We’ve had classic Charleston winter weather lately – one day it is sunny and 68 degrees and the next day it is rainy and 55 degrees only to have the following day be cold and 45 degrees. While we all live for the sunny 68 degree days and immediately break out our early spring items, more days still lean cold than not right now. It is January, after all. My winter beauty color palette has definitely been embracing those crisp, cold weather days so I thought I’d share the makeup items I’ve been repeatedly reaching for out of my vanity case (mine is an old print).
Years ago, I made a switch to all or mostly all clean beauty. Now, it isn’t even intentional because all the beauty brands I love and can’t live without are clean or follow EU standards for beauty. It is so easy to wear clean beauty products now that also work beautifully, that in my opinion, there is absolutely no reason not to.
My winter beauty color palette plays off of what I usually wear year round but with a bit of a muted or sultry color vibe. I always gravitate toward shades like “rose” and “petal” because I think pink-ish color tones work well for my skin coloring. So, I’ve been sticking to that same wheelhouse but going for dusty petal shades and warm rose shades. The warmth, dust, or bit of mute gives the pink leaning color tones I so adore more depth for winter. You’ll see each product I’m wearing below fits this bill so if this sounds like your beauty preference, then my winter beauty color palette is for you.
My Winter Beauty Color Palette
Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation in ‘Texel SF3’
I started wearing this foundation about a year ago and love it. The composition of the foundation fuses skincare, makeup, and sun protection into one easy step: a lightweight skin tint that leaves skin looking like, well, skin. It is one of those magic products that doesn’t go on heavily but still manages to give full all-over coverage. When I was writing this post, I saw that they have a new color shade called ‘Monokai SF2.5’ that I am going to order next to try because it defines itself as being a color that is “light with warm undertones,” sounds perfect for me and my pink undertones.
I also like to layer the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 on underneath the True Skin Serum Foundation (you can color match them easily) or will sometimes wear only the Super Serum Skin Tint on it’s own when I want the lightest fresh face coverage.
Beautycounter Cheeky Clean Cream Blush in ‘Chai’
I alternate between Beautycounter blush and Westman Atelier blush (I love both and really just alternate between the two for fun) but I do swear by Beautycounter’s Cheeky Clean Cream Blush. To apply it, I use my fingers to swirl, pat, and blend the cream blush onto the apples of my cheeks. It is also beautiful worn on your lips too! The ‘Chai’ color is a dusty rose shade which is perfect for the winter – rose is always a subtle, natural pink but the dusty nature of the color makes it beautiful and a little more intriguing for winter.
P.S. When I alternate back to using the Westman Atelier blush stick, then I’ll be wearing it in ‘Warm Rose’ for the exact same reasons I love Beautycounter’s ‘Chia’ color – rose is always a classically beautiful and easy to wear shade of pink but the ‘warm’ aspect of this shade makes it so suitable for winter and tones down any bright pink tones that would otherwise pop (and, thus, be more appropriate for summer).
Westman Atelier Lit Up Glow Highlighter Stick in ‘Lit’
This is my number one highlighter recommendation. Full stop. So many people agree with me on this. If you are one of those people that hasn’t pulled the trigger on Westman Atelier makeup, then make today be the day you do. I’ve been using this now since 2020 and it’s hard to imagine ever using another highlighter. I love it so much in the winter because my skin tends to feel a bit dull and lackluster but this baby solves that problem! I use it on my cheekbones, on the bridge of my nose, under my brows, above my cupid’s bow, and sometimes on my temples.
Beautycounter Brilliant Brow Gel in ‘Medium’
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, this is the eyebrow gel that I use. I’ve tried many different ones over time and I always come back to this one. I love the texture, I love the wand shape and size, and I love the way it wears + lasts on my brows. I wear it in the ‘medium’ shade because my eyebrows are naturally quite dark. This isn’t really a color specific product that quite fits in with this post on my winter beauty color palette but it’s a hero product of mine that made it into the above photo so I wanted to include it.
Ilia Liquid Powder Eye Tint in ‘Fresco’
When I’m putting on a bit more makeup for a night out, then I always swipe this on my eyes. It glides on effortlessly like a cream but dried like a powder without gooping or fading away. I bought the ‘Fresco’ colorway for winter and am having fun with the shade. It is a bit of a darker, sultry color than I usually wear on my eyes so it feels fitting for this time of year. My more year round colors of choice in this product are ‘Gleam’ for a soft pale gold and ‘Glaze’ for a warm champagne pearl.
Jones Road Miracle Balm in ‘Bronze’
This is a newer-to-me product that I started using after my mother recommended it. This is the hero product of Bobbi Brown’s new makeup venture, Jones Road, and for good reason. It can be worn on your face, cheeks, lips, you name it. I have been using it in the bronze shade because it helps me add a bit of warmth to my face during these drab winter months. I also want to try it in the ‘Dusty Rose’ shade because of those pink undertones I have and the ‘Magic Hour’ shade for a dash of highlight + shimmer.
Beauty Pie Wondergloss Collagen Lip Oil in ‘Nude Nectar’
This supercharged lip oil gives a sheer kiss of color with a shiny, balmy, hydrating finish that is not at all sticky and has the prettiest hint of shimmer. It wears like a neutral and is the easiest lip gloss to swipe on before heading out the door because it pairs beautifully with everything. I’ve also been wearing a swipe of this over more vibrant lip colors to tone them down and make my lips a more muted color for winter.
There you have it, my favorite products in the exact colors I am wearing non-stop right now on my lips, cheeks, and eyes in beautiful dusty, warm, muted winter tones.
