Facing the Cold | Winter Beauty Essentials

First things first. You can’t expect to fake that summer glow without a steadfast moisturizer that will stay with you all day. Glam Glow’s Glowstarter gives you that post-sex glow that is basically impossible to imitate (which is why I recommend both, the sex and the product). The thick formula goes on smooth and is the best first line of defense against the winter drabs. Wear it alone or accompanied by all of the other things I’m about to tell you about. I opted for the travel size; get your full size $49 from Sephora here.

In the warmer months, I’m a devotee to Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer. I’ve always hated a mask-y look on the face, and most foundations dull your skin’s natural brightness. Not this one. Leave it up to a former French cabaret artist to come up with the perfect formula to last all day and look fantastic under any light. Makeup Forever’s Ultra HD is the most natural looking foundation I’ve found, and the microscopic illuminators don’t stop until you do. And we all know you don’t. Buy yours from the source here for $43.

Our bright summer skin fades in the winter and inevitably we all look a little more sullen, tired, weathered from the weather. My secret weapon is this thick, waterproof (I know I’m not the only one whose eyes water in the wind), anti-aging, under-eye illuminator goes on thick, stays on long, and make your eyes pop even without mascara. Plus a little goes a very long way so don’t fret over the price tag. Get it for $24 here from Sephora.

Ok, I know. This is basically cheating. But it’s also the best way to add definition and bring attention to an often lifeless, wintery face. I just watched this super simple tutorial video on Sephora’s site and boom, my face looked better with a few flicks of my wrist. The colors are matte so you don’t end up looking shiny and prostitute-y like those fake bitches you like to make fun of on Instagram, but I do like sprinkling a little resplendent highlighter on my cheekbones and nose bridge as the piece de resistance. Get your palette at Zoe’s in Greenpoint or here for $35 now.

This is why I’m so thankful to have a neighborhood makeup store. If Ivwas only every shopping from my Sephora app, I would have never been personally handed a travel size of this bold little newcomer with a wink and a smile, “It’s new,” she told me. “Just try it,” all the while knowing she was about to alter my beauty routine and belief in makeup monogamy forever. Three weeks later, I was back for another fix. The brush alone looks like a technological masterpiece; varying heights and thicknesses of sturdy Little silicone strands that grab, pull, and coat every lash leaving me in wide-eyed disbelief as I stare back at myself every morning in the mirror. The brand is Bare Minerals bolder, more seductive little sister and is only sold in select stores. Which is reason number 36763 why I fucking love Greenpoint, and Zoe’s Beauty. Or here for $22.

Ok, I know. What the fuck, now I’m talking about two different mascaras in the same post. Let me explain. Buxom will change your lashes and your life, however, you have to work a bit for it. The silicone bristles naturally don’t hold that much mascara juice (what is it anyway? (don’t answer that)), and so if I’m in a hurry, I reach for the big old bushy teddy bear brush inside my Urban Decay Perversion. In just one layer I have thick, bold lashes. No primer needed. If you want perfection, grab the Buxom. For a quick fix, Perversion is your girl. Get it here for $24.

Do I need to settle this debate once and for all? Lash primer isn’t necessary, but it does make a big difference. Duh. It gives your lashes that initial separation, definition, and positioning they need to be perfectly masked. Kind of like how high heels were invented to make you look more mountable. No joke, I learned that at a Louboutin exhibit at the FIT gallery. Anyway, think of lash primer as the high heels of your face routine. Not necessary, but they make a big difference. I rely on They’re Real by Benefit.  It keeps your lashes flexible yet noticeable, and it lasts a deceptively long time because you just need one layer. I repurchase every 5-6 months. Start your cycle here for $25.

I’ve never met an automatic eyeliner that I deemed acceptable, until this one. Bare Mineral’s One Fine Line gets to the point without bothering with that sharpener that always leaves a trail of tears all over… well, everything. Wintertime might be all questionably foggy skies and flurried, wintry mixes, but this perfect little point will be at least one thing you can count on. I fell in love with this product when once again, when my friends at Zoe’s in Greenpoint said those fateful, life-changing words, “I have something I want you to try.” For God’s sake ladies, please don’t start selling drugs. I use this liner on my bottom lashline and underneath and in between my top lashes, or when I don’t have the steady hand required or instense need for the liquid liner listed below. Get yours at Zoe’s or here for $18.

I know what you’re thinking- wtf Liz, you’ve been telling us for years that you’ll never stray from Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner. And I haven’t, exactly. Point blank, no one can touch the ease of use of a tattoo artist’s eyeliner brainchild. But, Pat McGrath’s Perma Precision goes on darker and lasts longer and doesn’t do that weird build-up thing if you have to go over it again. (If you don’t know what I mean, don’t worry about it.) This liner is so precise though, it’s admittedly hard to tame if you’ve had too much coffee or if, I don’t know, you’re boyfriend is impatiently pacing around the apartment and looking at his watch over and over again. But once you get used to it, you’ll stick with it and it will stick on you all day, all night, and into the next if you’re lazy or hungover. Get it here now from Sephora for $28.

If you didn’t know, I got a botched microblade job. Yeah. I have misshaped brows for at least the next two years because my greedy little face agreed to a free microblading session in Bensonhurst. And now I have to overcompensate the top of one and fill in only the bottom of the other in order to prevent people from thinking I have a pressing question all the time. Makeup Forever’s Aqua Brown goes on like a paint, giving you full control of your brows (unless you’ve already relinquished that control to a woman in Bensonhurst, of course) and it’s waterproof, sweatproof, biking-in-the-snow-proof, and ice-bucket-challenge proof, if that’s a thing you’re still doing. For MLS of course. Get yours ASAP for $23 from Sephora; it’s hard for them to keep this product stocked. For real. Don’t doubt me because I look inquisitive.

Did I mention some woman in Bensonhurst left me with misshaped brows? Well, she did. And hopeful, unblade-faced me had no idea how easy it used to be to fill and shape my brows. Thanks to Anastasia, I can tame my furrowed brows effectively when I look in the mirror and get angry at this woman. You know it’s the best name in the brow biz, and this clear brow gel helps add depth and precision, without the incisions!™ Get yours here now for $22.

I prefer a bare lip. For some reason, with a few minor exceptions, I’ve always felt like a drag queen in almost any lip color. I prefer bold eyes and a demure, natural lip. However, mine could use a little help. Fortunately a stellar plumper was Buxom’s flagship product and the one that consistently getting them noticed by beauty bloggers, people who have never been kissed, and vampires since 2017. Unlike every other plumper on the market (I can’t prove this but still, I know) this one doesn’t rely on micro-irritations to plump that leave your lips chafed for weeks. I don’t know how it works, but I know it does. It keeps my lips plumped. moisturized, slightly pinker, and wholly noticed. Pick one up at Zoe’s in Greenpoint or here from Sephora for $18.