November is now upon us!

While the weather is a little warm at the moment, I have a feeling it’ll start to get cold soon, and with cold weather comes dry skin. Dry skin tends to be tricky to work with when applying makeup, so I want to share what I do to keep my skin looking good so that makeup is easier to apply, and has a better end result.

I, myself, have dry skin, so this time of year is especially harsh on my face. I have found that the best thing for my skin is to exfoliate (gently) a few times a week. If you get rid of that dead, dry skin then the products you put on afterwards can work better. Try to develop a skincare routine if you haven’t already, and make sure a good moisturizer is included in it! I suggest washing your face, moisturizing, and then waiting about ten minutes for that to really sink into your skin before you start applying makeup. Using a damp makeup sponge to pounce or press your foundation into your skin helps not rub up any dry skin that you might have missed when exfoliating. Dragging along your skin with a brush can make your dry skin more noticeable so I tend to skip foundation brushes this time of year.

Once you’ve got a good start to your skincare and applying your foundation, then you can move on to creating the rest of your look. Maybe even a glamorous look for a holiday party? November sometimes starts the holiday party season. To anyone in denial that the holidays are far away, I am so sorry for bringing it up, but December is just around the corner! I know a lot of companies have holiday parties in November or beginning of December so I thought I’d mention some tips for putting some extra sparkle into your holiday party makeup look.

Some really nice colours to try on your eyes for the holiday season are metal colours. Golds or silvers look beautiful and are so festive. You could try it out by putting a little bit of silver eyeshadow just on top of your usual shadow right in the centre of your eyelid. It’ll give whatever colour you’re wearing a little shine! A gold shadow paired with some neutral tans and browns can be a fairly subdued look that has just a bit more of a holiday twist than a matte neutral look. If you’re more experienced with various colours and finishes of makeup, then you could try a dark smoky eyeshadow look with silver and black shadows. The next couple of months are a great time to try shimmery and sparkly makeup products you might not think to wear other times of the year. Play around with looks a few days before your party to see which works best for you.

I hope you enjoy any and all parties you attend, and even if you don’t wear makeup I hope you feel sparkly and shimmery anyway because your heart is full from spending time with friends, family, and coworkers!

About the Author

Tina Michelle is a freelance makeup artist in Oshawa, Ontario. She loves to help others feel better about themselves by teaching them to use makeup as a tool at their disposal to bring their best face forward. She never wants you to feel like makeup is something that you have use to cover yourself up so you are considered pretty. You already are beautiful! Tina hopes to help you discover that makeup is fun and can be playful, and doesn’t have to be another chore on a to-do list. You can find her on Facebook here: (www.Facebook.com/MakeupByTinaMichelle/) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/MakeupByTinaM.com/) or Instagram: (www.twww.instagram.com/MakeupByTinaMichelle/)