When it comes to wearing makeup during the winter season, you don’t need to play it safe. That was the advice that professional makeup artist, Ariane Poole, gave me during our recent interview.

In fact, since the winter months tend to be dreary, dark and rainy, they give us the perfect opportunity to make our look sparkle.

I hope that you enjoy my latest chat with Ariane. Please watch the video and join the discussion.

How to Get the Most from Your Winter Makeup Routine

While you shouldn’t make yourself look like a Christmas tree, Ariane says that it’s perfectly acceptable to have a little fun with your holiday makeup. After another action-packed year, now is the time to let yourself shine. You deserve it!

But, this raises an interesting question. What is the best way to get the most from your winter makeup? Here is Ariane’s advice.

First, Ariane recommends focusing on the features of your face that you love the most. If, like me, your eyes are your favorite feature, accent them. If you love your lips, consider applying a slightly darker shade of lipstick. If your cheeks are your favorite feature, use a little shimmer or add some gentle shine. Just remember not to apply bold makeup to all 3 areas at once. As Ariane says, we want to shine, without looking like circus clowns.

Second, Ariane says that there are several reasons that we might want to consider applying stronger makeup styles in the winter. In the western hemisphere, the light tends to be darker and the days shorter. In addition, indoor parties tend to have subdued lighting. Both situations call for slightly darker or stronger makeup styles.

On the subject of lighting, if you apply your makeup in a brightly lit room, be sure to check how you look in a dark hallway before leaving the house. This way, you can make sure that you have struck the right balance with your makeup.

Choosing Makeup Colors for the Winter Season

During our interview, Ariane showed her new eyeshadow palette. She also gave us a look at a collection of Estee Lauder powder pencils, which come in amazing colors and are easy to blend.

In the holiday season, many women love to wear red. If this sounds like you, Ariane says that charcoal makeup looks great with red, as does navy blue. Ariane has so much more to say about color than I can write here, so, I highly encourage you to watch the video to get all of her tips.

Makeup can brighten your face and improve your mood. I hope that you find the tips in this video useful. Let’s all embrace slightly bolder makeup styles this holiday season. After all, we all deserve to sparkle, inside and out!

If you are ready to take the next step in developing your own makeup style, please check out the exclusive makeup for older women series of videos that Ariane and I recorded.

Also, don’t forget to visit Ariane’s website to find out more about her products.

How do you change your makeup techniques during the winter season? Are there certain colors or products that you love to bring out of your makeup bag as the temperature drops? Please join the discussion.