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We have bills to pay, appointments to keep, and emails to answer. So when was the last time you ditched the phone and spent 15 minutes enjoying your local playground’s swing set? Or got crafty with some glitter and Play-Doh? This winter’s biggest makeup trends are recapturing a little of that childlike, carefree magic—giving “sensible” a rest and leaning into play and creativity.
Instead of no-makeup makeup, runways this season were showcasing in-your-face eye looks with bright colors and big, bold shapes—a great excuse to dip into the cerulean blues and canary yellow eye shadows in your palette that haven’t been touched. Better yet, go all-in on a spicy red shadow with lips to match (see: Elisabetta Franchi, Matières Fécales, and Litkovska).
Glue some gemstones on your face and cosplay as a fairy princess again! Or, for something a little more understated but equally as nostalgic, try the ’90s-inspired, frosty finishes seen at Weiderhoeft, Balenciaga, and Bluemarine, or smudgy, “I applied this with my fingers” lip liner. Get tactile and have some fun. You deserve it.
Just ask yourself: What would 10-year-old you do? Would you be concerning yourself with neutrals and daytime office looks? Or would you dig deep into a pot of glitter and pink eyeliner? I think we all know the answer to that. Below, the experts break down winter’s biggest makeup trends that younger you would definitely approve of.
Meet the experts
- Brandy Allen is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
- Ernesto Casillas is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and Lashify brand ambassador.
- Billie Gene is a New York City and Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
- Rachel Hill-Cherry is a London-based makeup artist.
- Laura Mele is a New York City-based makeup artist.
- Sarah Walsh is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
In this story
- Eyemaxxing
- Soft-focus lip liner
- Frosty finishes
- Red all over
- Winter flush
- Face gems
- Blue eye shadow
- Sheer foundation
Eyemaxxing
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Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Someone once said that less is more, but we beg to differ. Sometimes, the most is more. “I feel like everyone this year was desperate for makeup to make a comeback,” says London-based makeup artist Rachel Hill-Cherry, “More eyeliner, more mascara, more color, more creativity, and more fun.”
The name of the makeup-makeup game this season is eyemaxxing (especially on the Antonio Marras, Kim Shui, and Givenchy runways), getting big and bold with shapes and intensity. But if you’re not sure where to start, working your way out from a smudgy eyeliner will get those creative juices flowing. “I would start with a kajal eyeliner. Something that's super creamy and blendable, but once it dries, it stays put,” Hill-Cherry says.
She likes Charlotte Tilbury Rock ’N’ Kohl Eyeliner pencils, which come in a range of jewel tones. Marc Jacobs Beauty Drawn This Way eyeliner also has a smooth, blendable texture, and comes in punchier colors like yellow and aqua. “Wrap it around the entire eye, and with an eye shadow brush or your finger just blend and buff in for that ultimate cool girl, lived-in eye. Repeat until desired intensity.”
Soft-focus lip liner
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A smudgy-edged lip harkens back to a simpler time when you experimented with a 99-cent tube of NYC Color lipstick and lip liner, but lacked the steady hands and precision that would come with lots of practice. The result is a (now cool) smudgy, soft-focus lip.
“[It’s] no harsh lines, no obvious colors, just super intentional and low-key. A lip you don't have to worry about,” says Hill-Cherry. “It's great for all, but especially those who want to cheat their way to fuller-looking lips in a really natural way.”
She recommends the Rhode Peptide Lip Shapers (the thicker pencil takes some of the guesswork out of how far out to blur the line), or try Refy Blur Lip Liner, which has an even wider tip, so you’re not tempted to tightly hug the natural outline of your lips (old habits die hard). Fill in with a blush lipstick or nude balm at the center of your lips and blot it outward for a true soft-focus effect.
Frosty finishes
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Join us in traveling back to a simpler time, when school dances and red carpets were marked by crimped hair, silver eye shadows, pearly lipstick, and iced highlighter. Fortunately, no time machine needed for this one. Frosty finishes are back and decidedly very 2026. “People want more personality in their makeup [right now],” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Brandy Allen. “Frost is all about that beautiful, pearlized, light-reflecting finish, and winter is also the perfect season for that texture play. I think we’re going to see everything from soft champagne and rosy frosts to deeper chocolate, plum, and burgundy metallics.”
Lately, Allen has been particularly inspired by Mac’s recently rereleased frost lipsticks. But don’t stop there! We’re having fun, remember? New York City-based makeup artist Laura Mele likes the ’90s-inspired eye shadows she saw on Chanel’s runways, and expects to see more “washes of silver, icy blue, champagne, and pearlescent white.” She recommends Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow. For more of a dramatic snow queen finish, we also like R.E.M. Beauty Starlet Liquid Eyeshadow in Lab Coat.
You could also frost your skin in an ode to middle school body glitter (with less of the stickiness). “I like to use a high-impact highlighter all over the eyelids and browbone, the cheeks, and even the sides of the forehead,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Ernesto Casillas. Use Karla Cosmetics Multichrome Loose Pigment in Insomnia (same as the models at Harris Reed) or Kosas Shiny Objects Wet Glisten Highlighter in Opaline for a cool blue-green shift.
Red all over
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We have to give the inventor of eye shadow palettes props for offering us options. But, to be real, we hit pan on some colors faster than others. Neutrals go quickly, and punchy commitment colors like red sometimes go untouched. Fortunately for completionists, a cheeky, monochromatic, red-on-red look is warming up winter trends.
There are a few ways to approach this in real life: First, you could dabble in an eyes-only look. “[It’s] such a fun way to switch up a smoky eye,” says Los Angeles–based makeup artist Sarah Walsh, who recommends easing your way into red-on-red with moodier tones like burgundy.
She likes to start with Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner in Bordeaux smudged along the lash line (there’s a matching mascara for anyone interested in ascending to level two), followed by a red shadow buffed all over the lid. If you don’t already have a palette with a neglected red in the mix, the KimChiChic Jewel Collection Palette in Ruby covers everything from cranberry to poppy red, or Walsh likes the Colourpop Wine and Only Eyeshadow Palette.
Level three is red lips to match. It doesn’t need to be an exact shade match to the eye shadow, but try to keep it either all cool reds or all warm reds. Fashion Week makeup artists preferred blurred, bitten reds for this look (as opposed to classic, painted-on lipsticks). Stains like About Face Blurred Matte Lip Plump or Violette_Fr Bisou Balm leave a just-kissed, diffused hue on the lips.
Winter flush
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A full, flushy red blush gives a sporty “just off the slopes” look. And while heavy blush isn’t necessarily anything new (Sabrina Carpenter, the patron saint of blush, would take issue if we said otherwise), “what differentiates this [2026] blush trend is that it’s matte,” says Walsh. It should look as close to a real après-ski cheek as you can get without the frostbite. (Your cheeks wouldn’t have a shimmery finish when you take off your ski goggles, and if they did? Whoa!)
Stick to red or orange-red blush—a real cold weather color. “Instead of concentrating blush only on the cheekbones, blend it across the apples of the cheeks and lightly over the bridge of the nose. The goal is to make it look like the color is coming from within the skin,” says Allen, who recommends LYS Beauty Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush (or Walsh really likes Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder in Red Velvet, if you prefer a powder formula).
Face gems
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A wise woman once commanded that we “shine bright like a diamond,” and who are we to argue with Rihanna? We have to imagine she meant it literally, so we’re more than happy to glue little sparkly gems all over our face so that we catch the light in all the right ways.
“Face gems and sparkle have been everywhere in 2026,” says Walsh, from just about every Zara Larsson concert to Fashion Week runways and too many Met Gala looks to count (Eileen Gu, Tyla, and Rihanna herself among them). To make it wearable (not all of us have gala invites on the calendar), she recommends a small smattering along the cheekbones or accenting the corner of your eyes with Half Magic or Lavaa Face Gems.
Chunky glitter like Lemonhead LA Spacejam or Unicorn Snot Macro Glitter can also have the same gem-like effect without the fussy gluing and oh-so-precise placement. You can use your fingers to swipe it across your lids and—voilà!—diamond eyes.
Blue eye shadow
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Back when we snuck into our mothers’ makeup collection to play dress-up, the first thing we’d reach for was a blue eye shadow. Why would you wear brown or black when you could wear blue, we’d wonder. There was just something so glamorous and striking about it. This winter gives us a second chance at that childlike urge to make a statement.
Mele puts it plainly: “Blue eye shadow is so back.” Runways at Gucci, Proenza Schouler, and Valentino sealed the deal with a palette that ranged from deep denim smoky eyes to soft washes of baby blue.
“I'm a huge fan of a navy smoky eye, which is a soft grunge way of playing with color,” says New York City– and Los Angeles–based makeup artist Billie Gene. “Apply a black or dark brown pencil close to the upper lash line and smudge it outward with a small brush before it sets,” he says. Then press a dark blue shadow (try Merit Solo Shadow in Midnight for a deep matte blue or Kiko Milano High Pigment Eyeshadow in Metallic Blue for some shimmer) over the pencil to build depth, and “switch to a fluffy blending brush to diffuse the edges.”
If you prefer a lighter touch, simply buffing a sheer light blue shadow over the entire lid is a dreamy take on the trend. Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Cream Eyeshadow in Tailored Denim is a dusty blue that blends beautifully with your fingertips, or use your eye shadow brush to apply a wash of Lancôme Idole Goddess Dimension Eyeshadow in Lunar Glow, which has a bit of an iridescent sparkle.
Sheer foundation
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2026 Edward Berthelot
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An artist is nothing without a canvas, and since we’re having so much fun with color, it makes sense that this season’s base would be natural and pared back (the better for your masterpiece to shine). “Winter makeup can easily become heavy as we layer products over dry skin. A lighter base feels fresh and modern, especially paired with a dramatic [feature],” Gene says.
“People want coverage they can control without losing the character of their skin,” he adds, which means sheer foundations with a little bit of strategic concealer. You should still be able to see freckles, spots, and even texture, but redness and blemishes can take a bit more coverage. “You can spot-conceal those areas without adding another layer across the entire face,” Gene says.
He suggests starting with a moisturizer (giving it a few minutes to settle into your skin) before applying a layer of skin tint, “working from the center of the face outward.” Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint and Milk Cosmetics Hydro Gel Skin Tint both have a sheer, healthy finish. Then use a small amount of powder where you want shine control, “leaving the rest of the complexion luminous.”
