Fall into Beauty
Finally it’s cooling off. Fall is here & winter is just around the corner. For all of us that means warmer clothes. But we also don’t want to forget another crucial part of the equation—our face and hair. Authentic Beauty wants to make sure you’re ready for the cold months with these easy tips.
Skin
Your complexion exhibits your beauty, but the harsh winter months can take quite a toll on your skin & your skin is the first defense to protect against the wind and cold. Because your skin is the (obvious) initial protection, note that exfoliation can do wonders for your skin during the winter. If you exfoliate three times a week, you’ll remove all the dead skin build-up that blocks pores & suffocates your complexion in the winter. Exfoliation not only makes your face softer by removing all the dead skin, but it also allows the moisturizers to be better absorbed in your skin.
Make sure you choose moisturizers that nourish your skin. If you have a problem with winter’s notorious dry skin, find a moisturizer with oil to hydrate your skin. But if you are prone to oily skin, then make sure to pick a nourishing moisturizer that’s not too heavy. I like an oil free lotion. It’s important to replenish your skin with creams & lotions to combat the dryness that plagues all of us when the temperature drops. The winter sun is just as brutal as the summer sun, even if you can’t feel it on a cold day. Always always apply SPF! If your moisturizer does not have SPF, make sure your foundation does. You do not want to leave your face exposed to the cold, yet harsh sun.
And always make sure to apply eye cream above & under your eyes to avoid dryness around the eyes—a very sensitive area. Don’t forget to protect your lips! Chapsticks and lip balms are your best friends in the winter—stop that cracking in its tracks by using lip treatments. (Make SURE the lipbalm contains natural ingredients- NOT petroleum) Lastly, no matter what season it is, your skin thrives off water. Especially in the winter, make sure you drink lots of water to leave your skin (and your health) radiant.
Make-Up
After treating your skin for dryness, applying make-up has everything to do with looking fabulous in the colder months. A key aspect is to not forget that your skin color changes with the seasons and that your foundation color needs to change with it. Match your foundation with your skin in the winter to avoid awkward changes in skin tone from face to body. Remember to pick a foundation that helps prevent dry skin or one that focuses specifically on your skin issues if your skin is not dry in the winter. And always remember, foundation with SPF is best because it’ll save your skin from harmful rays.
Dress up your cheeks with a more colorful blush to give you the color you lack in the winter months. Also experiment with colorful deep lips to bring more color into your face. Just stay away from the pastel and the shimmery—it’ll make you look paler than you actually are. Also remember you should not be a deep, dark tan. Your eyes (shadow & liner) for the colder months should incorporate grays, browns, deep reds and dark matte colors. This coupled with your new cold weather clothes will tie together your look. You’ll look polished and the deep color gives you a dark and hauntingly beautiful eye.
Hair
Your very light or highlighted hair may have been appropriate for the warmer months of the year, but as the weather cools down and clothes get darker (maroons, browns, dark purples), shouldn’t your hair go darker as well? Lowlights, instead of highlights, in the colder months creates a subtle color variation that work better with the colors of winter, and it can completely revamp your look. Lowlights add darker hues and provide color shifts in your hair that looks elegant and beautiful.
They are generally more discretely placed than highlights—on the top of your head and framing your face—and can be found in the lower layers in your hair. The look is natural but also dramatic. When picking a lowlight shade, make sure you go no more than three shades darker than your hair color. Also, don’t forget to match your lowlights with your skin tone to avoid making yourself look pale, which is easy to do in winter since you don’t get tan. Blondes should choose deeper and richer blondes or even light brown hues for low lights. Brunettes should choose rich brown and red color tones such as chocolate. Redheads should do darker shades of red or dark golden brown.
You deserve to feel beautiful all year. Authentic Beauty is dedicated to giving you the tools to do so. As the weather becomes increasingly colder, hopefully these easy tips for your hair and face will leave you confidently gorgeous and healthy.
