“Cold Girl” Makeup Look Essentials
If you’re tapped into the world of skincare and makeup on Tiktok - you've probably tried out Tiktok skincare/beauty trend or 2. If that's you then you most likely have heard of the trending “cold girl” look, coined by makeup artist Zoe Kim Kenealy (@zoekimkenealy). No, it isn’t the ice bucket challenge or anything of the sort. It’s exactly as it sounds - a makeup look that makes you look “cold”. Some might wonder - why in the world would I want to look cold? But when you see it, it’s a fresh, flushed and “natural” look that’ll get you into the winter mood without actually having to be freezing out in the cold. The “cold girl” look is simple, yet effective and doesn’t require much effort. I think it’s perfect for beginners who are new to makeup and trying to learn new makeup styles or for people who simply don’t like to use too many makeup products but want that little bit of ‘oomph’ in their look. K-beauty definitely has all the essentials when it comes to creating that flushed “cold girl” look and we’ve put together some of our curations for you to be able to try out the “cold girl” makeup style for yourself.
Keep it Matte
A matte base is the key when it comes to this trendy Tiktok look. Everything about being a “cold girl” is based off of that cold, dry weather feeling and that means matte matte matte. But you don’t necessarily need a matte foundation to pull off the look. Just use any foundation you have, whether it be matte or dewy and set it with a mattifying powder! Masksheets has several translucent powders that’ll get rid of any oils and mattify the face but one of our favorites is definitely the Etude House Zero Sebum Drying Powder. We specifically love this loose powder because it’s a fine powder that mattifies the skin without making it look cakey and it’s also free of talc and artificial fragrances!
It’s All About the Blush
Blush is truly the key to putting together the “cold girl” makeup look. If you’re not used to wearing blush or wearing lots of it, this might take a little getting used to but think of it as that natural flushed look you get when getting hit by a strong gust of cold wind in the middle of winter. The perfect areas to place the blush to get the flushed, “I’ve been standing out in the cold for an hour” look is definitely on the apples of the cheeks, blending it to the under area, on the top of your lips for that “blush mustache”, as well as on the nose. You can even place it on your chin or on your forehead for an even more frost-bitten look. Two of my favorites to use personally are the ROM&ND Better Than Cheek blush in Blueberry Chip and Peach Chip. Blueberry Chip is more on the cool side with its pink-ish, purple hue while Peach Chip is more on the orange-y side with a warmer pink undertone. Both blushes have a silky formula that glides on smooth leaving the skin with an airbrush finish - putting the whole look together! You can also use that same blush color as your eyeshadow or choose any neutral eyeshadow to keep it simple! To make the look even more cohesive - you can also set the blush with more setting powder to make it look more natural and flushed from within!
ROM&ND Better Than Cheek Blueberry Chip
Image via ROM&ND Official Website
ROM&ND Better Than Cheek Peach Chip
Image via ROM&ND Official Website
Glitter & Lips
Now, because the whole base of the makeup is matte with no glow in sight, that does not mean this look doesn’t call for a little more oomph. Though this step isn’t necessary, it’s definitely a fun way of adding more to your look depending on the occasion, the venue, or even if you just wanted to add a little more pizazz. You can simply use any glitter eyeshadow or highlighter to your eyelids, your brow bone or even the tip of your nose to give it a more frosty look. I definitely love using the glitter and shimmer eyeshadows in the ROM&ND Better Than Eyes Dry Rose palette as well as the CLIO Pro Eye Palette in Coral Talk. Both palettes have great soft yet pigmented shimmers and glitters that’ll perfectly enhance your “cold girl” look!
ROM&ND Better Than Eyes in Dry Rose
Image via ROM&ND Official Instagram
CLIO Pro Eye Palette in Coral Talk
Image via CLIO Official Instagram
Last and final step to putting together the look is of course - the lips! To make even your lips like flushed, you can use a red-ish velvet lip color for that blurred flushed look. The best way to keep the lips looking blurred and smooth would be to apply the lip color in the center of the lips and blend them out to the outer edges, blending them into the skin to make it look more “natural”. One of my fave lippies to use is the Peripera Ink The Velvet in Good Brick ! This velvet matte lip tint has a light and barely there texture that makes for the perfect blurred lip look!
Peripera Ink The Velvet in Good Brick
Image via Peripera Official Instagram
You can finish the look with the rest of your makeup staples like brows and mascara and voila! Your “cold girl” look is complete! Get that “cold girl” look that’ll make you feel like you’ve been skiing all day on Vail Mountain in Colorado!
