Winter’s Biggest Makeup Trends Are High-Impact With Minimal Effort

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For a season that’s spent primarily indoors, winter involves a surprising amount of planning. You have to make decisions about where to spend the holidays, decor to display, gifts to buy loved ones, the next movie or TV series to stream nonstop… We figured it would be helpful to take at least one thing off your plate by rounding up the top makeup trends of the season, with help from makeup artists, retail buyers, and trend forecasters who are deeply tuned in to the most popular looks and products right now. The result: a shiny, festive moodboard for all your holiday celebrations (or nights in) with loved ones.

The resounding theme with the five makeup trends featured here is making a statement with either minimal effort or minimal products. Ulta Beauty shoppers are looking to feel “polished yet effortless,” says Kaitlin Rinehart, the retailer’s vice president of merchandising. What does that look like? A flick of sparkly chrome liner (a party-season essential), a dusting of powder blush (which continues to captivate beauty lovers with new formulas and fresh ways to wear it), and bronzer placement that turns up the heat (thanks to TikTok’s toasty makeup trend).

While there’s plenty of newness on beauty shelves this season, one great thing about these five trends is that you probably already own products that can help you achieve the looks. So grab your fuzzy socks and floofiest blanket, and start planning a season of magical makeup moments.

Tinsel lids

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Sparkly shadow is always apropos for winter festivities, but this year the effect is more twinkling tinsel than Hallmark-movie set. Buffed and blended over the lids, these delicate shimmers are “a great way to add a soft, whimsical approach to your eye look this season,” says David Razzano, makeup artist and Sephora beauty director.

To get this effect on your lids, stick to neutral metallic shades like gold, silver, platinum, and bronze that complement your skin tone. Take, for example, Sabrina Carpenter and Dua Lipa, who often wear pale gold hues on their lids during concerts and red carpet appearances, or actor Danai Gurira, who stepped out at Paris Fashion Week wearing a beautiful bronzy shadow. For more contrast, you can check out one of Cynthia Erivo’s silvery eye looks from earlier this year, where the shadow gets buffed and blended until the edges fade seamlessly into her skin tone.

At Ulta Beauty, liquid formats like R.E.M. Beauty’s Starlet Liquid Eyeshadow are in high demand, according to Rinehart, but there are plenty of new shimmery shadows available in a variety of textures that also work brilliantly for this trend. For instance, there’s Half Magic’s new Glitterpuck Fairy Dust in Glimmer Pop, a pressed glitter in an icy champagne hue that almost feels wet to the touch, and Makeup By Mario’s Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette: Nature, which includes stunning yet subtle shimmer and metallic powders. Says Mario Dedivanovic, founder and CEO of the brand, “The glossy shimmers are highly reflective and practically dance on the eyelids. They’re also very versatile. They can be worn alone or layered over other shadow formulas, allowing you to create a variety of looks from subtle to dramatic.”

For those with sensitive eyes, try the Tower28 GoGo Cooling Shimmer 8H Eyeshadow Stick, which glides across skin and cools upon application.

Gothic lips

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“Vampy lips will be everywhere,” says Smashbox pro lead artist Lori Taylor Davis, who sees the return of grunge and a goth-inspired makeup aesthetic fueling the shift. “We will see lip looks in deep burgundy, wine, and plum tones—moody tones that feel in sync with the season and offer a dramatic alternative to classic red.”

This is reflected in recent consumer findings, as Ulta Beauty is seeing more interest in dark lip products, and searches for “vampire lips” have spiked 32.6% since last year across Google and social media, according to Spate Data.

And there is no lack of inspiration to look to, as the red carpet has been full of moody lipstick hues like burgundy (on Ayo Edebiri, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Jenna Ortega), berry (Erin Kellyman and Jenna Ortega), and oxblood (Indya Moore and… you guessed it, Jenna Ortega, who is basically our gothic-lip queen).

A sheer lipstick such as Clinique Black Honey (which comes in sparkly holiday packaging this year) is a great way to ease into the trend. A long-lasting matte like Sephora Cream Lipstain in Naughty Burgundy will stay put throughout the office holiday party, while the Dior On Stage Lipstick in Berry Attitude is a longwear satin formula beloved by us (it’s a 2025 Best of Beauty winner) and Ortega’s makeup artist Melanie Inglessis.

Chrome eyeliner

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TikTok can’t get enough of Sephora’s 12HR Colorful Special Effects Multichrome Eyeliners, and the product’s virality has fueled one of winter’s biggest makeup trends. Searches for metallic eyeliner on Google are up 145%, and brands like Smashbox and Stila have high-shine eyeliner pencils as part of their winter offerings.

The liners “let you add just the right pop of color and flair, no advanced makeup skills required,” says Razzano. Though they’re nearly sold out, Danessa Myricks Infinite Chrome Micropencils are equally dazzling and multifaceted (and superthin, so they’re great for details), and the Sparkle Out Loud collection of Urban Decay’s Best of Beauty-winning 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil pack a similar colorful, chromatic punch.

It’s true that you don’t need much effort to create a high-impact look with chrome and metallic liners. TikTok loves bold strokes of metallic blue, pink, and green along the lower waterlines. Razanno recommends blending metallic liner around the eyes with a small buff brush to create a “multichrome halo around the eye.” Taylor Davis suggests using the Smashbox MetalFX Eyeliners to create sharp wings or add a flash of shine along the inner corners, which “elevate any look and make them party-ready.”

Quick tip: Pair your metallic liner with a neutral matte shadow so the shine really stands out, says Taylor Davis.

Hazy cheeks

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Powder blush and blurring complexion products have been immensely popular in 2025, and the two categories come together for your winter makeup looks. “I see the continuation of natural, blurred skin and soft-focus, almost hazy color on the cheeks,” says Dedivanovic. Razzano echoes this, seeing powder blush as a way to achieve the soft-matte complexions people are after at the moment.

Glossier’s Cloud Plush Blush was made for this look. The cream-to-powder formula goes on blurry and diffused with barely any blending. Razzano likes the Ilia Soft Focus Blurring Blush-Talc Free Powder Blush for winter because it goes on as “soft as a whisper” for an ultra-natural look. “I instantly fell in love with the shade Closer, a beautiful baby pink, and plan to pair it with some deep blood-red lips for a gorgeous, seasonal look,” he adds.

Toasty makeup

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Miss your summer glow? You can bring it back, courtesy of the toasty makeup trend taking over TikTok—and spilling onto the red carpet. Amal Clooney, Laura Harrier, and Zoë Kravitz are just a few of the celebs who have tried the look recently. “Unlike the traditional bronzed makeup that screams summer holidays,” says London-based makeup artist Alex Reader, “this trend adds warmth to your complexion using autumnal-inspired tones of terra-cotta, ambers, and cinnamon.”

Soft warmth and seamless blending are key to nailing this look. You’ll want to reach for cream and liquid formulas. Start with a dewy base (tinted moisturizer or lightweight foundation will do), then, using blush or bronzer, sweep color across cheekbones and the bridge of the nose for a natural-looking flush that doesn’t appear too structured. (Reader recommends Rhode Pocket Blush in Toasted Teddy or Freckle, which can be used on lips, too, if you’re really looking for an easy and efficient look.)

To dial up the drama, Reader suggests adding a brown shadow to your lids (Hung Vanngo Color Story Eye Shadow Palette in Wonderful Warm; or Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow Stick in Cinnamon, Bark, or Hazelnut are great options, depending on your texture preference) and a glossy caramel-toned lip for extra dimension. Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Liner in Deep Taupe or Sandstone, topped with Merit Tinted Lip Oil in Taupe, is a lovely toasty lip combo.

With searches on TikTok up over 1,000% year over year, according to Spate Data, Reader chalks up the toasty trend’s popularity this winter to how beautifully it pairs with the cozy, chunky knits and soft cashmere sweaters we love. As she puts it: “It also offers a subtle sculpting and soft glow that complements the season, rather than competing with it.”

Meet the experts:

• Mario Dedivanovic is a New York City-based makeup artist and founder of Makeup By Mario.
• David Razzano is a New York City-based makeup artist and Sephora beauty director.
• Alex Reader is a London-based makeup artist.
• Kaitlin Rinehart is the vice president of merchandising at Ulta Beauty.
• Lori Taylor Davis is a makeup artist and a Smashbox pro lead artist.