For most of the country, relentlessly frigid weather this past month means your poor skin has taken quite a beating. Dry, flaky skin does not make for a great makeup canvas! Here are my top four tips for helping your skin survive winter so your makeup looks beautiful.Go easy on the hot waterYes, it feels good, but hot water dries out skin. Remove makeup at night with a few splashes of warm water and just a touch of a gentle cleanser. My personal favorite is the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. My own skin is so sensitive, and it’s the only one I’ve found that keeps my skin from drying out or feeling itchy or burny!Apply moisturizer to damp skinIt sounds odd but just like a dry dish sponge won’t absorb soap, your skin will absorb your moisturizer better if it’s damp to begin with. I use Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream.When in doubt, use primerIf your skin’s parched texture is messing up your makeup application, try a high-quality makeup primer to smooth rough spots. Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer protects skin and gives a nice glow. Try the green color-correcting version to neutralize winter redness.Wear bright colors on smooth lipsExfoliate your lips by dabbing a dime-sized blob of lip balm onto your tissue-wrapped finger, and then smile to pull your lips taut. Now gently but vigorously scrub the balm across your lips. This removes dry flakes in a pain-free way. I love B. Kamins Lip Balm SPF 20 for this and for keeping lips protected and smooth all day long. Once you’re smooth, my favorite lip color to spruce up pallid winter skin is Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint, which is matte but has hydrating ingredients so your poor lips don’t get even drier (a common complaint with matte lipsticks).
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