Despite unseasonably warm temperatures lingering in metropolitan centers like New York City, the beauty industry is already looking ahead to the depths of winter. Even as autumn transitions into the holiday season with festive window displays and early decor, top makeup artists and trend forecasters are locking in the cosmetic palette that will define the upcoming months. Moving past the ghost lashes, monochromatic looks, and blurred liner that dominated the fall season, winter 2026-2027 is shaping up to be a masterclass in contrasts—blending nostalgic nods to past decades with hyper-modern, expressive finishes designed to demand attention against the winter chill.
According to industry veterans, the overarching philosophy for the winter season centers on high-impact beauty. When temperatures drop and the weather turns biting, beauty routines are shifting away from minimalism toward looks with a sense of theatre and individuality. Experts note that winter makeup needs to feel fun and visually striking enough to motivate people to step out into the cold. To navigate this seasonal shift, top-tier professional makeup artists have mapped out the ten defining trends expected to dominate the beauty landscape through the winter months.
Meet The Experts
The insights driving this winter’s forecast come from some of the industry’s most respected professionals:
- Lori Taylor Davis: Global Pro Makeup Artist at Smashbox Cosmetics, bringing two decades of expertise to the forecaster’s desk.
- Jamie Greenberg: Celebrity makeup artist with over 20 years of experience, counting high-profile figures such as Rashida Jones, Kristen Stewart, and Tracee Ellis Ross among her clientele.
- Joseph Carrillo: High-fashion makeup artist, beauty expert, and facial sculptor known for his avant-garde yet wearable approach.
Wine-Stained Lips
Following predictions of deep, rich, and indulgent reds dominating winter nail trends, the appetite for heavy, saturated color is naturally transitioning to the lips. Think of shades reminiscent of your favorite winter cabernet, featuring deep berry, plum, burgundy, and wine tones.
According to Lori Taylor Davis, these rich, expressive lip colors feel both luxurious and quintessentially seasonal, instantly elevating a makeup look with a sense of sophistication. Because modern beauty routines increasingly celebrate personal individuality, a statement lip serves as an effortless focal point that requires minimal extra steps. To master the look, experts recommend selecting a berry or wine shade that harmonizes with your specific skin undertone, defining the lips with a coordinating liner, and softly diffusing the edges for a lived-in, effortless finish. For a more understated daytime approach, pressing the pigment into the lips with a fingertip creates a soft, diffused flush.
Lit From Within
While winter skin often suffers from dry, biting air, the overarching complexion trend leans heavily into maximal dewiness. The goal is a complexion that appears robust, healthy, and naturally radiant without slipping into excessive shininess. Davis points out that the beauty industry is steering toward a balanced middle ground between dewy and matte textures, yielding a smooth, healthy appearance that keeps real skin visible beneath the surface. To combat winter dullness and dehydration, makeup routines are relying on cream blushes, balmy highlighters, and a sturdy foundation of moisturizers and primers tailored to individual skin types.
Icicle Eyes
Eye makeup takes a turn toward the frosty and festive as the calendar moves deeper into winter. Drawing a refined, modern twist from late ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia, trends highlight silver, champagne, pewter, and icy rose tones. Rather than overwhelming the eyelid with heavy layers of traditional glitter, today’s approach focuses on the strategic placement of light and shimmer to catch the ambient winter light.
Bronzer Blindness
Challenging the conventional notion that sun-kissed skin belongs exclusively to the summer months, makeup artist Jamie Greenberg predicts a massive surge in winter bronzer usage. While colder weather traditionally prompts individuals to dial back the warmth, this season encourages embracing bronzer to a maximal degree, defying the winter pale with rich, sun-warmed dimensions.
Moody Liner
Dark lip liners are experiencing a major moment this season, building on a rich history rooted deeply in Black culture and popularized during the defining beauty eras of the ’90s. The modern iteration, however, breaks away from tradition. Greenberg notes that the trend centers heavily on experimenting with unexpected color combinations, pairing dark liners with contrasting, vibrant lip shades rather than relying solely on the classic brown and light taupe pairings of the past.
Lashing Out
While the preceding fall season favored the sparse, understated look of ghost lashes, winter swings the pendulum firmly back in favor of unmistakably defined, lively lashes. With advancements in beauty tools and techniques, consumers are increasingly turning to false lashes and clusters. Greenberg highlights that the general public is becoming remarkably adept at applying falsies, taking full advantage of user-friendly lash innovations to maximize eye drama during the colder months.
Purple Haze
Purple has quietly permeated multiple facets of the fashion and beauty world this season, extending successfully from apparel and manicures straight into facial cosmetics. According to high-fashion makeup artist Joseph Carrillo, purple blush—while intimidating at first glance—reads on the skin as a remarkably flattering, cool-toned flush. By sweeping a small amount of product high on the cheekbone and blending it back toward the temple, the blush simultaneously acts as a contour and a pop of color, leaving the rest of the face minimal to let the unique hue take center stage.
Brown-Eyed Girl
For those hesitant to step away from traditional jet-black mascara, winter offers a gentle entry point into color experimentation through rich brown formulas. Carrillo recommends options like the YSL brown mascara, noting that brown provides ample definition without the stark, harsh contrast that black can sometimes impart. By wiggling the wand at the roots and combing through to the tips, the eyes appear brighter and the overall facial contrast softens, offering versatility for either a clean, bare face or a defined, lined look.
Renaissance Blush
Capturing the aesthetic of a romantic, natural flush reminiscent of someone stepping in from the freezing outdoors, the "Renaissance blush" trend avoids harsh, deliberate stripes in favor of a soft, diffused appearance. Carrillo suggests using dewy liquid or cream blushes, tapping the color onto the apples of the cheeks with the fingers to break down the pigment, and blending it outward. For an authentic cold-weather effect, the color can be carried very lightly across the bridge of the nose.
Slept-In Eyes
Embracing the ongoing cultural appreciation for messy, casual "cool-girl" aesthetics and imperfection, winter eye makeup leans heavily into lived-in, smoky textures. Carrillo advises a low-maintenance approach for smoky eyes: pressing a brown eyeliner close to the lash line and gently diffusing the edges upward and outward with the fingers. The desired effect mimics the soft shadow left behind after a long night out, deliberately avoiding sharp, rigid lines to keep the overall look relaxed and natural.
