The winter season has a lot to offer us—holidays, yummy food, friends, family—but it also has some downsides, especially if you live somewhere with freezing temps! Even if you’re someone who loves cold weather, there’s no denying that cold, dry climates lead to flakey skin and patchy makeup. If you have a lot of events throughout these winter months (New Years Eve parties, winter weddings, etc.), this blog post is a little gift from me to you! Below, you’ll find my favorite products to keep your makeup looking flawless this winter (and next fall, too, if autumn’s cooler where you are). 

But first, I want to give some high-level advice. When it’s cold outside, it’s important to use products that have dual skincare benefits. In other words, you want products that help nourish your skin and create a smooth, calm surface for your makeup. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, for instance, infuse hydration and antioxidants directly into the skin, helping to protect it from cold and dry air. 

With that in mind, here are my top picks: 

Best Moisturizer: Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer

Every hydrating makeup routine has to start with a fabulous moisturizer. Spoiler: This is it! Packed with hydrating ceramides, antioxidants, vitamin E, shea butter, honey, and more, this gel-cream moisturizer will make your skin feel supple, soft, nourished, replenished, you name it. It’s especially beneficial for your moisture barrier, aka your skin’s first line of defense against the elements. 

Best Primer: Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas Primer

I’ve tried a million primers and this is one I come back to again and again. Not only does the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer help blur fine lines, pores, and blemishes—it also contains hydrating, protective ingredients that leave the skin feeling soft, smooth, and moisturized. Plus, it makes your makeup last forever. 

Best Foundation: Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation

I cannot say enough good things about Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs products! Like the Tatcha primer, this foundation also has skin-protecting ingredients that keep your skin safe from environmental stressors (dry air included). The fermented arnica in the formula makes this foundation soothing and healing, and it also minimizes redness and irritations—two concerns that are exasperated in the winter. This is wonderful for all skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone!

Best Concealer: Kosas Revealer Super Creamy Concealer

The full name of this fan-favorite Kosas concealer is “Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer with Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid”—which in itself tells us why this is a fabulous winter product! With its super creamy formula and hydrating qualities (thanks to hyaluronic acid), this medium coverage concealer does a fantastic job of disguising dark circles and acne while still hydrating the skin…a must for a product you’re putting under your eyes. 

Best Eyeshadow: Tom Ford Cream Quad Eyeshadow

In general, a powder product is going to be drier than a cream or liquid-based product. That’s why for eyeshadows, I like to go with a cream-based formula, like the Tom Ford Cream Eyeshadow Quad. If you have fine lines around your eyes or on your lids, a cream-based formula is a game-changer, because it contains emollients and ceramides (both skin-loving ingredients) which makes for a crease-free and flake-resistant finish. The pigment in this quad is phenomenal, too. 

Best Setting Powder: Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skincare Powder

Many setting powders contain drying ingredients like talc, which is used to soak up moisture and excess oil. But in the wintertime, when our skin is already feeling stripped down thanks to the cold air, we don’t want our moisture soaked up! This setting powder from Westman Atelier is talc-free, and it contains skin-boosting ingredients like vitamin C, quinoa seed extract, and probiotics. If you have oily skin all year-round, don’t worry, this powder still diffuses pores, evens out texture, and takes care of unwanted oil.

Best Mascara Primer: Too Faced Better Than Sex Foreplay Mascara Primer

The goal of mascara primer is to prep the lashes with moisture before applying coats of actual mascara. This Too Faced mascara primer contains argan and grape-seed oils, both of which are super nourishing for lashes. The brush on this product is perfect too—it’s easy to give each individual lash a good coat. This primer helps with the fullness, length, and volume of lashes, so I recommend it if you’re looking to up your lash game.

Best Mascara: Ilia Limitless Lash Lengthening Clean Mascara

Clean beauty for the win! This Ilia mascara has amazing natural ingredients like shea butter and beeswax that add moisture and seal it in. I love how soft my lashes feel when I use this, and how healthy they feel even after I take it off. Obsessed is an understatement. 

Patrick Ta is one of my favorite makeup brands, and this cream and powder blush duo is a standout in my kit. To use it, apply the powder with a fluffy brush and then use your fingertips or a foundation brush to layer the cream on top. The combination of powder and cream creates dimension, and the cream has hydrating ingredients that help create a lovely glow finish.

Best Lipstick: Dior Addict Hydrating Shine Lipstick

When I’m choosing a lip product, I’m looking for something that isn’t going to make my lips look crusty, dusty, chapped, cracked, etc. This Dior Lipstick delivers a full 24 hours of hydration and six hours of color and shine—need I say sign me up? I love the shade range for this product too! Whether you’re into reds, purples, pinks, mauves, they’ve got it. 

And just for fun, here are two bonus products that will help keep your skin looking luminous and hydrated this winter!

Best Serum: Merit Beauty Great Skin Instant Glow Serum

Hello glow! Getting a glowy, dewy finish during the wintertime can be a challenge, but not with this glow serum. The clean (and vegan) formula contains four types of hyaluronic acid, plus cacao seed extract which helps plump your skin up. I usually put this on before my moisturizer, but I’ve also mixed the two and it’s worked beautifully. 

Best Bronzer: Rose Inc Solar Infusion Cream Bronzer

Bronzers aren’t usually known for being moisturizing, but this one from Rose Inc takes its job very seriously! The luscious cream formula and high quality pigment helps warm up your complexion and give you a natural sun-kissed glow. Rose oil and squalane give this bronzer a radiant, weightless hydration. It’s divine to say the least!

Westman Atelier Liquid All Over Illuminator Drops

Another Westeman Atelier product that has stolen my heart is the Liquid All Over Illuminator Drops. This product can be used under or over foundation for an illuminated and dewy look—perfect for these harsh winter months. 

And that’s the list! Keep an eye on this blog and make sure to follow me on Instagram here for more product recs, makeup expertise, and updates from Stacie Ford Beauty Co.!