Dear Andi,
Are there any new trends you would recommend for the winter? My makeup routine is so boring lately.
Dear reader,
As the weather cools and my summer color fades, my complexion is turning as grey as the skies. Ugh, dull and boring describes my look perfectly right now.
The minimal makeup and nude lip I wear all summer are looking dull with my winter wardrobe, so it’s the perfect time to mix it up and explore the fall trends.
The fastest way to brighten up your look is with a new lipstick. Wine or burgundy lip colors are being spotted on red carpets and runways alike and since a wine colored lipstick can have either red or pink undertows it is more versatile than a traditional red lip.
What finally made me see this as a wearable trend was the Kat Von D Foiled lipstick in F.T.W. (Sephora, $20) featured on thebeautydepartment.com. The combination of the metallic specks and an application with a lip brush made the color light enough for everyday wear.
Or try a more affordable version with Ulta lipstick in Good Year for Wine (pink undertones) or Sangria (red undertones), $8 each.
Another idea: eat enough cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving to stain your lips red for a few days. That’s my plan.
The number one trend I am seeing for winter 2013 is a cat eye. Traditionally, a cat eye is when you use black liquid eyeliner along your upper lash line and wing it out and up to create a dramatic eye. Liquid liner can be tricky and, frankly, scares me a little.
A toned down version would be more of a kitten eye, created with a pencil or kohl liner and winged up only slightly at your outer lash line. Because the wing itself is more subtle, combine the technique with another great trend and use navy blue eyeliner. The color makes hazel and brown eyes really pop.
For the makeup pro, or someone who is not squeamish about almost touching your own eyeball for sake of beauty, lining the inside rim of your your lower lashes with a metallic gold eye pencil is a fun evening look paired with a smokey brown eye. Your eyes sparkle, and no one will be able to look away. Be warned if uninterrupted eye contact makes you uncomfortable.
If you are addicted to braiding your hair, like I am, don’t be sad that beach season is in the past. Thanks to the glorious Jennifer Lawrence and a little movie she’s in (you may have heard of it, Hunger Games?), braids are only getting more popular.
To winterize the trend, try for a more polished look by spraying a toothbrush with hairspray and brushing back any fly always. The tiny bristles will tame the fuzz without giving you a shellacked appearance.
As a mother, be thankful for any time that you ave to spend a moment on yourself, because taking pride in your appearance gives you confidence and feeds your energy; energy that you need to keep up with your kids when school is out and the combination of tryptophan and pumpkin pie has turned them into tiny terrors.
Be thankful for the kids old enough to help with the cooking, at long last, and the tiny hand print turkeys posted to the fridge that fall off every time you reach for the milk. And for the three year old that says you look beautiful when you still have curlers in your hair and flour covered pajamas on, because children see true beauty.
Happy Thanksgiving, mamas!
Andi is mama to 3 and lover of all beauty trends and products. If you’ve got a beauty questions for her, email it to mamas@nwamotherlode.com.
