outfit has colour and pattern, go a deep nude, or brick style brown.
Image: Jennifer Lopez from Pinterest.
