The trending products that have simplified our winter makeup routines
Plus, the expert-approved techniques we're adopting through the cooler months
If autumn's makeup trends taught us anything, it's that timelessness matters, especially when you'd rather dedicate your time to more cosy endeavours in the cooler months.
So now that winter has well and truly arrived, the motivation for updating one's makeup bag isn't makeup trends in the traditional sense, but makeup principles that will carry us through the season with ease — with a few trending makeup launches we're incorporating into our routines.
Which is why we spoke at length with celebrity makeup artist, Ash K Holm, and editorial makeup artist, Mia Connor, to discover the ways we can truly look our best in the cooler months, without sacrificing too much of our time and energy in the process. Because we're really focusing our energy on our skincare routines this winter.
And despite the fact that Holm hails from sunny Los Angeles, while Connor calls the Gold Coast home, the pair can still agree that there are three key makeup principles everyone should be following in their own routines regardless of where they're experiencing the cooler months. Keep scrolling to discover the three things Connor and Holm both agree no one should be compromising on this winter...
1/ Good makeup starts with good skin
According to Holm, velvety matte skin with a radiant finish (think: controlled glow) is the goal this winter — "not overly dewy, but skin that looks naturally smooth, and lit from within".
"Start with skincare — always," she advises. "Layer your moisture so your makeup sits beautifully all day."
"It’s time to double down on the hydration game and exfoliation routine to create the perfect makeup base," Connor tells BEAUTYcrew. "As always, skin is everything, and there’s a huge shift to multi-use products where skin care ingredients meet makeup."
Holm also opts for hydrating primers, creamy foundations, and balmy blushes that keep the skin from looking tight or dry.
"I love mixing a little cream highlighter into foundation for a subtle glow that doesn’t sit on top of the skin," she explains. "And a hydrating setting spray with skin-loving ingredients can lock in your look without mattifying your glow."
Thankfully, Rhode is dropping Highlight Milk ($49 from Rhode), a multipurpose luminiser, as well as Pocket Bronze ($43 from Rhode) on June 9th to help us get that sunless glow Holm's talking about.
@emilychengmakeup
2/ Your lip combination is the most important part of your winter wardrobe
Great news, if you're just as obsessed with lip combinations as we are, you'll be happy to discover that it's the most vital aspect of your makeup this winter.
It's the perfect time to try bold, blurred lips in rich berry, wine, and chocolate shades with a soft, diffused edge, says Holm.
But you can forget about drying traditional lipsticks this season.
"They can exaggerate dry patches and make lips look dehydrated," warns Holm. "Your makeup should work with your winter skin, not against it."
Instead, the makeup artist recommends moisturising lip formulas with a soft matte finish like Hourglass' new Phantom Blur Balm ($66 from Hourglass Cosmetics), Merit's Signature Lip Blush ($44 from Merit Beauty), or Violette's viral Bisou Balm ($49 from MECCA).
Speaking of which, Connor wants to remind everyone to prep their lips properly with a lip scrub and some lip balm — and don't skimp on lip liner either.
"A lip pencil does wonders to increase lip size, even out symmetrical differences and ensure even your nude lip moments aren’t being lost by melting into your face," she explains.
Our personal favourites include the Fenty Trace'D Out Lip Liner ($33 from Sephora), Fara Homidi Beauty Smudge & Contour Lip Pencil ($59 from MECCA), and the Summer Fridays Softline Lip Liner ($33 from MECCA)
@ninapark
3/ Less is more when it comes to makeup
The overly sculpted, heavy contour look is taking a backseat this winter, Holm tells BEAUTYcrew.
Instead we're focused on creating a softer, more wearable sculpt (read: less harsh lines, more seamless blending), so we'd recommend investing in complexion products and brushes that make an airbrushed finish a cinch.
Holm recommends swapping mattifying powders out of your kit for cream-based complexion products, as they can exaggerate dry patches. Think: Fara Homidi's Essential Face Compact ($145 from MECCA), which contains a natural matte complexion perfector and a balmy illuminator that can be mixed to create a custom level of coverage for spot concealing or minimising dark tones under the eyes.
"Dry skin is usually self-setting and over-powdering this skin type can make the skin look less youthful and flat," Connor explains.
However, if your skin is on the oily side, using a touch of a light-diffusing product like Trinny London's Miracle Blur ($53 from Trinny London) is a great way to take down shine, without affecting the skin's moisture levels in the process.
Additionally, you should think about curating your brow wardrobe, because we're exchanging the ultra-glossy, laminated brow trend for more natural, feathered brows — "[they] still have shape, but feel less extreme", Holm explains.
A point iterated by Anastasia Beverly Hills earlier this year when we asked her about the top brow trends of 2026: "The bigger idea for 2026 is this: brows should look effortless, but they’re never accidental. They’re intentional, balanced, and deeply personal."
Currently we're loving angled brow pencils in a shade lighter than our brow hairs that create a diffused, natural finish rather than harsh lines, and brow gels that groom hairs into place without looking shiny, stiff or flaky.
Our go-to's are Morphe's Micro Manager Gripping Brow Gel ($20 from MECCA), and Anastasia Beverly Hills' fine-tipped Archibrow Brow Pencil ($48 from Sephora) for precise, hair-like strokes. As well as, Mecca Max's Brow Guru Cutting Edge Pencil ($24 from MECCA), which has a forgiving balmy texture that blends easily and leaves brows looking naturally fuller rather than overly manicured.
@ninapark
Main image credit: @maryphillips
Looking to update more than just your makeup bag this winter? These are the top winter haircut and colour trends to try in 2025.
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
