Should I Switch My Foundation for the Winter? - QC Makeup Academy

When we think of winterizing our routines to make sure we survive the cold, we often just think of switching over our wardrobe and vamping up our hair routine (static and dry air sucks!). But what about our makeup? Besides purchasing yet another moisturizer and making sure to amp-up our lip balm collection, we also need to think about our foundation!

With winter around the corner, you might need to shake-up your makeup routine! Keep reading if you don’t know if and why you should consider switching up your foundation!

Go lighter

Switching your winter foundation to match your skin tone

The first major reason to switch over foundation is your change in skin tone! You may have had a nice sun-kissed glow during the sunny seasons, but when we have to say goodbye to the sun, we have to say goodbye to our tan, too! Even if you’re the most dedicated fake-tanner in the world, you may still want to go a shade lighter. All that tanner is hard to maintain, and you may want to give your skin a break when it’s feeling the winter blues.

If you’re too stubborn with your darker foundation shade, you’ll commit a major makeup faux-pas that even your high school self would cringe at! Go into M.A.C or Sephora and let them test to see if your current foundation is still working for you. If it isn’t, try a lighter foundation or buy a shade lighter to mix your perfect color match!

Dry skin

You’ve probably already noticed that your skin has become super dry since winter hit. That’s completely normal! But besides slathering on an extra layer of moisturizer (potentially creating a greasy coat over your skin) every morning, or doing a full-on deep moisturizing mask every day, you could switch to a moisturizing foundation.

Full coverage foundation with extra moisturizing properties is both tough to find and tough on your bank account. Heavy foundation may even feel weird on your skin during the winter—the extra pigment particles with the dry indoor heat can make the product behave differently on your skin. Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer is a great product for those who want some coverage but want the bulk of the efforts to be laid into softening and smoothing the skin!

Check for SPF protection

Why you need SPF foundation in the winter

Sunscreen should be considered a pillar in your summer beauty routine. From science-talk about the damaging effects of UV rays to the painful sunburns that can cause a nasty welt, SPF protection is a must! But a lot of people tend to stop their sunscreen use when temperatures drop and the days grow shorter. The thing is, you shouldn’t!

The sun’s UV intensity is still the same during the winter, and it can cause long-term damage to your body’s largest organ—skin cancer is not a joke! Especially since light bounces around more when there’s white snow covering everything, UV radiation will reflect back on you even more so than in the summer if you’re hitting the slopes. Invest in a good foundation with SPF 30+. We recommend the Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation—it’s formulated with anti-aging ingredients including bamboo grass and lychee extracts. Your skin will thank you for the extra therapy!

Winterized your foundation routine but at a loss about how to update your lipstick collection? Take this quiz to find out the winter lipstick shade you need to try!

 

Author Celina Feng

More posts by Celina Feng

Join the discussion 2 Comments

  • Brianna Ballardo says:

    I didn’t know that the sun’s UV intensity is still the same during winter and to think I did not need much sunscreen during this season! Thanks for the foundation recommendations! I’ll definitely have to try them!

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