8 Makeup Tips For When Your Skin Is Super Dry

Now that the sun goes down before 5 p.m., it’s a sign of the terror that’s around the corner. Winter is coming, and that means gusts of wind nearly knocking you over and drying your skin out to the max. 

No matter how much you bundle up in fluffy scarves and puffy jackets, it’s hard to protect your face from the harsh winter conditions, making the task of covering up dry, rough skin and Rudolph-colored noses even tougher. 

But don’t worry — it is possible to do your makeup when your skin is super dry, and we have eight tips from makeup artist Suzy Gerstein and our own personal winter-ready arsenal to make it easy. 

1. Prep your skin at night

Starting with moisturized skin is like keeping your car oiled — it’ll be easier to run foundation over it when you get ready. Powerful masks like GlamGlow’s ThirstyMud or celeb fave Wilma Schumann Hydra-Gel Red Wine Treatment Masques provide deep, intense hydration with nourishing ingredients. Use them once a week and see how much your face needs it.

2. Wash your face with gentle ingredients

Another skin care prep comes from washing your face every day. Go for something gentle, likeLa Roche-Posay Micellar Solution — which removes makeup, tones, and cleanses without rinsing or letting water dry out your skin — or First Aid Beauty’s Milk Oil Conditioning Cleanser, which removes makeup and dirt while smoothing skin with avocado and coconut oil.

3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

The last step before grabbing your makeup is obviously using a great moisturizer. Makeup artist Suzy Gerstein suggests looking for “products with moisturizing and anti-inflammatory ingredients to combat the flakiness and irritation that characterize winter skin.” If you have oily skin, try a gel product, like First Aid Beauty’s Skin Rescue Mattifying Gel that absorbs immediately and minimizes pores. If you have combination or super-dry skin, try Skyn Iceland’s Arctic Hydrating Balm that uses cryogenic technology from the Arctic to repair and moisturize skin. No matter what you use, just make sure it’s absorbed before you start putting makeup on.

4. It’s prime time

You don’t need a primer if you’ve followed all of the above steps, but it doesn’t hurt. You can combine lotion and primer with Lush’s Magical Moringa lotion that has argan and rose hip oils, or go for the glow with the whipped, pearl-filled lightweight Becca Backlight Priming Filter. The point is to get an even canvas for your makeup, something you can also achieve by adding drops of Cover FX’s Custom Cover Drops to your favorite moisturizer. Two birds, one stone.

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