Beauty

The ‘I'm Cold’ Makeup Is Winter's It Beauty Trend—Here's How To Achieve It

The "I'm cold” makeup look is the popular beauty trend that will transform you into a winter goddess with only five products you probably already have in your makeup bag.

By Simone Sydel3 min read
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Brace yourselves, ladies. We have another makeup craze on our hands! The "I'm cold" or the "cold girl" makeup trend is the latest sensation sweeping the beauty world, and it's all about achieving a wintery, icy look that makes you look like you just rolled out of a snowbank.

Unlike other makeup trends that require lots of time and money to pull off, this one is surprisingly affordable and easy to recreate. All you need are five products and your personal touch to make it work.

Here's our take on the "I'm cold" makeup trend and how to create the look in a few simple steps.

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What Is the "I'm Cold” Makeup Look?

Evident by the 85 million (and counting) mentions of #imcoldmakeup, this trend has been sweeping through TikTok like an avalanche. And if you've been wondering what the heck it's all about, we've got the answers for you. 

"I'm cold” makeup is an icy, cool girl take on the traditional natural or "clean girl" makeup. The look is all about enhancing your natural flush and making you appear like you just spent the day in the freezing outdoors.

The trend mimics that Rudolph-red nose and rosy cheeks and involves a strategic blush placement and the use of highlighter with cool pink, white, and shimmery silver accents to give your skin a frosty look.

How To Nail the "I'm Cold" Makeup Trend

Despite the fancy name, this winter-inspired makeup look isn't hard to achieve. In fact, you don't even have to be a makeup pro to pull it off. The "I'm cold” makeup trend requires no more than 4 or 5 products, and you can easily find them in your makeup collection. Here's our step-by-step guide to getting the look:

1. Matte Base

A lightweight foundation with a matte finish will create that smooth, even base for this look. And the finish of the foundation is important because the skin tends to be extra dry in winter, so complexion products that leave a dewy glow behind won't look right.

Apply the foundation with a brush or a damp beauty blender to ensure that it blends into the skin properly and doesn't look cakey. Even though matte foundations tend to be on the heavier side, you want to make this look as minimal as possible, so a damp beauty blender can help take away excess product and make the complexion look more natural.

Product To Try: NARS – Soft Matte Complete Foundation, $40

2. Blush

Liquid, cream, or powder blush will all do the job for this look, so you can go with what works best for your skin type. However, when it comes to the color and placement, you want to choose something that enhances your natural flush and adds a hint of rosiness to your cheeks.

Once you find the perfect color for your skin tone, instead of placing the blush on your upper cheekbones for that lifted look popularized by the "clean girl" makeup trend, you want to target the apples of your cheeks first and apply the blush close to your nose, while blending in a circular shape. Next, place a little bit of blush on the very tip of your nose to create that cute flush that comes along naturally after spending some time in the cold. Avoid placing blush on the bridge of your nose and the top of your forehead, as this placement mimics sun exposure, which won't fit the winter aesthetic look you want to create.

Product To Try: Dior – Backstage Rosy Glow Blush, $39

3. Eyeshadow

When it comes to the eyes, you have a few options. You can either set your eyelids with a bit of powder, draw a winged eyeliner, pop on a pair of false eyelashes, and leave it at that. Or, if you want a little bit of color, you can also go over your eyelids all the way to your brow bone with the same blush shade you used earlier. This will create a monochromatic look that will give your face dimension. Finally, you can also add a shimmery, frosty eyeshadow in shades of blue, white, or silver. This will add a bit of sparkle to your look without going overboard.

Product To Try: Stila – Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in 'Perlina,' $24

4. Highlighter

When highlighting your cold girl makeup look, you only have to add a few dots of liquid or powder highlighter in the inner corners of your eyes and the very tip of your nose over the blush. This will create a frosty, icy look that perfectly fits your winter aesthetic.

Product To Try: Bobbi Brown – Highlighting Powder, $52

5. Finish Off with a "Just-Kissed Lip"

Finally, the last step is to finish off your look with a "just-kissed lip." Use a subtle lip tint and add a little bit of color in the center of your lip before blending it outwards to get that natural, flushed-from-the-cold look. Adding gloss is optional; however, if you decide to do so, make sure you go easy with the layering.

Product To Try: Benefit Cosmetics – Liquid Lip Blush & Cheek Tint, $18

Closing Thoughts

The "I'm cold” makeup trend is the perfect way to embrace winter while still looking glamorous. Easily achieved in only five steps, you can now give your makeup routine a winter-inspired makeover that will enhance your natural beauty and keep you looking fresh and stylish all season long. Whether you want to rock this look for a special event or just for fun, grab your cold-weather essentials and give this makeup trend a try!

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