December is a month of celebration, but it can be the most punishing season for your skin. The combination of late nights, central heating, cold winds, prosecco, travel and impromptu social gatherings can leave your complexion looking dull, grey and strangely deflated just when you want it to appear its best.
However, covering the signs of festive exhaustion isn't about applying heavy layers of make-up. The real secret lies in restoring hydration, correcting darkness and using textures that revive winter skin rather than suffocate it. To demystify the process, we sought advice from top professionals.
Prepping Your Canvas: The Essential First Step
Signs of fatigue often appear before you even pick up a make-up brush. Tightness, uneven texture and a stubborn greyness that foundation won't fix are common complaints.
Celebrity make-up artist Ariane Young, known for working with the stars of Strictly Come Dancing, insists the solution always starts with the skin's surface. "The fastest way to revive tired, lacklustre skin is a two-step prep – gentle exfoliation followed by deep hydration," she explains. She recommends a mild glycolic acid toner to clear away dead skin cells and excess oil, which are what make-up tends to cling to. Once the canvas is smoothed, a hydrating moisturiser immediately plumps the complexion, creating the perfect base.
Viral make-up artist Emily Wood adopts a similar strategy, particularly for clients who have endured late nights. Her approach combines deep hydration with surface smoothing, starting with a product that gives skin a plumped, fresh finish within minutes. She then uses brightening eye patches to de-puff and refresh the eye area before any concealer is applied.
Targeted Correction for Tired Eyes
Even the most flawless base won't disguise fatigue if the under-eye area looks grey, dry or over-corrected. Ariane Young stresses that "hydration is everything," warning that anything dry or overly matte will settle straight into fine lines.
Her method is precise: she uses a concealer with a radiant finish and a peach-leaning undertone to counteract the natural purples in dark circles. She cautions against shades that are too light, as they can highlight the area instead of brightening it. She blends with a fluffy eyeshadow brush for a seamless finish, then presses in a touch of finely milled setting powder.
Emily Wood is equally firm about avoiding heavy formulas, stating they can make festive fatigue look worse. Instead, she applies tiny amounts of peach corrector precisely where darkness sits, followed by a lightweight concealer pressed in with a ring finger to prevent creasing.
Creating Radiance Without Emphasising Texture
Winter skin often lacks the smoothness needed for powders and glittery highlighters, which can instantly emphasise dryness. Young's solution is to stick to creamy, balmy textures. "In winter, I always steer clients toward creamy, light-reflective formulas that nourish as they brighten," she says, favouring products that melt into the skin.
Wood agrees, noting that the wrong glow products can cling to dry patches on flat, textured winter skin. Her trick is to mix a touch of creamy highlighter into your foundation or tinted moisturiser for a soft-focus sheen. She finishes by misting with a glow spray to restore dewiness and make everything look fresher.
The Five-Minute Festive Rescue
Time is precious during the holidays, and both artists have streamlined routines. Ariane Young's fast routine, honed from years on live TV, begins with hydration. She then sculpts with a cream bronzer around the face's perimeter for warmth, adds a pop of cream blush (which can double as a lip colour), and only then applies concealer to avoid build-up. A quick gel liner, mascara and brow gel complete the look.
Emily Wood's own five-minute method is equally efficient: hydrate, correct where absolutely necessary, apply mascara and finish with a mist to blend everything seamlessly. She claims this four-step routine is the secret to looking well-rested and hydrated.
Both experts emphasise that small tweaks make a significant difference in winter. Choosing balmy, moisturising textures over dry powders is key. Young loves using a rosy cream blush to mimic a natural winter flush, while Wood advocates mixing skincare with base products to restore the skin's natural sheen. Their unanimous final tip for long wear? A spritz of fixing mist before and after make-up acts like a hydration sandwich, helping your look stay fresh all day and night.
