Once again, it’s that time of year! I feel like I just put away my warm winter clothes and started pulling out all my summer favorites. Though I’m sad to see the warm weather officially on its way out, I am so excited for all of the fun things winter brings!

While I’m not always the BIGGEST fan of the cold weather (Okay, fine. I can’t stand it after about five minutes), there IS something magical about the leaves turning those amazing, vibrant colors and falling off, the shorter days, watching a peaceful snowfall and knowing that the holidays are just around the corner.

To me, winter also means beautiful new beauty products. Winter beauty products have always been some of my favorites. I am absolutely head over heels for all of the warm tones, the dramatic lashes and the dark lips. I also love the simplicity of days spent under cozy blankets, watching Hallmark movies and doing face masks while sipping on some hot chocolate in my favorite holiday mug.

It’s so very hard to narrow down my favorite winter essentials, but here are the best of the best. These are products that I’ve used year after year and always repurchase. Let me know if you have loved any of the same products or have any product suggestions!

Perfect Palettes ✨✨

In my mind, winter is the PERFECT time to go out to my favorite make-up store and buy a new eyeshadow palette. I always see the most gorgeous palettes being put out around the holiday season as well. As I’ve grown out of my teens and into my early twenties, I’ve become a bit less adventurous with eyeshadows, so warm toned palettes are where I thrive! 

One of my all time favorite warm-toned palette is the Make Magic Happen palette from Tarte. The gorgeous palette has been one of my go-to’s since it came out in 2017. I love how versatile yet cohesive all of the shades are and I’ve created countless looks with this palette. I feel like you can really create a look for any occasion. The gold tones especially are perfect for the holiday season, and the mix of light and dark shades make transitioning from day time to night time looks so easy. There’s also a perfect blend of matte and glitter shades as well! This palette retails for $32 and can be picked up from any make up store that sells Tarte products.

Fabulous Face Masks ✨

The one downside about winter is that my skin HATES the dry air. Within minutes of stepping outside into the cool air, my skin is screaming for help. No one likes dry skin, so I always make sure I give it some extra extra love around this time of year. 

My favorite way to combat dry skin is through a moisturizing facemask. There is no better feeling than putting one of these bad boys on. I can literally feel my skin thanking me when I do!

I have used countless face masks over the years. As someone who has sensitive skin, I am very picky about my face masks. The Refresh & Refine ABH Clay Mask by Beyond Belief is HANDS DOWN my favorite. I LOVE the way that this feels when it’s on my skin and the way my skin feels after its been taken off. The formula is very smooth, especially for a clay mask. It goes on my skin so easily and it’s easy to wash the residue off of my hands afterwards. The biggest plus is that this mask doesn’t have a tingly or burning feeling while on your skin like so many masks do. It feels cool and definitely relaxes my skin if I’m having an acne flare up.

After I take off this mask, my skin feels like I’ve had a professional facial. It is SO soft and glowy and honestly how I wish my skin felt 24/7. This specific mask retails for about $8 from Sally’s Beauty, or can be purchased on Amazon. If you have dry, sensitive skin like me, you MUST check this out!

Lucious Lippies ✨

Okay, so I’d be totally lying if I said that winter beauty wasn’t MADE for lips. Winter is one of my favorite times of of the year, simply because there is always an excuse for a bold, dark lip. From deep pinks and purples to fiery reds, there are so many stunning lipsticks, stains and glosses to choose from.

I personally love dark nude colors, as I feel they compliment my skin tone without totally washing it out. One lip product that I was really impressed with was the NYX Lip Lingerie in the shade ‘Embellishment.’ It’s a dark nude with a purple-y undertone, and I absolutely adore it. It goes on like a gloss but stays like a lip stain. It’s smooth and doesn’t leave your lips feeling dry afterwards – which is a big plus, especially around this time of year! This product retails for around $5, which is honestly such a steal considering it can definitely serve as a dupe for SO many high end lip products.

Bombshell Blushes ✨

I always know it’s getting wintery AF when I switch from my fun, sun kissed  summer blushes to my darker, more mature blushes. My favorite blush to break out come winter time is definitely Benefit Cosmetics’s Rockateur Blush. It’s got the perfect amount of shine without being too much. I also feel like it’s one of those blushes that can’t be overdone, which can be so easy to do if you tend to get a little blush happy like I do. I take a big fluffy blush brush and go right for it! It looks very natural on, so adding a bit extra will only increase the gorgeous rosy, flirty flushed look.

Side note: Benefit always has the cutest packaging, don’t they? Their packaging ALWAYS catches my eye and makes me want to buy absolutely everything! This blush retails for $30, but if you’re lucky like I was, you can find it in a holiday set with loads of other amazing Benefit blushes and contours! 

Blissful Balms ✨

I’m pretty picky when it comes to my lips, so I’m going to share with you a few of my favorite lip balms/chapsticks.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that my all time favorite chapstick is Burt’s Bees. I don’t go anywhere without this stuff! Am I that crazy person who has multiple stashed around in their car, purse, and by their nightstand? Yes, confidently. The original (mint) is my absolute favorite, but they make all sorts of different kinds, like Vanilla, Pomegranate, Honey and more! They even have some tinted balms, so you can moisturize and have a pop of color! The best part about Burt’s Bees is that it’s all natural, and the yellow packaging is easy to spot if you have a messy purse like I do.

A few more brands that you can’t go wrong with are Eos, Nivea, Carmex and Blistex. These brands are wonderful as well, and there are so many different options to choose from!

Thank you guys so much for reading my first official blog post! I hope you liked it! Now I want to know, what are some of your winter must haves? Feel free to give me a follow if you’d like to see more, and of course, let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. Talk to you guys soon!

All the best,
K ♥