Winter Skin Doesn’t Have to Be Dull. This Creamy Makeup Routine Will Bring Back Your Glow

Regardless of your skin type, our faces often bear the burden of chapped skin, lips and dullness in the cooler weather.

Even oily skin types such as myself, experience dry and drab skin during the winter months.

Cue the creamy makeup products I gladly road-tested to inject the dew back into my complexion.

Although, cream makeup isn’t just reserved for winter.

If you’re currently gallivanting around the globe chasing an endless summer there are a few products in this creamy makeup routine I’d also be packing in my carry-on to make sure you’re staying glowy and dewy every day while you're travelling and sipping on your holiday cocktails (jealous).

Best Cream-Based Makeup for Winter.

Makeup is personal and everyone’s skin is different, so you can use whatever cream based makeup you prefer; these are just the cream makeup products I used for this creamy makeup routine.

Your dewy skin makeup cheat sheet includes:

• AB LAB Barely There SPF50+ Facial Sun Cream 75mL

• Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base

• Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Liquid Foundation SPF 18

• Clinique Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser

• Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer

• Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lip & Cheeks

Step 1: Protect and Prime.

I’m all about that base and even in winter SPF is *essential* (it’s a non-negotiable year-round).

The AB LAB Barely There SPF50+ Facial Sun Cream 75mL won’t funk up your makeup and the name says it all; it’s ‘barely there’ until you need it to be.

Hyaluronic acid and vitamin E in the formula also help nourish your skin.

If you’re still on the fence about adding this product to your cart, it’s vegan, made in Australia, cruelty-free and paraben-free. 

*Please note: ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. Sunscreen is only one part of sun protection so wear protective clothing and seek shade. Avoid prolonged sun exposure. Reapply every 2 hours and after swimming, towelling and perspiring in accordance with directions.

After I’ve added my SPF (and activated my anti-ageing routine for the first few hours of the day), it’s time to prime…literally with the Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base.

The deliciously creamy Bobbi Brown vitamin E face base primer/moisturiser hybrid is an absolute treat and is ‘thick slim’, as in it’s dense in the pot, but glides on like silk.

Whether your skin is thirsty or not, this primer will prevent any thirst traps and isn’t clingy at all; meaning your skin won’t feel cakey or greasy, even with a generous application.

Step 2: Use a Hydrating, Brightening, Creamy Concealer.

For this dewy makeup routine, I applied the best concealer for dark circles, best brightening concealer and best hydrating concealer I’ve ever used - big claims I stand by.

Just like my favourite Even Better Clinical Foundation, the Clinique Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser concealer is also skincare-infused (contains vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid) and it’s an amazing addition to my makeup kit.

The two shades I use are: 'CN78 Nutty' and 'CN70 Vanilla'.

Some days, I’ll opt to skip foundation altogether and just sparingly conceal the baggage under my eyes. Fresh blemishes are blurred and breakouts become distant memories with this magic wand.

This concealer is a dream to apply, long-wearing and is an example of you getting what you pay for and more.

The immaculate design which comes with a blurring sponge on the other end also allows for touch-ups - genius!

Step 3: Base Coverage Using a Cream-Based Foundation.

If glazed doughnut skin is your thing, the Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Liquid Foundation is a great fit!

Unfortunately for oily skin queens suffering the dull skin winter blues like myself, a shiny forehead may be on the horizon.

To pull back the dew, I recommend a smidge of translucent powder to counteract excess glow.

My glow-to is the Nude by Nature Translucent Loose Finishing Powder in shade ‘Natural’. 

Price isn’t the only appealing asset of this immediate ‘add to cart’ foundation, but at a humble $21.95, how can you resist?

It wasn’t love at first sight, due to the packaging lacking a pump which wasn't ideal for the practicality of the product in its application.

However, the formula itself was easy to apply, had buildable coverage and blended seamlessly with my skin.

A word of caution to anyone going through an irritated skin era of late, if you’re trying to minimise breakouts, I would opt out of this foundation as it will beautifully cover and enhance your skin, however, leave it feeling a little irritated even after a double cleanse.

Whilst I love a bargain and this product had my skin looking dewy, I'll leave it in the backup kit.

It may fit me, but my sensitive, breakout-prone skin might scour the liquid foundation section for something more suited.

But if you’re not sensitive or irritation-prone - it’s a winner. 

Step 4: Cream Blush Is Essential.

For this creamy makeup routine, I road-tested Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks in shade ‘Fresh Melon’ which will have your pout peachy and cheeks flushed.

I was quite unsure how to apply this 2-in-1, first I tried with my fingers, then realised a blush brush was much more effective for me.

The texture on the first touch was tacky and balmy, however with a brush along the nose, dab on the outer eyelids and a swipe across each temple the product melted beautifully into my skin.

For me, shade Fresh Melon won't be a repurchase, but lucky for my cheeks, there are 7 more shades left to try!

The formula was precisely what my flakey, chapped lips needed and the pigment packed a punch.

I am a Bobbi Brown lover, alas the practicality of this product for someone like me is less than ideal, the packaging does make for a slightly messier application.

But, I loved the punchy pigment and healthy flush on my cheeks!

Step 5: Switch From a Powder to a Cream Contour.

I’ve little to no idea on how to use a bronzer and usually steer well away from it when applying my makeup, however for you Beauty IQ readers, I’ll do (almost) anything.

My brush collection was once vast but is now dismal as I’ve entered my minimalist era.

I first applied the condensed, whip formula of the Anastasia Beverly Hills cream bronzer with my blush brush from just under my cheekbone down to the corner of my mouth. It felt right, ok?

I then went in with my beauty blender to buff out and soften the bronze line I chaotically smeared on with my brush.

This cream bronzer is a foolproof, dew-amplifying alternative to its dusty powder and compact competitors.

Beauty hack: Try this product as an eyeshadow - it works immaculately!

We love a multi-tasking makeup product.

Step 6: Switch From a Powder Eyeshadow to a Cream Stick.

I’m still unsure if I applied Bobbi Brown's innovative Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick to the right real estate on my eyelids, but I found the shade 'Taupe' flattering on my skin tone without being too bold.

I'd say this shade is actually quite universal and would suit most skin tones.

What I can say is when Bobbi Brown say ‘long-wear’ they aren’t playing.

I even swatched a heart shape of this silky shadow stick on my hand and even with quite the abrasive hand rinse there was no smudge or budge.

The well-thought-out packaging is immaculate and allows for precise application without excess product falling on your face, and tarnishing your dewy base.

This supple shadow stick won’t leave you looking dull and dim around the eyes as some powder shadows do, so say hello dew! 

Step 7: Mascara if You Please.

I'm currently in my ‘less is more’ era.

How does this relate to my mascara you ask? Well, if I don’t apply it I won't have to wash it off.

I steer clear of makeup when I'm not at work as I tend to let it marinate on my face at the end of a long day for far too long; dreading the inevitable triple-cleanse routine to wash it off.

When I do use a mascara my absolute favourite, due to the fact that it’s a tubular mascara and comes off at the end of the day a lot easier than most is Clinique's High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara.

It's smudge-proof until you cleanse it off; I've ocean-dipped, sweat and photoshoot tested this theory through more than one tube.

The wand has the perfect anti-clump curve that provides fluttery full lashes in a single swipe.

Final Thoughts...

I can’t be the only one left wondering if every winter is usually this harsh and glow-sucking on the skin and unless you’re off gallivanting in the European sunshine, you’ll most likely relate to this.

Even if you’re not experiencing dull skin, you may want to pause your subscription to some of your powder or mattifying products and try these cream-based alternatives for a plump, luminous and polished complexion.

You may even decide to keep some of them on staff all year round!

Hello, dewy skin and do not disturb dullness!

Keen for some more makeup content? Check out one of these BIQ articles below:

• Does the Lifted Makeup Look On TikTok Actually Work? I Tried It

• The Makeup Products Under $50 Adore Beauty Staffers Are Obsessed With Right Now

• The Best Serum Foundation I’ve Tried and Can’t Stop Repurchasing

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Listen to Ep 1: I Just Got Engaged…What Now? below: