5 Winter Makeup Trends You Don’t Need a Pro To Create

Winter makeup trends are always a mixed bag; there's the classics that stay around forever as well as a few fresh and fun ways to switch things up. This year is no different. If, like me, you tend to do your makeup the same way each day, try switching it up to get yourself out of your cold-weather rut. From bold cheek colors to daring eye looks, and of course, a few sparkly elements, there are a handful of beauty looks that have dominated our feeds and the runways. Keep scrolling for makeup inspiration and a breakdown of how you can put these looks together.

The Ever-Classic Bold Lip

The Inspiration: Truthfully, any time of the year is the right time to wear a bold lip (we don’t believe in makeup rules around here), but winter fashion is accessorized beautifully when paired with a lipstick that pops. From looks created by makeup artists and influencers to the models at shows like Carolina Hererra, Bottega Veneta, and Moschino, this look is eternally chic and is the perfect go-to if you’re a makeup minimalist—or, let’s be real, pressed for time. From bright pinks and reds to deep plums and everything in between, any color you want to wear is the appropriate color for this trend.

The Look: When my lipstick is the focus of my makeup, I carefully apply each product to make sure my application is precise. For this look, I prepped my lips with MAC's Prep + Prime Lip Primer ($20)—this prevents the lipstick from fading or spreading and gives it a smooth base to sit on top of. Next, I applied my favorite lipstick of all time, MAC's Retro Matte Lipstick in All Fired Up ($19), on my lips. Lastly, I used a Lip Pencil in Cherry ($19) to line my lips for depth and symmetry. I cleaned up the corners of my mouth with Tarte's Shape Tape Concealer ($29), blotted my lips with a tissue, and was all set after that. If you opt to wear this trend, take your time with each step—your application will look much sharper and last a lot longer.

Late-Night Eyes

The Inspiration: A moody, edgy aesthetic was front and center at shows like Etro, Alice + Olivia, and Tom Ford with the endlessly classic smoky eye. Dark and opaque, yet soft, eyes is the new twist on the trend. It’s all about tailoring this look to your comfort level. If you need extra insporation, influencers and makeup artists have also shown how wearable this look can be. So, whether you go full tilt and sport a traditional black smoky eye or concentrate the depth and darkness on specific areas of the eyes, the versatility of this trend is what makes it a brilliant one to experiment with.

The Look: Whenever I create a black smoky eye, I try to keep the number of products I use to a minimum—in my opinion, fewer products make achieving the look a lot easier. For this eye, I swept the shade Matte 8 from the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette ($49) across my lids for a bit of depth. Next, I used Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero ($22) on my eyelids, under my eyes, and in my waterline, smudging the pencil out with an eyeshadow brush. I used the excess product that was on my brush to give the smoky eye a small wing. Then, I used another shadow brush to pat the 24/7 Shadow in Blackout ($19) on top of the outline I made with my eye pencil. Lastly, I added applied mascara and a pair of false lashes to complete my look. Whether you smudge an eye pencil out or lightly dust an eyeshadow all over your eyelids, this look doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Have fun seeing what you create.

Soft and Hydrated Skin

The Inspiration: Perfect for anyone who loves soft makeup with a skin focus, barely-there makeup takes its rightful place as a trend for the winter season. There are tons of everyday examples on our feeds, and this look also made it to the Missoni, Louis Vuitton, and Veronica Beard runways. While this fresh-faced trend has always been around, it’s definitely become more prominent for many of us over the past two years.

The Look: Products that make your skin look natural and hydrated are helpful in creating this look. I like having a glow, so I reached for a few key products that were more luminous. I started my look off with Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip Primer ($34), and buffed a thin layer of Armani Beauty's Luminous Silk Liquid Foundation($64) onto my skin. Instead of applying several layers of foundation, I used MAC's Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer ($24) on dark spots for more coverage. Remember: Targeting where you add more product helps your application look as close to real skin as possible. To set my foundation and concealer, I used Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder ($45), lightly dusting it all over my face with a long-haired fluffy brush. Once you get your complexion down, how much product you use to spruce up the rest of your face is your choice—I kept things simple and used a bit of bronzer, brow pencil, mascara, and gloss to tie everything together.

Embellished Eyes

The Inspiration: Jeweled eyes have been circulating for several seasons now. But this nostalgic, early-aughts trend has come back stronger, in part because of beautiful looks created on HBO’s Euphoria. A complete artistic experiment, adding jewels to your eyes is a way to test out a different look that knows no limits. You can pop one or two jewels on or completely decorate your eyes, cheeks, and temples with as many rhinestones as you can.

The Look: My version of this trend involved rhinestones that complemented my eyeshadow, but feel free to use gems of any color with your own rendition. After applying Wiggalese from Anastasia Beverly Hills's Jackie Aina Palette ($45) and darkening my lash line with the Urban Decay's 24/7 Eyeshadow in Blackout ($19), I embellished my eyes with red, purple, and pink stones. I already had gems from an arts and crafts store in my city, but there are several places you can purchase jewels online. I put a pea-sized amount of eyelash glue onto the back of my hand, dipped a thin eyeliner brush into it, and pressed the brush onto random areas of my eyes, quickly placing the rhinestones on top of the glue with my fingers. Personally, I don’t use tweezers near my eye area because I don’t find it helpful, but if you use tweezers to apply false lashes, you’ll probably have success putting your gems on with one.

Lots of Flush

The Inspiration: Flushed cheeks have a moment in the spotlight this season as the standout feature, rather than just a finishing touch. Accentuating your cheeks is a simple makeup technique, but it manages to bring an element of freshness to the skin and can complement the rest of your makeup beautifully. Seen all over social media and at shows like Paco Rabanne and Simone Rocha, bold cheeks can range from soft and fresh to experimental—and how much blush you wear is completely up to you.

The Look: For this look, I was in the mood for a monochrome moment and opted to match my blush to my eyeshadow and lipstick. I used Glossier's Cloud Paint in Haze ($18) on my cheeks by placing the gel on the back of my hand and using a short-haired brush to gently blend the color on my temples and cheeks. You can use any product that has the color and texture you prefer, whether that be cream, gel, powder, or liquid. Brands like Danessa Myricks Beauty, Patrick Ta, Tower 28, and several others have options worth checking out if you're in the market.