10 Winter Beauty Trends That Will Make You Love the Season Even More

We’re not just talking basic eyeliner on the top and bottom (This makes them look smaller, FYI). The new-new for Winter is blending the black all around the eyelid to create a smudged, sultry effect.

Alex LaMarsh, a celebrity hair and makeup artist, said coal and graphite shades are great for achieving this look on all skin types, but it's smart to keep the rest of your makeup relatively light to counteract the boldness, and let your eyes be the star of the show.

For a solid pencil that smudges in all the right ways, try the Givenchy Khol Couture Waterproof Retractable Eyeliner ($27).

Just like you change up your wine preference with the season — white in the Summer, red in the Winter — you’ll want to do the same when it comes to your lip shades. Vampy lips were made to come alive in the thick of Winter.

“With holiday parties, darker clothes, and longer nights, don't be afraid to treat yourself to a deep red, wine, or berry-colored lip,” said LaMarsh. Her go-to is Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick in Rust ($18). “It’s matte, easy to apply without a lip brush, and long-lasting.”

The gradient lip trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon — and we’re OK with that, because why wear one lip shade when you can rock two, three, or even four? To make this technique your own, start with your one favorite lip color, which can be any shade you like, though dark is the way to go in the wintertime.

Next, choose a vampy pencil (MAC has a huge selection of shades for this) and a shimmery, light powder (can be an eye shadow). First apply your main lip color, line your lips, and blend the liner inwards towards the center of your pout. Next apply a little of the shimmer powder in the areas untouched by the liner. Lastly, add some gloss or balm to prevent dryness in the harsh Winter air.

There’s a reason why many women swap honey highlights for amber and brunette shades during the colder months. Just as a red lip contracts beautifully with a paler complexion, dark and dramatic hair stands out.

“You will see less platinum and instead warmer and more golden medium blondes,” said Nelson Chan, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Nelson J Natural Salon in Beverly Hills. Whatever your natural hue may be, choosing the right intensity of darkness is key.

Also, keep your skin tone in mind, as Chan said warm skin tones look better with shades like chestnut, honey, or caramel. Cool complexions can opt for cocoa, copper, or mahogany.

If you’ve ever wanted to mess around with metallics — silver, white shimmer, gold, you name it — December through March is your chance. Silvers and whites, especially, give you that first-snow-of-the-season sparkle. The lip shades are trickling in from big brands like Too Faced and Kat Von D. Of course, MAC’s metallic hues never went out of style, and now the brand has entire collection dedicated to pearly shades of copper, bronze, and titanium.

For a heavy metal look, try NYX Cosmetics Cosmic Metals Lip Cream in Galactic, ($8) and for something a bit more subtle, go for a sparkling nude like Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Fenty Glow ($18).

Elegant and sophisticated shimmer is a staple of holiday-season makeup, but this Winter we’re stepping outside those classic confines. And by that, we are welcoming in vibrant pastel hues, from lavender to chartreuse, and bright blues (like teal, aqua, and cobalt).

We saw this trend on the Fall runway, in shows like Vivienne Westwood and Oscar de la Renta. There pigments of electric blues and even fuchsias dominated the models' eyes on the catwalks. To copy this look, score Too Faced’s Glitter Bomb Palette ($45), which features eight sparkly and prismatic shades you can wear separately or together.

The Korean skincare trend known as “glass skin” features a glowing, iridescent complexion, and is ideal for cold months. Korean women are notorious for taking ridiculously good care of their skin, so we’ll trust them on this one.

But getting that gloriously glowing skin doesn’t happen with a solid skincare routine alone. To appear like you’re well-hydrated from the outside, you’ve got to hydrate from the inside, meaning you need to drink tons of H2O all day long. Try aloe-infused water if you can find or make it.

While the K Beauty routine can be time consuming (we're talking 7-12 steps), you can cut it down by doing the following: double cleanse (oil, then milk or foam), essence, eye cream, serum, moisturizer, and a dewy highlighter. Try RMS Living Luminizer. Even if you're not wearing any other makeup, you'll look angelic.

The best part about holiday parties is that they call for a fancy blowout. We're talking tousled curls that bounce when you walk. Bonus points if you pair your Kate Middleton hair with fur, lace, or sequins.

“Curls hold up a lot better because [less humidity] means less opportunity for hair to frizz out,” said Chan. “Long hairstyles are also very popular in Winter simply because the weather makes it too cool to have short hair.” Bottom line: Your hair could be your scarf.

An influx of holiday party invites warrants some dazzle to adorn the locks. These include draped clips, faux gemstone and sparkly headbands, tiaras, and wreath-like ornaments.

“They are like decorations for tree and your home that you usually see it in wintertime,” said Chan. Try this Pearled Halo Headband from Anthropologie ($188).

Belt headbands are hot right now and were spotted up and down the Fall runways in Miu Miu's and Tussardi's shows. Blinged-out crowns were also seen at shows like Elie Saab and Toga.

Whether you’re a mascara or lash extensions gal, Winter is the season to go all out. Without having to worry about the heat and humidity causing your mascara to run, you can easily apply on more product. Lash extensions are also more durable in the cold season because you don’t have to worry about swimming or the heat that can shorten the time your adhesive stays put.

For lashes that will garner double-takes, try Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes 5 Star Mascara ($29), which requires minimal application for maximum volume. The five-groove brush is the secret to coating the optimal amount of product on each lash no matter how small or fine.