Winter changes the skin faster than make-up can keep up. Cold, dry air outside, heating inside – the skin loses moisture, gets rougher, and the foundation that sat perfectly in October settles into fine flakes in January. The problem is rarely the foundation but what happens underneath. This routine solves it in five steps.
1. Skincare: light, but fully absorbed
Dry winter skin needs moisture but no heavy grease directly under make-up – foundation slides on it. Apply your day cream at least ten minutes before make-up and let it absorb completely. Mon Secret Jour is made for this: it moisturises, does not clog pores and is meant as a make-up base. Richer care belongs to the night.
To the Mon Secret Jour day cream
2. Do not scrub: smooth gently
Attacking flakes with a scrub only makes the skin thinner and redder. A soft cloth with lukewarm water, circled over nose, chin and forehead, is usually enough. A mild enzyme peel once a week, never on the day of an important appointment.
3. Foundation: thin, with a brush, in layers
In winter the rule is: less product, more layers. Spread a pea-sized amount of foundation from the centre of the face outwards with foundation brush No. 4 and add a second layer only where coverage is needed. The brush lays the product on the skin instead of pressing it into every unevenness like a sponge. INCEPTION Liquid Foundation is oil-free and fragrance-free – an advantage for winter skin that reacts quickly.
To the INCEPTION Liquid Foundation
4. Powder: only where it shines
Powdering the whole face makes winter skin dull and emphasises every dry patch. Compact powder only in the T-zone and under the eyes, with the large powder brush No. 1 and little pressure. The cheeks stay unpowdered – there the blush goes directly onto the foundation and looks fresher.
To the INCEPTION Compact Powder
5. Lips: care first, then colour
Chapped lips take colour unevenly. A thick layer of balm in the evening, a thin one in the morning before make-up. Matte textures like the powder gloss then sit cleanly in winter because they rest on a smooth lip; creamy lipstick is the alternative for very dry days.
The winter checklist
- Day cream at least ten minutes before foundation.
- Foundation thinly with a brush, second layer only where needed.
- Powder only in the T-zone, leave the cheeks free.
- Powder blush directly onto the foundation, blended softly.
- In the evening remove everything thoroughly and let the night care absorb – the skin regenerates in sleep, not under make-up.